Ferry terminal construction delayed

Construction of Glen Cove's stimulus-funded ferry terminal will be further delayed because new bulkheads are retaining water.

Last month's unexpected discovery will slow completion and add to the final cost of the project's first phase, which is covered by an $11-million federal commitment. Engineers are conducting a detailed design review, officials said, and hope to have a solution in coming weeks.

"Water is being retained on the site that shouldn't be there, and they're looking at how to mitigate that," said Mayor Ralph Suozzi. "Until these unknowns are known, you can't keep moving forward."

Suozzi said it was too early to quantify the delay or added cost. The first phase -- including dock and bulkhead construction, drainage improvements and a terminal building foundation -- was supposed to be finished in the fall, but a harsh winter also delayed work.

"That [winter] wasn't that bad," said Jeff Grube, general manager for contractor Chesterfield Associates Inc. "This [water] was kind of unexpected."

Grube explained that the old bulkhead was full of holes, so water that flowed from a nearby hill traveled through it. "Now we have a bulkhead with no holes, and the water is being trapped."

Westhampton Beach-based Chesterfield Associates, marine construction specialists whose clients include the state and U.S. Coast Guard, has had a crew of about eight men in Glen Cove since last July. They've been mostly inactive for the past four weeks.

"We're eager for the issues to get resolved so we can get back to work," Grube said.

A new ferry terminal is a prime component of Glen Cove's waterfront revival. City leaders imagine it a hub of recreational and commuter boats, with a modern, multiuse terminal building that can house a restaurant and banquet space.

The project is several years ahead of the long-standing plan to redevelop surrounding ex-industrial sites into more than 50 acres of condos, shops, restaurants and open space. That billion-dollar, privately funded proposal -- Glen Isle -- is working its way through the planning board approval process.