City to replace failing bulkhead at Paraty Park; work starts this winter

City harbormaster Steve Land told a packed information session that the sheet‑pile bulkhead at Paraty Park has lost its tie rods and is at risk of collapse, prompting an urgent repair that begins in winter. “If we do not replace the bulkhead, it has failed presently and will continue to fail, and we're actually gonna lose the park,” Land said.

Land said engineers have found corroded sheet pile and missing tie rods and that the work will require excavations to locate and replace the dead‑man anchors under the park. He described a two‑phase schedule: construct the bulkhead and new docks first and provide an intermediate asphalted park surface and temporary amenities for the following summer so public access continues while the facility design is completed.

The city has a contract for the bulkhead and docks and has engaged GZA as the overseeing engineer; Land said the bulkhead bid was roughly $7.02 million with a $600,000 contingency. Officials said the bulkhead replacement is the project’s non‑negotiable first step because failing sheet pile threatens the park and adjacent infrastructure. The work will include pile replacement, new concrete cap rails and reconstructed gangways and gazebos.