There has yet to be any real progress on the demolition and rebuild of the Rod & Reel Pier in Anna Maria — wiped out by the 2024 hurricanes.
The city fulfilled a records request June 20 from The Islander for any permits regarding work on the pier with a reply, “There are no records responsive to this request.”
The pier was damaged by Hurricane Helene last September and then Hurricane Milton wiped all but some piles off the map.
Pier owner Oliver “Oli” Lemke, a German brewer and restaurateur, has expressed a desire to rebuild the pier, with a GoFundMe campaign raising $100,547 as of June 20.
While no permits have been issued, Rod & Reel employees and community members pitched in with a cleanup June 14-15. They removed piles of scrap, utility lines and material from the ruins so it could be taken to a junkyard.
In the meantime, a pier restaurant is slated to reopen in the former home of the Old Hamburg Schnitzelhaus, 3246 E. Bay Drive, Holmes Beach.
Lemke has not responded to multiple calls from The Islander regarding the pier’s reconstruction or an opening date for the new, land-locked restaurant.