On the consent agenda at Wednesday morning's Naples City Council meeting, two resolutions set for approval would effectively extend the timeline and increase the budget for the Naples Pier Reconstruction Project. The project has aimed to rebuild the historic Pier that has been left destroyed and closed (partially) since Hurricane Ian in the fall of 2022.
The resolutions include:
- $1.4 million to Turrell, Hall, & Associates, Inc. (THA), the engineering and design firm managing the project for continued work.
- An extension to project’s completion deadline from December 2024 to November 15, 2026, with an additional 60 days for administrative close-out.
More Money, More Time
The new funds are not for construction but for ongoing pre-construction efforts, according to the publicly available resolutions from Naples City Council agendas.
These services include:
- Pre-construction coordination & oversight
- Permit compliance
- FEMA coordination
- Specialized monitoring (such as dive studies, piling inspections, etc).
Historical Context and Damage
The Naples Pier, originally built in 1888, attracts over a million visitors annually. It is the most visited tourist attraction in the County, according to tourism officials.
The Pier has been repeatedly rebuilt after storm-related damage, including Hurricane Irma in 2017, Hurricane Ian in 2022, and storms in years past. During Ian, the storm surge destroyed 460 feet of the structure, including its iconic end section.
A Look Ahead
The rebuild aims to incorporate modern engineering practices, reduce environmental impact by minimizing the number of pilings, and feature unique architectural elements to become more storm-resilient.
“This is about more than just rebuilding the pier. It’s about creating a structure that will serve Naples for decades to come,” city officials have emphasized.
The construction contract, valued at $1.38 million, was awarded to Shoreline Foundation, Inc., in October 2024. This funding is separate from the additional pre-construction costs outlined in tomorrow’s resolution.
The agenda items will be passed via the consent agenda if a City Councilor does not pull them for discussion during Wednesday's meeting.