Reconstruction of Sugar Dock to begin in January

Part of the project is to make the boat launching ramp functional again for boaters and fishermen. Part of the proposal is to dredge this area so that boaters can use it. (Iva Maurin)

The project to reconstruct the Sugar Dock, or Bantalan, is anticipated to begin in January 2023.

To spread more information about it, Rep. Tina Sablan (D-Saipan) and Rep. John Paul Sablan (R-Saipan) hosted a community meeting at the Sugar Dock in Chalan Kanoa yesterday and shared where project managers are at in terms of the architecture and engineering design and to get feedback from the community.

“There’s a lot of things happening in this area, a lot of exciting developments. As many people know, Sugar Dock is a very beloved part of the island, it’s very popular for families, fishermen, and even divers. So we really want enhance, and make it an even more enjoyable place,” Rep. Tina Sablan said.

She said that, with the current progress the project has been making, they expect the project to begin sometime in January 2023.

“Rep. JP and I have been following up the status of this environmental assessment project for a while now and now we’re at 50%. I just had a conversation with the engineer and the secretary of Public Works, that the target date for construction to begin is January. This stage is really important because we want to get community feedback,” she said.

Rep. Tina Sablan said the project is partially funded by an appropriation from the Saipan Northern Island Legislative Delegation.

“The funding, at least for part of the reconstruction, was already appropriated by the Saipan Northern Island Legislative Delegation. There were a couple of appropriation bills that passed in the 20th Legislature,” she said.

The scope of the project includes completely tearing down the existing dock and constructing a new one, and the construction of a functional boat launching ramp.

“The project is being managed by the Department of Public Works and the proposal right now is to tear down the current structure, which is very unsafe, and mitigate that hazard before we construct a new dock. We will be using the same footprint so that boaters will be able to use it. We also want to make the boat launching ramp functional again for boaters and fishermen. As you can see, it’s covered over with sand. Part of the proposal is to dredge this area so that boaters can use it,” she said.

In addition, Sablan said she wants to work with the Historic Preservation Office to figure out a way to showcase the Sugar Dock as a historic site as it is registered as one.

“Many people know that this pool area is a historic site, the dock itself is nationally registered as a historic site. I would like to work with the Historic Preservation Office and people who know and love the history of this place, for a way to showcase that history so that community members, children, and visitors can learn about how special Sugar Dock is,” she said.