Nassau Shores Entrance Pillars Update
We are happy to announce that work on the entrance pillars will begin in January 2024. After consults with several contractors, it was determined that the pillars are structurally very sound, and it would thus be unnecessarily costly to completely replace them. Therefore, the decision was made to restore the existing pillars to their earlier condition. Despite the occasional negativity and factually incorrect information presented on social media, here is the actual recent history of the project. We had a pre-covid plan to raise $25,000 for the project and we steadily worked up to a balance of $17,000. It was our goal to allocate additional money from the Civic Association general fund toward the project. However, some unexpected capital projects that needed immediate attention diverted these funds elsewhere. Some of these include the vandalism of our holiday lights in Unqua Circle a few years ago, which caused approximately $3,000 in damage to the electrical system and the lights themselves. Additionally, another $2,000 was needed last year when the electrical system at the West Shore triangle also needed to be replaced after a malfunction, along with all the white lights that were burned out as a result, just to name a few. Perhaps most impactful was the explosion in the cost of materials during the pandemic, followed by the original contractor abruptly pulling support for the project. After a careful review of proposals, the Civic Association awarded the restoration project to GenStar Masonry, located on Unqua Road right here in Nassau Shores. The initial proposal exceeded what we had for the project. However, upon learning of our budget, GenStar graciously agreed to do the project within our existing resources.
To summarize the project: GenStar will clean and restore the existing bricks; grind and repoint all the joints; replace the crumbling concrete caps with striking new bluestone caps; chemically treat and restore the brass plaques; and restore and paint the seahorses. The iconic seahorses will then be further enhanced by a local artist in our neighborhood upon completion of the painting. The pillars will be timeless, beautiful, and solid for many years to come when the project is complete. We are also working with the owners of the BP station to replace the column on West Shore Drive. This pillar will need to be built from scratch. Note that part of the agreement the owners made upon renovating the property was to replace the pillar that was removed. When spring arrives, we will survey where it can be built, as there is infrastructure in the ground that will need to be taken into consideration.
Our thanks go out to everyone for their patience during this process. Further thanks to all who have attended our recent Civic Association meetings to offer thoughts and support as we discussed the developments that moved us closer to this long-awaited conclusion. We are excited to see the finished product.
The owners of GenStar Masonry will be present at our Civic Association meeting tonight (Wednesday, December 20) to discuss the project or answer any technical questions. The meeting will be held at the Marjorie Post Park Community Center and begins at 8:00 PM.