Elan Vacations

Oregon Inlet Lifesaving Station

The Oregon Inlet LifeSaving Station was first constructed in 1883. This is one of the oldest Coast Guard stations in the United States. Since its inception, the station has been moved and rebuilt 3 times. The historic station was first rebuilt in 1897 after a vicious storm that destroyed the previous structure. The station was used until 1988 and was then abandoned due to Oregon Inlet migration. After the abandonment, a new building was erected in 1990 behind the Oregon Inlet Fishing Center. The building is still in working condition today, however, it is in dire need of a facelift.

The North Carolina Aquarium Society has been given the task of overseeing this re-modeling project. They are currently accepting bids from various general contractors for the exterior renovation of the building. The NC Aquarium Society will announce who the project is awarded to on July 22, 2008.

The renovation will include stabilizing, securing and moving the building from the storm surge area. Although there is no time limit for the renovations, the plan will be designed to work around hurricane season. “We don’t want to have a historic structure on blocks in the middle of a hurricane,” said an employee of the NC Aquarium Society.

In order to move the building to a secure spot, it will have to be lifted and moved 15 feet out of the sand dunes and the storm zone. The General Assembly will provide funding for the project. The funding was actually approved back in 2004, but before the project could get underway, significant surveying and remediation had to be completed.

Anyone wishing to place a bid on the project may do so. There is a pre-bid meeting on July 8, and the contract will be awarded on July 22. Please contact the NC Aquarium Society for more details.

posted by Blog Administrator @ 12:34 PM