Lee County commissioners are taking a major step toward rebuilding one of Southwest Florida’s most recognizable landmarks — the Fort Myers Beach pier — in voting to request $7 million in BP/Deepwater Horizon recovery funds to supplement federal disaster aid.
The storm-ravaged pier was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The county’s request for BP settlement funds comes in addition to an expected reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency known as FEMA, which has committed to covering a portion of the costs. Collected tourism fees would also go toward the cost, expected to be at least $17 million.
The pier, a central gathering point for Southwest Florida residents and visitors for nearly a century, is slated for upgraded materials and engineering standards and a completion goal in 2027.
Finalized designs show a structure that will stretch 1,000 feet off the shore — nearly double the length of the original — and expand in width from 8 feet to 12 feet.
The autumn decision to pursue BP funding follows months of coordination between Lee County and the Beach Town Council, which formally supported the county’s leadership in rebuilding the pier through a resolution.
That move helped opened the door for Lee County to take the reins on design, permitting and construction.
“Sept. 28, 2022 is a date that will always be remembered as a time of personal and public tragedy and loss,” the resolution said. “In addition to the loss of life and personal property by many residents of Fort Myers Beach, Hurricane Ian was responsible for the destruction of the community’s iconic pier. (It) is incumbent upon the area’s leadership (to) rebuild and restore the pier to a bigger and better facility for the enjoyment of future generations and as a tangible investment in the area’s economic future.”
Writing In the Know for the USA TODAY Network, Columnist Phil Fernandez (pfernandez@gannett.com) grew up in Southwest Florida and has led Pulitzer Prize-winning efforts. Sign up for our free Breaking Ground growth and development newsletter. Subscribe to our News-Press and Naples Daily News apps.
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: What will it take in funding sources for the Fort Myers Beach pier to be ready in 2027?
Reporting by Phil Fernandez, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
