Lee Board of County Commissioners voted Sept. 16 to request $7 million from funds awarded after the 2010 BP/Deepwater Horizon oil spill to help restore and expand the Fort Myers Beach Pier. Destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022, the pier is slated for replacement through Federal Emergency Management Agency Public Assistance funding, but those dollars only cover its original design. The county seeks to “build back better” with a longer, wider and more resilient pier that includes new shade structures. The expanded design has created a $6 million funding shortfall. The RESTORE Act, created in the wake of the Gulf oil spill, directs settlement funds to Gulf Coast states for projects that bolster economic recovery, tourism, recreational fishing and resilience. If approved, the pier would join the Northeast Caloosahatchee Tributaries Restoration project as a local RESTORE Act recipient
Lee commissioners seek $7M in oil spill funds for pier rebuild
Lee County commissioners discuss agenda items during their Sept. 16 meeting, where they approved multiple infrastructure and community investment projects, including road paving in Lehigh Acres and funding requests tied to Hurricane Ian recovery.
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