Destroyed by Hurricane Ian almost two years ago, the popular Fort Myers Beach pier will be rebuilt, but this time as a wider, longer, costlier — and more sturdy — attraction.
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to direct staff to rebuild the pier to 1,000-feet-long and 12-feet-wide — nearly twice the original 585-foot length longer and 50% wider than the 8-foot-wide pier destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
The cost for plan the commissioners selected to rebuild the Fort Myers Beach pier — option 3 — will be $17.1 million as opposed to a no-cost plan for option 1, a simple replacement, and $1 million-plus for option 2, which added width.
The design and permitting of the pier is expected to take up to 36 months, and construction would take a year to 18 months. Some of that is for examination of the floor of the gulf where the longer pier will go to see what flora or fauna may be there.
Not every commissioner was happy with the project length.
"I hate the timeline," Commissioner Cecil Pendergrass said. "But it's worth the wait."
Commission Brian Hammond had a similar outlook.
"The timeframe is not sitting well with me," he said, adding he was for placing update signage at the pier site to let people know something was coming.
“I think I put myself in the shoes of the people who go to the beach, they're showing up there and they see, obviously the damage still. And they think, Gosh, it's been two years, they haven't rebuilt that yet, Hammond said. "I would love for us to be able to put up some information board saying, here's what the board is working on, here's what's coming, you know, and here's the timeline.”
About $11.6 million of that $17.1 million cost will be coming from Lee County Tourist Development Tax reserves to supplement the FEMA reimbursement, the commissioners were told.
On the overall cost of the options, the option 1 plan for rebuilding the pier to its original footprint of 585.3 feet long and 8 feet wide would result in an estimated total construction cost of about $5.6 million, with no cost to Lee County due to federal reimbursement. The design and planning for that effort was estimated at 18 months.
Discussion of the three options by the commissioners touched on cost, length of the project and value to the community as an attraction.
One idea to use the second option as proposed and then implement the longer version at a later date was discussed at length by commissioners.
"Could we look at it in phases, maybe say yes and get going on the option that gets us something back quickly. And then have maybe a greater community conversation about the bigger part," Hammond asked.
Pendergrass added: "We have the money for it. And this would be a great addition back of to the community. The only struggle I have with it is the time."
After further discussion the builder smaller now idea was rejected.
Not everyone in attendance Tuesday was happy with the approved plans.
County resident Joyce Campana said the extended walkway width was fine, but had an issue with the longer pier.
"You're talking about going from 585 feet long to 1000 feet long. Well, in that extra 400 some feet. What else do we see? It's it's more water. But after a certain point, how far out into the water are you gonna go? You can see the beautiful water, it's wildlife, you can fish at 1000 feet, people were doing that on the existing pier," she said. "I'm all for building it back, but bigger isn't always better."
Commission vice chairman Kevin Ruane said he appreciated Campana's viewpoint but had something to add:
"Just for everyone's edification. St. Pete is 1,400 feet long. So just FYI, I look at the attraction. So this is still 400 feet shorter than St. Pete's current pier."
The rebuilt Fort Myers Beach pier will be in the same location as the destroyed pier.
Adjacent Lee County sites include Lynn Hall Park and Crescent Beach Family Park. Information about those sites can be found at www.LeeParks.org.
To view the commissioners’ discussion of the pier project, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijk2qGdyHMc.
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