PROVINCETOWN – The Federal Emergency Management Agency will provide $3.4 million in grant funding to Provincetown to help pay for repairs for MacMillan Pier along with a long-term coastal resiliency project.
The funding will be used towards the project, which has an estimated price tag of $4.5 million, to repair the damage caused in 2013 and 2015 and the construction of a wave attenuator.
The wave attenuator is a long object that would be placed in the harbor that would keep waves from a large storm from crashing into MacMillan Pier and causing further damage.
The permanent structure would float on top of the surface of the water and be tied down to the ocean floor. It would be located perpendicular to shore to the right of the pier.
“The waves will break on top of the wave attenuator and they’ll be calm afterwards,” said David Panagore, the Provincetown Town Manager.
Panagore said the majority of the grant funding will be used for the attenuator’s construction.
“It’s a very big project. It’s been planned and talked about for many years,” Panagore said. “It’s taken a whole team all the way up through our congressional delegation and great work by FEMA to help us with this.”
The pier generates over $800,000 in direct revenues each year from its operations. It serves more than 200,000 passengers between Boston and P-town with hundreds of thousands more who take excursion trips on whale watches, sailboats and chartered fishing trips. The commercial fishing fleet lands $8-$9 million in fresh seafood each year – with the majority of that product remaining on the Outer Cape.
Panagore said the project is critically important to the town’s economy.
“The fishing industry and the sea is an important part of Provincetown’s history and its future and between having the wave attenuator, the breakwater and the expansion of the pier over on Provincetown Marina, MacMillan Pier and the inner harbor will be very well protected.”
Panagore said the project has received a lot of support from Congressman William Keating and Senator Edward Markey.
“I am happy to have been able to work so closely with FEMA, Town Manager David Panagore, and Harbormaster Rex McKinsey to help secure funding for this important project,” Keating said.
“MacMillan Pier is not only an iconic component of Provincetown, but also a vital driver of the town’s economy by supporting the many maritime business that call it home.”
The project is expected to go out to bid this fall or winter with construction to begin next year.
“It’s important for our coastal resilience and climate change as we look ahead,” Panagore said.
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