The $26.6 million Naples Pier design will return to the drawing board after the City Council agreed a concession stand, deck and seating at its inland entry would cause people to congregate, stop the flow onto the pier and lead to noise, smells and other problems for beach neighbors.
The agreement occurred during an update July 29 at a special Council meeting during summer break and aligns with a survey completed by nearly 11,000 residents showing dining wasn’t a priority. But the city will advertise a public hearing this month for a formal vote to allow the public to weigh in and decide if vending machines are sufficient, as well as seating elsewhere on the pier.
“We need to remember that for a long part of the … design process, we were under the assumption that we were going to be able to put concessions on the pier, just like we have historically since 1946, and then suddenly, no, we can’t,” Council member Ray Christman said of the Federal Emergency Management Agency barring it due to risk and new guidelines.
Many longtime residents and neighbors agreed MHK Architecture’s new landside design with a larger concession stand at the entry is problematic, but Christman went further, saying a dining facility isn’t needed. “I think if we go down this road that’s with the design that’s before us, we’re going to make a tragic and huge mistake,” he said.
Christman’s opinion was shared by the six other council members, who said it had nothing to do with Cosmos at the Pier, which has been there since 2015, providing the city with $100,000 in revenues yearly.
“Naples is changing, our community is changing, our visitors are changing and the one thing we want to make sure we protect is that area that’s within the pier,” Mayor Teresa Heitmann said. “It’s a historic pier.”
Heitmann noted the city wants to add shade, and visitors now are congregating in front of restrooms, relaxing and reading books to get away from the sun. The biggest concern she’s heard is groups of people congregating at the pier, which is drawing larger crowds and more groups. The city should maintain the same character, environment and services, she said, but enhance it with shade.
The pier, built in 1888 for people traveling by boat to Naples, has been rebuilt six times after hurricanes and is a favored place for fishing enthusiasts, tourists and people watching sunsets. When Hurricane Ian swept through on Sept. 28, 2022, it destroyed the pier and city officials have been working on a plan to rebuild but are hindered by the reimbursement and permitting process.
Deputy City Manager Gary Young, the city’s chief financial officer, warned Council the city can’t start demolition without jeopardizing FEMA funding because demolition represents the largest portion of the FEMA reimbursement.
After receiving three construction bids for the roughly $26.6 million rebuild, the city posted its intent to go with Pembroke Park-based Shoreline Foundation Inc. But after the discussion, City Manager Jay Boodheshwar said they will have to redesign the pier to remove the seating, decks and concession stand on the land side, resubmit FEMA permits and speak with the contractor about the changes.
When city staff and design consultant Turrell, Hall & Associates met with FEMA representatives July 10, FEMA said its review may take six to eight months more, depending on the acceptance of analyses by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, of the Army Corps of Engineers permit. That would push the expected December start date to as late as spring 2025, and construction would take 18 months.
Funding for reconstruction will come from many sources, including the city’s beach fund, $11 million in bonds, a $5 million state grant, $2.2 million from county tourist development taxes, $7 million from FEMA and $1.4 million in donations to pay the costs, including contingencies.
