By Steve Klamkin WPRO News

A ceremonial groundbreaking on the City Pier in Fall River marks the end of a decades-long project to restore the landmark on the Taunton River waterfront, and the start of an effort to convert the pier to recreational use.

Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito, Mayor Paul Coogan, members of the city’s Redevelopment Authority and other dignitaries spoke and grabbed shovels to take part in the ceremony at a site north of Battleship Cove and the Fall River Heritage State Park.

Polito reminded the head of the city’s economic development office, Kenneth Fiola, how she and Gov. Charlie Baker were made aware of the pier development early on.

“It was probably a minute after the Governor and I were sworn in to office back in 2015 that we made our way down to Fall River, and you turned me around and said, “there, there she is, there is our city pier,” Polito recalled.

Once an eyesore strewn with debris, the four-acre property, which contained contaminated soil was capped, and concrete piers built to encircle the pier. Next steps include adding pilings to provide space to dock boats.

“It was a wreck,” recalled Coogan. “It’s taken a long time to get to where it is now and we’re going to move it along. This construction’s going to start right around Labor Day and we’re off and running.”

“I picture a lot of boats using this, I picture a lot of families using this, and I think it’s going to be a real asset,” Coogan said.

Fiola said the project, including planning, site preparation, brownfields remediation and the upcoming installation of amenities will cost an estimated $10 million. He ruled out any commercial use because the pier now sits on cap containing polluted soil.

That is beyond another $100 million already committed to reconstructing nearby Route 79, an elevated highway that will be rebuilt at ground level in order to link the city and its waterfront.