Ingalls Shipbuilding restores east bank production portion destroyed by Katrina
The east bank portion of Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina 15 years ago now has a Navy destroyer parked at Pier Four.
Ingalls said in a press release Friday that moving the destroyer Delbert D. Black (DDG 119) to the east bank signified the reopening of the facility decimated in Hurricane Katrina.
Th east bank is adjacent to downtown Pascagoula.
The company announced two years ago it would rebuild the east bank. While LED lighting and other innovations were added during the restoration, many historical features from the original east bank were salvaged and incorporated to honor those who built ships there for decades before Katrina.
All of the bricks from a 1930s guard house were used along with a concrete slab inscribed with the initials of Robert Ingalls Sr., founder of Ingalls Shipbuilding.
“In reopening the east bank, we celebrate the 80-plus year legacy of those Ingalls shipbuilders who came before us, and look forward to continuing Ingalls’ legacy of building the finest ships in the world for decades to come,” Ingalls Shipbuilding President Brian Cuccias said.
More than 100,000 tons of concrete cleared during the project was recycled to construct a road base on the east bank. All of the interior and exterior lighting is LED technology.
The 187-acre east bank now has covered construction areas, expansive storage facilities and a fully restored pier where ships will dock when returning from sea trials.
Delbert D. Black and its crew will remain on the east bank until the ship’s sail-away date later this year, the company said.
“This restoration and modernization project demonstrates our commitment to continuously enhancing our shipbuilding facilities to increase capability and ensure future growth,” Cuccias said. “We are proud to see more of our workforce, and our customers, moving back into the heart of the city of Pascagoula.”
