Pier demolition to begin next week, construction work along Estero Boulevard starting today
Time Square businessowner announces plans to build restaurant at site of former PierSide Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar
With heavy machinery now in place at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, Lee County officials said demolition of the Fort Myers Beach Pier will begin next week.
Lee County officials announced that temporary construction activities are also being scheduled along the sidewalk on Estero Boulevard, just north of Times Square, this Thursday and Friday. Pedestrians traveling through the area may experience temporary detours and should follow posted signage directing them safely around the work area.
Residents, businesses and visitors in the area should expect to hear construction-related noise once demolition begins, particularly during the removal of the old piles. These activities are a necessary step in clearing the site and preparing for construction of the new pier.
The demolition and rebuilding of the Fort Myers Beach Pier, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian, is expected to take one year.
While beachgoers can’t access the beach near the park from the closed parking lot or from Times Square, beachgoers who walk the beach from other access points, can currently still walk the beach near the area where the pier is, go into the Gulf, and go sunbathing near Lynn Hall Memorial Park for now.
“How much of the beach surrounding the area will be closed off to the public during construction will vary, depending on what construction activities will be taking place and when,” Lee County spokesman Tim Engstrom said. “Pedestrians should remain outside all restricted areas and follow posted signs, fencing and directions from construction personnel.”
As construction activities continue at the Fort Myers Beach Pier, Engstrom said “the public is reminded that the project area is an active construction zone both on the beach and in the water. For everyone’s safety, beachgoers, swimmers, boaters, and personal watercraft operators should remain a safe distance from the pier and all active construction operations.”
Heavy equipment is being staged at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, including a crane, in preparations for the demolition of the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
The Fort Myers Beach Pier has long been one of Lee County’s most heavily-attended tourist destinations.
The county is simultaneously working on rebuilding the restrooms at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, which were also destroyed by Hurricane Ian. The parking lot at Lynn Hall Memorial Park has been closed since that work began, and is not expected to reopen until the work on the pier is finished. According to county officials, the county’s parking lot will have 30% more spaces.
The replacement will extend the pier to roughly 1,000 feet long and 12 feet wide, or more than 70% longer and 50% wider than the pier destroyed by Hurricane Ian in September 2022. The extra length requested by Fort Myers Beach officials contributed to the longer estimated time to rebuild. The pier will incorporate reinforced concrete piles, a concrete deck, aluminum railings, an entry gate and three shade structures, establishing the pier as a durable community landmark.
Lee County is funding the $14.4 million project design and construction using FEMA Public Assistance, Tourist Development Taxes and RESTORE ACT grants.
FEMA announced last month that Lee County had been awarded a $5.5 million award for the reconstruction of the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Due to the size of the pier being larger than the original pier, there is added cost that is being picked up by Lee County Tourist Development Tax dollars and RESTORE ACT grants.
The Lee Board of County Commissioners voted in April to award a $11.7 million construction contract for the reconstruction of the Fort Myers Beach Pier. The reconstruction contract was awarded to RJ Gorman Contracting LLC.
Gwendolyn Gannon and Joe Harvey walk by the ruins of the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
Gwendolyn Gannon and Joe Harvey walked by the ruins of the Fort Myers Beach Pier on Monday and felt nostalgic seeing it. “We definitely miss it,” Gannon said. They met when Gannon lived in the area. “It’s crazy how the strength of a storm can move a cement pillar like that,” Gannon said. They used to spend more time around the pier visiting the beach. Gannon’s family friend lost her home in Hurricane Ian. The couple live in Kentucky now.
Terry Persaud, who owns the property at Times Square next to the Fort Myers Beach Pier where the former PierSide Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar, near where the Dairy Queen and the Pier Peddler also sat right next to the pier, said the pier’s construction will be a major benefit to local businesses and the community.
Persaud said the pier’s reconstruction means “the rebirth of Fort Myers Beach. For the businesses, it means bringing the vibe back to Fort Myers Beach.”
Terry Persaud, who owns the property at Times Square next to the Fort Myers Beach Pier, is planning to build a restaurant on the site where the former PierSide Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar stood before being knocked down by Hurricane Ian in 2022. Photo by Nathan Mayberg
As dance music played from a makeshift bar he constructed on the site of the former Times Square businesses, Persaud spoke about what the rebuild of the pier will mean even if it might mean a tough year ahead as the construction begins. “You have to tough it out before you can enjoy it,” he said. He hopes to have his resort completed at the same time the pier is expected to be completed in September of next year. He also hopes to reopen the former Pierside Grill and Famous Blowfish Bar as the “new Pierside” along with other small shops. He said he will keep the remnants of the walls of the Pierside Grill that still stand on the lot.
“We have the momentum going. We have the pier coming on board, we have the construction rolling on the Times Square boutique resort. I think next year is going to be our year,” Persaud said. “I think we will be open for business and we will have the vibe that everyone in Southwest Florida loves.”