by Mike Sharkey
Staff Writer
In September 1999, Hurricane Floyd skimmed the Florida coast, sending Jacksonvillians scurrying for higher ground and leveling the Jacksonville Beach Pier.
On May 6, City of Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach and Tourist Development Council officials will break ground on the pier’s long-awaited $4.2 million replacement ($2.8 million from the City; $900,000 from Jacksonville Beach; and $500,000 from the TDC), which is set for completion in May 2004 (as long as Mother Nature
doesn’t provide several long delays in construction in the form of northeasters and hurricanes).
“It’s taken a long time for this to happen, but I want to emphasize this is all of Jacksonville’s pier,” said Jacksonville Beach Mayor Bob Marsden. “We are very excited about getting a 1,300-foot pier.”
The May 6 date is not set in stone, but after several changes to accommodate schedules, it’s the most likely date. The new pier has been under consideration for the better part of three years. It’s also been hotly debated.
A large faction wanted the pier rebuilt at its old location at Sixth Avenue South. City of Jacksonville officials, and many from Jacksonville Beach, pushed hard for the new Fourth Avenue North location, a site closer to the business and tourist core in Jacksonville Beach, much of which has been rebuilt over the past five years. Throughout the process, Marsden remained as neutral as possible, realizing pleasing everyone wasn’t realistic.
“I don’t know if it pleases those who wanted the pier in the south location,” said Marsden, adding the new pier should prove even the doubters wrong. “The people expressed an opinion and it’s exactly what they wanted.”
The original plans called for a 1,000-foot pier. However, so many protested the short length (fishermen especially, who need a longer pier to reach deeper water), Jacksonville Beach kicked in another $187,500 for the extra 300 feet. The new pier will be 20 feet wide with a 30-by-48 end deck, a covered rest area, fish cleaning stations, restrooms, a bait shop, concessions, security and it will be handicap accessible. Marsden said the end deck is big enough to shoot fireworks from and should come in handy every July 4.
While finances have played a role in delaying construction of the new pier, permitting has also been tricky. Sharon Ashton, spokesperson for Mayor John Delaney, said all permitting issues have been addressed.
“The permitting has been straightened out and it should be in line by then [the ground breaking],” said Ashton, adding the Department of Environmental Protection has been the primary logistical hurdle. “We have a verbal agreement with the agencies and the permits should be coming so we can break ground in May.”
City Council president Jerry Holland and Council members Elaine Brown and Jim Overton have spearheaded the project from the Council’s perspective and helped push the City’s $1 million participation through Council. A surfer and Council member whose district currently includes the beach, Holland said it’s good to see the project moving forward.
“Obviously, there was some big turmoil over where it would be and we have put that behind us,” said Holland. “Maybe it would have been faster if we built in the old location. But, in the long run, we are getting a longer, nicer pier and it’s in the business district. It’s pretty exciting.”
According to Marsden, the new pier will have a 100-space, two-block parking lot complete with landscaping that will connect to the current boardwalk that stretches to Beach Boulevard.