PALMETTO – A crumbling seawall turned out to be the catalyst for a project that will significantly alter the appearance and boost the popularity of Palmetto’s riverfront.
As early as next month, pedestrians viewing the Manatee River from the rebuilt seawall flanking the Green Bridge will able to step onto artificial reefs and peer below at the interacting marine life.
“It will be like viewing an aquarium,” said Todd Barber, whose Nokomis-based Reef Ball Foundation designed the concrete reefs.
Last summer, the city received an inspection report from Ray Mathur Construction & Engineering stating that the 90-year-old seawall needed to protect roadways close to the river had greatly deteriorated and was at a “near failure stage.”
When the City Commission discussed getting the seawall rebuilt, they also mulled over the possibility of an enhancement: an artificial reef.
