You may have seen fully dressed people, some in suits, some in construction gear, milling about the Fort Myers Beach pier this week. Lee County owns the pier and tells us the reason for the pow wow at the pier was to “complete the important work that takes place before construction begins.”
Construction on the new pier is expected to begin in August, one month shy of Hurricane Ian’s 4th anniversary. The biggest delay was waiting for the Army Corps of Engineers to approve their permits. It’s expected construction will take one year.
The County expects to announce soon a ground-breaking ceremony soon. The community will be invited and Beach Talk Radio will be there to broadcast the event live.
The new pier will be 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide. That’s 71% longer and 50% wider than the pier destroyed by the storm. The Board of County Commissioners approved over $17 million to build the longer and wider pier back in June of 2024. $11 million for the project will come from Tourist Development Council reserve funds. The balance will be paid by FEMA.
Lee County says the pre-construction efforts include:
– Coordination meetings
– Final review of the contractor’s project schedule and construction submittals
– Ccoordination with regulatory agencies and project stakeholders.
The County says it is working closely with its consultants for meetings with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to ensure all environmental, safety, operational, permitting and regulatory requirements are satisfied before construction begins.
“We understand the community is eager to see visible construction activity. It is important to keep in mind that preparing crews, mobilizing equipment and staging materials takes time for projects of this size and complexity. This work is actively moving forward to ensure construction begins as safely and efficiently as possible.”
The County is working to create a regularly scheduled update (similar to their Roadwatch for road projects) so residents and our followers can check for status updates in a central location online. Details will be coming soon.
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