If everything goes according to schedule, Washington residents and others should be able to enjoy the new People’s Pier this fall.

Installation of the pier and its gazebo-like structure was scheduled to start this week, with completion expected before November. The pier won’t be the only addition to the downtown waterfront in the coming weeks. The Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce is giving its site a new look.

As for the People’s Pier, there are those who oppose it. During a public hearing concerning the pier, several people voiced opposition to it. They said it would intrude into the river’s navigable channel and mar the city’s beautiful waterfront. Others said it would not help improve the city’s economy by drawing more visitors to the city and its waterfront.

The People’s Pier is part of a strategy to make the city’s waterfront more accessible to the public, enhance that waterfront and draw more people to the city’s downtown area and its shops and restaurants. The pier will allow people — area residents and visitors — to stroll out over the Pamlico River and discover views that are not available from Stewart Parkway.

The Washington-Beaufort County Chamber of Commerce is removing the existing deck and steps at its building at 102 Stewart Parkway and building a new entranceway at the front of the building, designed to resemble the historic Newbold-White House in Hertford, and building a new deck with a handicapped-accessible ramp on the south side (waterfront side) of the structure.

The front entrance will be 8 feet by 4 feet, with the waterside deck measuring 53 feet by 16 feet. The ramp will measure 32 feet long and 4 feet wide, according to city documents.

These projects are part of the city’s reinvestment strategy for its central business district. It’s a strategy that’s produced Festival Park and the new dockmaster’s station. It’s a strategy that deserves to continue.