“A new sense of optimism that we haven’t seen for 11 months” has been created by the Kōpū Marine Precinct, Thames Coromandel District Council mayor Len Salt told a group of elected members and business and community leaders visiting the site last week.
The $15.3 million project, which includes building a new commercial wharf, an upgraded and concrete-reinforced slipway and a recreational boat ramp, is due to open in May 2024.
Parking and new access along King St linking Queen St and Kopu Quay is also under way.
The community benefits expected to be generated by the riverside precinct, 5km from Thames, are partly attributable to the unexpected, but welcome, news of an early completion date in December for the new State Highway 25A Kopu-Kikuai Bridge.
The project was originally costed at $10m and initially received an $8.2m grant from a Government infrastructure fund in 2020 - part of the $50 billion Covid-19 Response and Recovery Fund.