Bradenton Beach pier reopening set for Jan. 23

It’s going to have that new-pier smell.

Duncan Seawall completed demolition and re-construction of the Historic Bridge Street Pier in mid-January, the original timeframe, Mark Parsons, the company’s director of operations, said in an email.

The city scheduled a soft opening for the $2 million project for 10 a.m., Friday, Jan. 23.

Bridge Street merchants are looking forward to the opening, including Roberta Jackson, an employee of Island Fresh, 110 Bridge St., Bradenton Beach.

“A lot of people can’t wait for it to be finished, to walk out on the pier,” Jackson said Dec. 30. “I think it will attract more people into the store, to the island in general.”

City commissioners and others got a sneak peek at the pier Jan. 14.

The pier was damaged in 2012 during Tropical Storm Debby. Before the storm, the aging pier “was bouncy. It was swingy. It jiggled every time you walked on it,” former Commissioner Berneitta Kays said.

Of the new pier, she said, “I love it, every bit of it. It’s much better. It’s a big improvement. It’s terrific.”

“All of the major issues are taken care of,” said Police Chief Sam Speciale, the facilitator of team that oversees operations, maintenance and the rebuild of the pier.

Speciale said patrons will see the pier essentially as they did before, except the structure has been upgraded and modernized. Composite decking replaces pressure-treated decking. New wood pilings replace concrete pilings.

There are new fish-cutting stations. Fish-attracting lights will be hung over the water at the end of the pier. And the new T-end pavilion will have swings and benches.

Many years ago the location served as the original wooden bridge to the mainland. The pier was slated for reconstruction before Tropical Storm Debby hit the island in 2012. During the storm, Speciale said, some boats in the mooring area broke loose and hit the pier, damaging some concrete piles. The city’s building department and an engineer analyzed it and determined it was a liability issue to allow the public on the pier.

It was closed for safety reasons, from the center of the pier to the T-end over the water. The restaurant at the landside base of the pier had already been renovated and remained open. It is expected to benefit greatly from the pier reopening. The bait shop also will reopen.

“I’m just excited for everyone,” Commissioner Jan Vosburgh said. “I think it’s going to be wonderful for Bradenton Beach. I hope it helps the people who are running the restaurant because I think they are struggling there.”

“It’s been a long time coming,” Commissioner Ed Straight said.

Reconstruction of the pier has been aided by matching funds provided by Manatee County’s tourist development tax fund.

Speciale called the city-county collaboration “a natural fit.”