Collier County will allow Naples to use a portion of Bayview Park to haul Naples Pier debris to a barge twice weekly for up to six months before construction begins on the new $26.3 million pier.
But demolition on the pier, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022, won’t begin until after Army Corps of Engineers approval. The entire project is expected to take 1½ years.
The interlocal agreement with the city, unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 25, will enable city contractor Shoreline Foundation Inc. to use eight boat-trailer spaces. Dump trucks will use a portion of the docks twice weekly to unload debris removed from Naples Pier, which suffered catastrophic damage during the Sept. 28, 2022, hurricane. The 4-acre park is located at 1575 Danford St. off Thomasson Drive in East Naples.
“We sometimes forget that Bayview Park was actually donated to the county by the city, so this is a partnership that goes back in time to the beginning of the park itself,” John Dunnuck, county executive director of facilities and redevelopment, told commissioners. “… Their target obviously would be to get as much done before hurricane season as possible.”
Although nearby residents who attended the Bayshore Gateway Triangle Advisory Board meeting on Feb. 6 asked that other sites, such as Naples Landings, be considered, Dunnuck said Bayview Park was the most efficient. The contractor and city officials told residents other sites weren’t feasible.
“With the size of the barge and the needs and the distance, it would raise the cost,” Dunnuck said. “Plus, the barge actually would not fit in the Naples Landing area to remove the material.”
Residents were assured debris won’t spill onto Danforth Street. Due to concerns about park traffic and pedestrians, the advisory board also agreed to work with residents on a sidewalk as part of a future roadway and stormwater maintenance project.
Under the interlocal agreement, the boat ramp will remain open to the public. A barge will be docked at Bayview Park no more than two days per week for four to six months and when the barge isn’t docked, the public can access the full dock. Naples Pier debris from above and below water will be dried out, offloaded, sorted and hauled to the park.
The work will occur from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. No work will take place on weekends or holidays unless the city and county managers agree. Due to the closure of the county’s Collier Boulevard Boating Park’s ramp, which is undergoing construction and could lead to more boaters at Bayview Park, the city and county will monitor that impact and address any issues.
Dunnuck said 34 parking spaces on Hamilton Avenue a half mile from the park are rarely filled, so he didn’t expect a traffic problem, but Naples police agreed to monitor that and provide additional security as boaters unload vessels. The city also agreed to provide some gravel.
After various concerns by commissioners, the city agreed to provide periodic reports. City Public Works Director Bob Middleton said if needed, they could provide a shuttle to Hamilton Avenue.
“We may demobilize the area for a certain holiday but don’t want to do that because that just adds costs to the project,” Middleton said.
It’s the seventh resurrection of the 137-year-old Naples Pier, located at the west end of 12th Avenue South. Only 100 feet was left standing after Hurricane Ian and that reopened in November 2022. But 460 feet suffered significant damage, including 140 feet containing more than 30 pilings and a shelter at the end that collapsed and sank into the Gulf. Waves completely gutted Cosmos on the Pier’s concession area, shelter and storage structures, and the waves’ energy lifted framing and decking for public showers.
More than 1 million visitors visit the iconic landmark yearly to watch sunsets, fish, socialize, exercise, eat and watch wildlife. Built in 1888 for people traveling by boat to Naples, it’s been rebuilt six times after hurricanes, most recently after Hurricane Irma in 2017.
Costs for the stronger, higher, more resilient pier will be funded by federal funds, including about $14 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursement funds, state grants, $11 million in bonds, $2 million in county tourist development taxes, the city’s beach fund, as well as public donations, including from the Collier Community Foundation.
The project team includes construction, engineering and inspection firm Turrell, Hall & Associates Inc., MHK Architecture of Naples, City Engineer Dan Ohrenstein and Project Manager Bruce Selfon, a former federal government employee the city hired to assist with regulatory and permitting.
