Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken invites residents and media to both a ribbon-cutting & a groundbreaking ceremony on Friday, September 13^th, 2019, at 4:00 p.m. at Bucktown Harbor (325 Metairie Hammond Highway, Metairie, LA 70005). Held in conjunction with the weekly Bucktown Harbor Farmers Market, the joint ceremony celebrates the completion of two new recreational pavilions at Bucktown Harbor and the beginning of construction on a Lake Pontchartrain educational boardwalk.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially open two (2) new recreational pavilions in the park at Bucktown Harbor. These pavilions provide additional gathering spaces for residents to shelter from the weather to enjoy the lakefront park, beautiful sunsets, and our coastal culture in the company of neighbors, family, and friends.

The groundbreaking ceremony marks the official start of construction on a Bucktown Harbor educational boardwalk & marsh overlook, which will provide a scenic pedestrian promenade over Lake Pontchartrain and its adjacent 3.5 acre-man-made Bucktown Marsh and nature preserve. The one thousand linear foot (1,000 lft.) boardwalk will allow students and neighbors to experience our coastal environment in a safe, immersive setting, complete with resting spots, bird blinds, and informational signage by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation to teach the public about local plants, wildlife, fisheries, and our coast.

“In learning about our environment, we learn about ourselves and our history,” says Councilwoman Jennifer Van Vrancken. “Bucktown is amazing! Its relationship with Lake Pontchartrain has shaped our lives and culture. With the opening of these pavilions and the building of this boardwalk, we’re preserving that environment, passing on that culture, and providing neighbors unique opportunities to engage in waterfront recreation.”

Dr. John Lopez, Director of the Coastal Sustainability Program at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, adds, “The new boardwalk is a spectacular addition to the Bucktown Marsh, which is a marvelous site for the public to enjoy the outdoors and learn about our coastal heritage.”

The two (2) recreational pavilions were constructed by Hahn Enterprises, Inc. with design revisions by the Department of Engineering at an estimated cost of $280,000, with approximately $240,000 of that funding provided by a community development block grant. Designed by Stantec with construction by Gill’s Crane Service, Inc. at an estimated cost of $1.7 million dollars, with $57,000 in grant funding provided by the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation, the educational boardwalk is scheduled for completion by March 2020.