Lee County to request using BP/Deepwater Horizon funds for Fort Myers Beach Pier
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Tuesday to submit a request to use $7 million awarded to the county following BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010 for the planned restoration and expansion of the Fort Myers Beach Pier.
The Fort Myers Beach Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The county has approved designs and construction for the project, with the pier expected to be fully rebuilt sometime in 2027.
While FEMA has approved funding to replace the pier, those funds are limited to reconstruction of the pier in its original configuration.
The county approved a larger reconstruction of the pier, which would take more time and expense at an estimated cost of $17.1 million. The larger pier was pushed for by some in the Fort Myers Beach community and led by Fort Myers Beach Councilwoman Karen Woodson in a request to the county commissioners.
Construction on the new 1,000 feet long pier is expected to begin next year and will add 415 feet of length to the pier compared to its original size. The pier will also be 12 feet wide, four wider than the original size.
Although the FEMA award has not yet been finalized, the shortfall between the final cost of construction and the amount of federal disaster assistance is currently estimated at about $6 million, according to Lee County officials.
After the Gulf oil spill, Lee County was awarded funds under the RESTORE Act Spill Impact Component, administered through Florida’s State Expenditure Plan (SEP) managed by the Gulf Consortium. These funds are designated for projects that promote economic recovery, tourism, recreational fishing and community resilience in Gulf Coast communities.
Regardless of whether the county receives approval to use the funds managed by the Gulf Consortium, the county expects to have enough funds to construct the larger pier through use of Lee County Tourist Development Tax funds.
“The project is proceeding as planned and designed,” Lee County spokesperson Betsy Clayton said. “The plan all along was to use FEMA and Tourist Development Tax (funds).”
If the county’s request to use the BP/Deepwater Horizon funds are approved, “this would reduce the need for Tourist Development Taxes,” Clayton said.