St. Johns County considers Mickler's Wharf ownership

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Three years after completion of Mickler’s Wharf, the county is considering assumption of its ownership.

An initiative of the Ponte Vedra Greenway Alliance, the wharf was constructed at the end of Canal Boulevard where it extends into the Intracoastal Waterway and was completed in November 2019. Owned and maintained by the alliance, the recreation area has been open to the public.

But the alliance is in the process of dissolution, so the county was approached about taking the wharf over. In May, the County Commission directed staff to provide an analysis of the costs of doing so.

Tuesday, July 19, those figures came back. Repairs were estimated at about $7,945, though county Director of Facilities Management Katie Diaz cautioned that repair costs could turn out to be significantly higher, particularly if a structural analysis reveals that the entire wharf needs replaced.

In addition, the county would have to make parking ADA compatible and add signage, which would account for another $7,420.

The total cost of annual maintenance and repairs was estimated at $5,584.

At the meeting, commissioners Jeremiah Blocker and Henry Dean both spoke in support of the wharf. Should the county pass on ownership, the property could be purchased by a private interest.

The commission is expected to take up the issue at a future meeting.