DELRAY BEACH, Fla. -- Most people get to downtown Delray Beach by car, but just in time for the weekend, people can now get to Atlantic Avenue by boat.
The reconstruction of the seawall at Veterans Park is done, and the new boat docks are open.
“You can see, this is a great job from a boater's standpoint. We never had cleats like that. We never had the fenders on the outside,” said Delray Beach resident Jim Hunt.
Hunt said the new docks are a sight to see: “The old dock was in bad shape, this is an improvement.”
The city just wrapped up a year-long improvement project to the seawall. They added two feet in height to help with flooding. They also designed it so if water levels keep rising, they can add onto the seawall instead of rebuilding.
“I think it really adds to the park,” said Ron Coddington, the contractor and chief engineer for Calloway Marine Technologies.
Coddington said he designed the new boat docks with safety and practicality in mind.
“This dock is used differently than an average dock, people may come here dressed to go to a fancy dinner on the avenue,” he said.
The reopening was delayed until they could install ladders that would allow for easy access on and off the boats.
Hunt said he has lived here 47 years and this is the best the public docks have ever been. “Going from nothing to something, to nothing again and now this, and this is substantial.”