Bristol Docks Get OK; Construction To Start This Summer

After an extensive, mostly positive meeting in Bristol Borough, the council voted 6-2 to accept the lowest offered bid for the construction of day docks in the Delaware river.

The contract is being awarded to PKF-Mark III Inc. for a sum of $2,269,124. The borough currently has $2.5 million in grants for the project. Including contingencies, the total cost is estimated at right around $3 million.

The borough will use a 20-year note the fund the rest of the project that fundraising and grants don’t cover. The borrowed money will take about 20 years to pay off.

“I’m in favor of the project because I think it contributes to the fantastic buzz about Bristol Borough throughout the county,” said Bill Pezza, the president of Bristol Borough Raising the Bar.

Other prominent local business owners and members of the public who spoke in favor of the docks at the base if Mill Street at the Bristol Wharf included Robert Strasser of the King George Inn and Eugene Williams of the Grundy Foundation.

Before the Wednesday evening vote, funding for the project in grants was facing a shortfall of about $500,000 and the project was stalled.

Williams made the announcement that the Grundy Foundation would donate a matching grant of $250,000 if the borough raised the other half of the money.

“We aren’t just saying things. We’re going to raise this money,” said Council President Ralph DiGuiseppe II.

When public participation opened to the public, it appeared that everyone who would speak would be in favor of the project. Only one resident spoke against the docks, mentioning the damaged view that would occur if the docks were constructed.

Local officials support the plan as well: a letter from Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick was read and support from State Representative John Galloway and State Senator Tommy Tomlinson was also assured.

“The impact that this is going to have on Bristol is major,” DiGuiseppe said.

Council members Tony Devine and Dave Girard were the only two opposing votes. According to Girard, an informal poll he conducted with residents yielded mostly negative results when he mentioned the shortfall in funding.

Construction of the docks is expected to begin this summer.

Officials have been working on the docks since 2013 and believe they will boost business in borough.