What can be done to save a piece of history?
The Anna Maria City Pier was first built in 1911 to provide a dock for steamers and ferries bringing tourists from Tampa to visit the beach and buy cottages.
Preservation of the landmark pier was on the minds of Anna Maria city commissioners Feb. 12, when they met one-by-one with engineers from Bridge Design Associates, the team responsible for a 2015 city pier survey.
The survey team presented three options for the pier.
• Do nothing, spend nothing. However, the pier could collapse in five years.
• Rehabilitate the pier at a cost of $1.4 million-$1.7 million and extend the life of the pier 20-25 years.
• Rebuild the pier for $2.3 million-$2.8 million, resulting in 50-75 years for the landmark.
“If we rebuild the pier, the historical value will be destroyed,” Commissioner Nancy Yetter said. “If we do that then we won’t be able to rebuild the buildings at the end.”
“I don’t think a new pier or taking no action is an option,” Chair Doug Copeland said, who also has said that should the city pier collapse while he’s a commissioner, he’ll move off the island.
Commissioner Dale Woodland said after the meeting he has a lot of confidence about the survey and engineering team.
“I value their experience,” Woodland said. “They know what we want and will do a good job getting us there.”
But which of the three options the commissioners will choose must wait until a Feb. 25 city meeting.
Right now, per a contract with the city, repairs are the responsibility of the pier tenant, Mario Schoenfelder, who owns and operates the City Pier Restaurant.
Mayor Dan Murphy said he’s started talking with Schoenfelder about the survey results and the potential cost for the repairs. He said until the commission decides on the city’s course, he can’t do much more.
“Once the city decides, then I’ll talk with Mario about funding, work timeline and the impact it could have on the restaurant and community,” Murphy said.
The survey team estimates work on the pier could close the structure nine-12 months.
“We’ve got a lot of consideration for the restaurant workers,” Woodland said. “We’ll try to do what we can to minimize the impact closing could have.”
Pier general manager Dave Sork said he and his crew are waiting to see what happens next.
“The pier keeps rising from the ashes,” Sork said. “I’ve been here 37 years and through a lot of renovations and closures. It’s not something we’re looking forward to, but we’ll make it through.”
Murphy said after he talks with Schoenfelder he will present short- and long-term plans.
Sork said he too is waiting to hear from the mayor and Schoenfelder. “I don’t think anything’s critical at the moment,” he said. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have waited six months to deliver the report.”
The commission will next meet at 6 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 25, at Anna Maria City Hall, 10005 Gulf Drive.