The 136-year-old Naples Pier will undergo its seventh transformation after City Council unanimously approved a nearly $23.46 million construction contract to rebuild a stronger, higher pier after Hurricane Ian destroyed it two years ago.

City Manager Jay Boodheshwar called the vote a “milestone moment” for Naples, and thanked the community for its patience as the city worked through a complicated process that involves local, state and federal approvals, including the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Army Corps of Engineers.

“The redesign of this pier, in terms of its foundation and structural integrity, was to make it more resilient, to make it more robust and to make it a little higher in the deeper parts of the water,” Boodheshwar said. “So we are not rebuilding it back similarly. We are rebuilding this stronger.”

The new design will enhance the pier’s resilience through a series of mitigation measures, including increasing overall height and hardening the sub-structure to make it more resilient to future storms and hurricanes, while still maintaining its historic aesthetic.

Good ideas have stayed

The pier will be removed and rebuilt in the same location. Its supporting structure of new concrete pilings, concrete bents and beams are designed to remain in place even if a future storm removes the decking and superstructure, according to engineering and design firm Turrell Hall & Associates, which specializes in marine and environmental consulting. Bents, which usually involve two or more columns, provide substructural support at intermediate points.

Just like the current pier, the walking surface will be hardwood, which is resistant to rot and is estimated to last at least 75 years, and it will remain 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide. However, there will be bump-outs to accommodate benches with unobstructed views. The superstructure will have two structures — mid-way and at the end — with the iconic Polynesian roof lines that differentiate Naples Pier from others in Florida.

“You’re not going to see work begin tomorrow. In fact, you’re not going to see work begin for at least the next couple of months or so until we get that green light from FEMA — until we get that permit,” Boodheshwar told Council before the vote, noting the city now has a full project team. “Today’s action gets us in a position to move immediately, to issue that notice to proceed immediately. … It’s getting us closer to rebuilding the pier.”

On Sept. 28, 2022, Hurricane Ian caused catastrophic damage to the Naples Pier at the west end of 12th Avenue South, causing significant damage to 460 feet, including 140 feet with more than 30 pilings and a shelter at the end that collapsed and sank into the Gulf. At the pier’s midpoint, waves completely gutted the Cosmos at the Pier concession area, shelter and storage structures, and the waves’ energy lifted the public showers’ framing and decking. Only 100 feet was left standing, and that portion reopened in November 2022.

First construction next spring

Shoreline Foundation Inc., a Broward County- based marine contractor, was awarded the contract over another bidder at the Oct. 2 meeting and will be paid $23,459,696. Council also set aside another $1.17 million for contingency fees and amended the budget to cover the costs.

In addition to Turrell Hall & Associates, Shoreline joins a team that includes MHK Architecture, City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein and Project Manager Bruce Selfon, a former federal government employee the city hired to assist with regulatory and permitting processes.

In late July, Council asked for more design changes, causing a further delay. Demolition and construction is expected to take 18 months and start in spring, once all approvals are in place. The city can’t start razing the pier without jeopardizing FEMA funding because demolition represents the largest part of the reimbursement, $7 million to $14 million.

“That’s critical,” Boodheshwar said. “We’re moving the ball, we’re getting close and it’s taking a lot of effort to get us there. Mr. Selfon has really helped us with that.”

Selfon, a former city Planning Advisory Board member, is a real estate developer who helped New York City build One World Trade Center after 9/11. He won Naples’ prestigious Sam Noe Award in 2020 for exemplary service.

More than 1 million visitors visit the iconic landmark yearly to watch sunsets and wildlife, fish, socialize, exercise and eat. Built in 1888 for people traveling by boat to Naples, the pier has been rebuilt six times after hurricanes, including after Hurricane Irma in 2017.

A concession stand was added in 1946, and in recent years, Cosmos at the Pier generated about $100,000 yearly for the city, selling pizza, hot dogs, food, beverages and tourist and fishing necessities. But the Army Corps of Engineers has prohibited Naples from adding a concession stand over water, so the new design moves it near the entry.

Council member Ray Christman said he wanted the public to understand the city worked hard to find funding and only $11 million in city money will be used; that is from an already approved bond issue. He noted state Sen. Kathleen Passidomo helped secure a $5 million state grant; the county Tourist Development Council approved $2.2 million in tourist development tax money; and the city will receive $1.4 million in donations from visitors and residents through the Community Foundation of Collier County—an amount that continues to grow.

To donate to help rebuild Naples Pier, go to: bit.ly/donatetonaplespier