Construction begins to create additional dock space

Project will add 20 slips, making the city more accessible to boaters.

Work has started on a project to create more dock space on city property in downtown St. Marys.

The city is expanding the existing dock at the St. Marys Gateway property in a threephase project that will add another 20 slips, including some capable of handling larger vessels.

Mayor John Morrissey said ongoing work on the first phase is scheduled for completion by the end of May.

When it’s complete, the additional space will be for transient dockage. The intent is to create more business downtown by making the waterfront more accessible to boaters.

Morrissey said the dock expansion will create enough space to accommodate larger ships to the waterfront. He said the maximum allowed stay at the dock will be 14 days.

“We want more boats downtown,” Morrissey said.

City officials also are considering the creation of a harbor master position to manage the dock. There also have been discussions about a possible full-service marina at the site.

The gateway property dock was used for nearly four years as the main dock for passengers to board the ferry to Cumberland Island National Seashore after the main dock was destroyed in 2017 by Hurricane Irma. Passengers had to walk two blocks from the National Park Service visitor center downtown to the city gateway property to board the ferry to the island.

City Councilman Jim Goodman said the city is still trying to find a developer for a longterm lease to build a hotel and conference center at the site. The challenge is the site is less than three acres, so Goodman said the developer will have to build vertical.