The 7th Street Boating and Fishing Area along the Christina River in Wilmington reopens.
The City of Wilmington and Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control cut the ribbon on the new boat ramp and fishing pier Friday.
The $2.9 million revitalization project was funded primarily by Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Funds, plus a portion of settlement money from a 2004 oil tanker spill in the Delaware River. The project includes a new dock and expanded parking lot for trailers.
DNREC Secretary Shawn Garvin says the new amenities are built to last.
“The size of it and how it’s constructed," he says. "The other one that was here was impacted by tide and storms and was kind of washing away, getting broken up, and so we put in this boat ramp that we expect to be here for a very long time.”
Mayor Mike Purzycki says the project was a long time coming.
“It was just a very poor version of what’s here," Purzycki says. "You just had small ramps and concrete broken up, recreation areas that were dangerous for kids to play in, much smaller parking area that was inadequate.”
Purzycki adds thousands of people enjoy recreational activities along the Christina and 7th Street Pier users have been calling for upgrades for decades.
“It’s been seven years since the beginning of discussion," Purzycki says. "But this ramp needed help 25 years ago.”
The pier is open from sunrise to sunset.
