City continues to pursue plans for harbor

PETERSBURG - The city is seeking help from U.S. Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va, to realize the dream to develop a harbor right on the edge of downtown, which would bolster economic development and tourism. But the endeavour requires the dredging of an unnavigable section of the Appomattox River, a long delayed project with a $15 million price tag.

Kaine met with city officials Thursday to review the work that remains and the city's plans for the area. But mainly he came with a promise to advocate for federal dollars to get the project done and put on the radar of the Army Corps of Engineers. By law, the corps is required to do the work.

The proposed Appomattox River Federal Navigation Dredging project involves the operational and maintenance dredging of the Appomattox River from the city of Petersburg basin to its intersection with the James River.

The river was last fully dredged in 1949 and partially dredged in 1971 and 1993. Work remains on a nearly 1-mile section of the river from the head of navigation near Pocahontas Island after the effort was paused in 1993 when contaminants were discovered in the uncovered materials.

But a solution to the environmental issue was found in 2007 when the materials were a product in land farming at Shirley Plantation. Microbes were used to eat away at the contaminants. The method was shown to remove the contaminants, but funding is required to continue the dredging.

The remaining work in the mile-long stretch is what stands in the way of allowing Petersburg and surrounding jurisdictions to place facilities such as harbors, piers and parks on the river to enhance economic development.

City Manager William Johnson III said that the goal for a harbor - which would be located near Pocahontas Island and behind Union Station - was for development to spring up in the area surrounding the potential project. Johnson said that he hoped a harbor could attract retail, condos, a restaurant and possibly a boutique hotel.

Renewed consideration of the harbor also comes as the city works to attract development downtown and to the exit 52 corridor just a few miles away. In May, the city acquired the Fort Lee Regency, formerly the Ramada Inn, which is centrally located off of the exit. The city plans to demolish the dilapidated structure at an estimated cost of over $1 million with use of up to $4 million in available General Assembly funds. The remaining funding would be used for landscaping and redeveloping the corridor.

Kaine said that this and other development in the city, as well as the high volume of traffic passing the city along Interstate 95, makes the project a worthwhile investment.

"You can see the development that has been naturally occurring. There are 150,000 cars a day on I-95, that's a stone's throw away from here," he said.

So far, $4.5 million has been secured for $15 million project by U.S. Rep. J. Randy Forbes, R-4th. Forbes secured $749,000 in 2002, $1 million in 2003, $150,000 in 2004, $1.5 million in 2008 and $527,000 in the fiscal year 2009.

But money isn't the only issue that stands in the way of the project.

The project competes with many other projects across the nation to be considered by the Army Corps of Engineers.

But Kaine said that if the corps would have reason to take on the project if the funding was allocated. Waterway navigability issues were a prime focus of the corps, which would help with prioritizing the project.

"It's tight times, but we have a very good relationship with the corps," he said. "It's elbowing your way into the line of projects."

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