PORT TOWNSEND — The excavation of the Tidal Clock began this week as part of a process that will turn what was perceived as a community eyesore into an extension of an open plaza that opened in May.

The Tidal Clock, created in 1987 behind the Cotton Building and adjacent to the recently refurbished Civic District, was intended to fill with water and marine life as the tide changed.

It never worked as envisioned and became a receptacle for maritime debris.

At one point, the Tidal Clock was to be turned into an amphitheater, but that plan was modified to ensure the area could be a uniform height.

The first phase of the project includes removal of the top half of the concrete barrier, filling in the area with gravel and rocks, removing the dilapidated pier that is adjacent to the Clam Cannery and rebuilding a seawall.

Reinforcements will be added underneath the Wave Gallery, which had its wooden supports replaced with steel in the summer but has not been open to the public since.

Seton Construction of Port Townsend has been contracted for the project’s first phase at a cost of $195,000.

The Tidal Clock wall, which is about 5 feet high, is being cut down this week.

An excavator will be used to move out the excess concrete.

The concrete can’t be used as fill because it would need to be ground up first, said City Engineer Dave Peterson.

When the plaza is completed, the plaza will be about 8 inches higher than the seawall, he said.

Permits for the project are granted by the Army Corps of Engineers, and any work in the water must be completed by Feb. 15 so as not to interfere with a “fish window” to support the salmon reproductive schedule.

The city will have no problem meeting this deadline, Peterson said, and the first phase is expected to be completed by Christmas.

The second phase of the project, which includes installing brick and concrete surfaces, will be put out to bid in December and is projected for completion by the spring.

Peterson estimated the second phase will cost between $300,000 and $400,000.

The funds originate from a 2008 bond issue approved by voters for this purpose, he said.

Peterson is confident that both phases of the project will be finished on schedule, if good weather holds.

The projects could be done more quickly and less expensively in the summer but are scheduled for winter so as to avoid interfering with the city’s tourist season.

The Tidal Clock — also known as the Tidal Bowl, the Jackson Bequest and the less-affectionate Tidy Bowl — was envisioned as a community gathering place when it was created in 1987 with a gift of $200,000 from Ruth Seavey Jackson, a member of a Port Townsend family with a seafaring tradition, who wanted a piece of community art created to celebrate the waterfront.

It was designed by two San Francisco Bay Area artists.

The Jackson Bequest includes all of the Tidal Park area, the Tidal Clock, the Wave Viewing Gallery and a section of land behind the police station.

After its May dedication, the plaza, called the Civic District, became a popular downtown outdoor spot and hosted a series of summertime concerts by local musicians.

While concerts were postponed or canceled due to weather, some of the events drew more than 300 people, according to organizers.

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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.