SEA ISLE CITY — The Sea Isle City Veteran’s Memorial is in the process of being completely restructured. Although the original fountain will stay in tact, construction will be done to make it grander, and the memorial site will be redone to create an area more suited for public functions, according to a release.
The idea to restructure the memorial came about when Matt McCulley proposed the idea to start the Tri for Our Veterans Triathlon in Sea Isle City. As the organizer and founder of the race, he works in conjunction with the VFW Post 1963 and the City to make the now annual race thrive. McCulley told the City he wanted the entire race to be a nonprofit event that would “help those returning from the war front…but also honor those who have served over the years.” McCulley explained that since the success of the race depends on the community of Sea Isle and the services of the City, he wanted to donate a majority of the proceeds to the City to help maintain the Veterans Memorial Fountain.
City officials thought this would be a great idea, and that it would be nice to revitalize the memorial. Although it was important to the VFW Post 1963 to keep the original memorial, as it honored those who had built it, the idea to enlarge it and resculpt the site for more efficient public use was well accepted. Also, it will now honor the wars originally on the fountain, as well as more recent and current ones.
In the end, it was decided that half of the proceeds from the event would go to benefiting the renovation of the Veterans Memorial. The other half benefits the The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund. Based on the first two years of the event, approximately $15,000.00 will be contributed annually by the triathlon.
Although the reconstruction of the Memorial is working in conjunction with the Beach to Bay Project, it is a separate venture, with its own capital entity. The total cost of the Veterans Memorial Project is expected to be $680,000.00, of which $244,00.00 is the memorial itself.
The Memorial will be moved back and elevated on the site, and an eternal flame will be added above the fountain. Six columns will also form a circular colonnade above the eternal flame and three flagpoles will be places around the perimeter of the colonnade.
A pavilion housing restrooms will also be built on the rear end of the property to facilitate all visitors at events, using the playground, and visiting town. Between the pavilion and the Memorial there will be three stepped levels of 18-inch high wall seats. These seats will face the Memorial, providing a place for people to sit who are attending ceremonies. The entire site will also be completely restructured with new landscaping, sidewalks, sidewalk benches, curbs, and street lamps where necessary.
The contract for the project is expected to be awarded in November, with the goal of a spring completion date. Please view attachment for a rendering of the new memorial site.
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