The City of Destin and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) announce the kickoff of the Norriego Point Stabilization Project. A groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Wednesday, Oct. 11, at 9 a.m. on Norriego Point. This is a public event.
“It is almost impossible to express how happy I am for this project to finally get underway,” said Destin Mayor Scott Fischer. “Norriego Point is vital to our harbor and our harbor is vital to our fishing industry which is what sets us apart from other coastal communities in Florida. The stabilization of Norriego Point will provide the protection our harbor so desperately needs so that it may continue to be a source of economic vitality and community pride.”
The idea for stabilizing Norriego Point began in 1999 with the development of the Inlet Management Plan and has been supported by numerous city councils, mayors, committees, harbor businesses, the chamber of commerce and community organizations. In 2012, the city’s hope for the stabilization project was made a reality by a partnership with FDEP. Together, the city and FDEP secured the necessary funds through the Beach Management Funding Assistance program and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) restoration process which evaluates and restores natural resources and the services they provide impacted by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
“The DEP is proud to partner with the City of Destin on the Norriego Point Stabilization Project,” said Florida Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Noah Valenstein. “This essential project will help protect against erosion of Norriego Point and greatly improve the public’s access and enjoyment of the area’s natural resources.”
The overall project includes three components: shoreline stabilization, beach and dune restoration, and recreation improvements. Stabilization will begin this October and is expected to be complete in the spring of 2018. This includes re-establishing Norriego Point to its post-Army Corps of Engineers dredging condition (1999), adding approximately five acres of upland sand to the point by dredging the East Pass Channel, armoring the point with sheet piling and large armor stone, rehabilitating T-groins and existing embayments, and adding one additional embayment. Dune restoration is expected to be completed in the fall of 2018, and the recreation improvements completed in the spring of 2019. Recreation improvements will include the addition of paved parking, public restrooms, an ADA shelter, a boardwalk around the point with three dune walkovers and a bird habitat.
The current cost for design, permitting and construction for the stabilization component of the Norriego Point project is $10,458,310. The design contract for the recreation phase of the project are expected to be released in the fall of 2017 and the construction contract released in the fall of 2018. The budget for dune vegetation is $50,000, and the budget for the passive recreational enhancements is $2,250,000.
Shade and refreshments will be provided at the October 11 groundbreaking ceremony. Be sure to wear clothes and shoes you don’t mind getting sandy.
For more information or if assistance in accessing the event is needed because of disability, please call the Destin City Manager’s Office at (850) 837-4242.
See the attached map for location.
