https://www.dailypress.com/news/hampton/dp-nws-hampton-mill-creek-pier-20181115-story.html
Hampton — Heads up weekend sailors — Hampton’s new Mill Creek pier at Fort Monroe is opening for business Saturday, city officials said.
Located behind the Fort Monroe Community Center, the pier will include a kayak launch and city paddle boat rentals. It replaces a makeshift pier that had been used mostly by high school sailing teams.
The Fort Monroe Community Center is operated by Hampton. The pier, which will be managed by the city’s parks and recreation staff, was conceived originally as a way to offer expanded youth sailing opportunities, officials said.
The pier will also serve as a practice and regatta venue by Youth Sailing Virginia, a nonprofit group supporting hundreds of high school sailing athletes around Hampton Roads.
The group, which provides about 18 sailboats for local teams to use, hosts regional regattas and competitions that extend to teams as far north as New York.
The nonprofit also supports U.S. sailing programs aimed at exposing more students in middle school through high school to the sport.
Portsmouth-based Crofton Construction Services Inc. built the pier through the winter and spring in 2018, according to city records. Hampton allocated $415,000 from its current five-year capital improvement budget.
The total price tag for construction and materials will be $812,000, city officials said.
The structure is a 209-foot by 30-foot floating pier that connects to a 185-foot by 8-foot fixed pier. The fixed portion has a 55-foot-long gangway.
The official dedication ceremony will take place at the Fort Monroe Community Center, 100 Stillwell Road, at 2 p.m.