The City Council will vote tonight on whether to award a $662,100 contract to repair both the seawall in front of the Rochambeau monument in King Park as well as the monument’s footing.

Journal file photo

NEWPORT — Gen. Rochambeau, who arrived in Newport in 1780 with his French troops, helped reinforce American forces during the Revolutionary War.

Now the city is preparing to return the favor, with a plan to attack Rochambeau’s current enemy: The erosion that threatens to undermine the seaside statue of him. This is one battle, however, the general will have to sit out. Plans call for the statue overlooking Newport Harbor to be removed during the project.

“The statue’s foundation has settled. So the recommendation is to pour a new footing for the statue to sit on,” said William R. Riccio Jr., director of public services.

The City Council will vote tonight on whether to award a $662,100 contract to fortify the seawall that protects the monument and rebuild the foundation that supports it.

Amid growing concerns about the deterioration of the city’s numerous seawalls and piers, the city conducted an engineering study to assess the condition of the structure. The site of the Rochambeau monument was ranked in the March report as “the number one priority overall,” according to a memorandum the council received from City Manager Edward F. Lavallee.

“The repair of the Rochambeau seawall surrounding and adjacent to the monument in King Park is in need of repair/rehabilitation due to its current levels of deterioration,” the memorandum reads. Referring to the March study, it states that “that the City of Newport had anticipated this need and advertised for design/build proposals for this associated work…”

It’s been a long time since any work was done to the monument site, although certainly not as long ago as the arrival in Newport 228 years ago of Gen. Jean Baptiste de Vimeur, comte de Rochambeau, and his French troops.

“We’re guessing some 20 to 30 years ago there were possibly some minor repairs, nothing of any large scale,” Riccio said.

Waves have the eroded seawall, which faces the harbor’s entrance and Narragansett Bay to the northwest. The monument includes the statue of Rochambeau, his arm pointing seaward as if directing the arrival of his 5,000 troops, a pyramid-like structure topped with a cauldron, and a sidewalk connected to paths that run through King Park.

The proposal submitted by Reagan Construction Corp. and St. Jean Engineering calls for constructing a granite block wall seaward of the existing wall, filling the area in between with reinforced concrete and rounding off two existing angles, “creating a thicker and more energy absorbing” barrier. The job also would result in new concrete sidewalks and replacing the footing beneath the statue, requiring its removal.

Other proposals, several of which came in at lower prices, outlined repairs but did not incorporate the same design solutions, according to city staff. Lavallee’s memorandum explains that the Reagan/St. Jean was preferred over the lower bids ranging from $380,000 to $590,415 “due to the comprehensive nature of the proposal and its potential to provide the longest lasting solution to the deterioration.” The highest bid came in at $891,195.

rsalit@projo.com