The New Iberia Civic Marina is expected to begin construction soon following a groundbreaking ceremony held last week.

The groundbreaking marked the beginning of Phases I, II and the CVA Pumpout Station project that the Mayor Freddie DeCourt and the New Iberia City Council have been planning for years.

DeCourt said Thursday that construction is expected to begin in about three weeks.

The marina, which is part of a package of projects being conducted by the city to expand access to the Bayou Teche in downtown New Iberia, will be located behind New Iberia City Hall and offer boaters the ability to station their boat on the Main Street side of downtown New Iberia.

The marina was awarded several grants, including a USFWS for Phase I of the project to create a docking facility for boats, as well as more than $200,00 in federal funds as part of a U.S. Department of the Interior grant through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service program for Phase II.

The grant will be used to fund the second phase of a three-phase project that will construct 512 feet of mooring docks to be used by transient boaters. Phase II consists of 225 feet of mooring dock that includes four boat slips.

“It’s going to be the biggest one we have,” DeCourt said.

A CVA pumpout station will also be constructed thanks to a grant that was awarded in 2019 thanks to the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries through the Sport Fish Restoration Wallop-Breaux program. The CVA system will be designed to substantially reduce water pollution in the bayou and improve water quality.

DeCourt said plans for a third phase will begin to be considered once the first two phases are completed.

The marina is being constructed in conjunction with other bayou access projects, including a recently constructed kayak dock and pocket park that was recently completed on Duperier Avenue. Felicite’s Landing, which will grant more boating access nearer to Bouligny Plaza, is also in the works.