$11.7M Fort Myers Beach fishing pier project moves forward

FORT MYERS BEACH, Fla. (WINK)—The next step in transforming the Fort Myers Beach fishing pier destroyed during Hurricane Ian is finally taking shape, with an $11.7 million price tag.

The empty beach and closed pier are looking at a brighter future. Rick Lesh, a resident, says his favorite memories of the pier were before it was splintered and became a place to leave empty beer cans.

"Walking down here a lot is Sunset, taking a gander," Lesh said.

When told about the price, Lesh expressed concern about the cost. "It's getting up there, $11.7 million," Lesh said. "That's a lot."

The county says RJ Gorman Contracting LLC will be responsible for bringing the renderings to life. The funding will come from the Florida Department of Emergency Management Legislative Appropriation Program and tourist development tax funds.

Despite the funding sources, Lesh wants to find some savings. "There's got to be ways that we can cut back on the cost," Lesh said.

The county says the new pier will be 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide. Kyle Wittle, a 15-year-old visitor, says that if it weren't for family, he'd spend his tourist dollars elsewhere.

"If we didn't have family, I don't know that we'd come, keep coming here, because the way it looks," Wittle said.

The pier for Lesh was a private, peaceful place to enjoy the sunset. He's OK with sharing a bigger pier with more people, but the price tag is hard to ignore.

"It was something that people enjoyed," Lesh said. "You know, they like to look at it, they like to go down it. But that kind of money, yeah, that's high, that's high, and I think it could be more wisely spent."

County leaders say construction should begin after final approval from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. A sign at the site indicates they're aiming to finish the project by next summer.