Pier talks stalled until Nov. 29 in Bradenton Beach
Major development and contractor selection for the refurbishment of Historic Bridge Street Pier in Bradenton Beach has been delayed for a few weeks.
About 25 residents and business owners were told last week that public notice requirements had not been met for the major development proposal for the pier, which is located at the east end of Bridge Street on Anna Maria Sound. The plan calls for construction of a new restaurant as well as a dockmaster office, bath house, dockage additions and an informational kiosk.
Apparently the legally required advertisements had been placed in the appropriate newspapers, but certified letters to nearby residents and businesses had not been mailed.
The pier restaurant, damaged during hurricanes, has been closed since September 2004. The damage to the popular restaurant at the pier was so severe that the structure was razed earlier this year. Plans were drawn up to rebuild the structure, as well as ancillary buildings and an extensive floating dock for boaters to the south of the 630-foot-long deck, which is mostly used by fishers.
Three contractors have indicated a willingness to do the construction on the buildings and docks. The bidders included:
- Kesselring Corp. of Bradenton at $2,362,370.
- Hayes Construction of Fort Myers at $1,676,000.
- Southern Cross Contractors of Sarasota at $1,664,710.
City officials had estimated the work to cost $1.7 million, which is to come from a variety of funding sources, including some grants.
City commissioners are now scheduled to discuss the major development on the pier and, if approved, select a contractor to do the work during a special city commission meeting at 1 p.m. Nov. 29.
City officials hope to have the restaurant open for business by next spring. |
