Work to restore pedestrian access to the Anna Maria City Pier soon could be underway.
City commissioners planned to select a contractor to rebuild the walkway linking the landside to the T-end at a Sept. 30 special commission meeting, after The Islander’s press deadline.
The city received bids from nine contractors in response to its request for proposals, including:
- Washington-based Ballard Marine Construction;
- Bradenton-based Quality Marine Construction;
- Panama City-based RJ Gorman Contracting;
- Texas-based Russell Marine;
- West Park-based Shoreline Foundation;
- Palm Harbor-based Southern Road and Bridge;
- Gibsonton-based Tampa Bay Marine;
- Fort Pierce-based Underwater Engineering Services;
- West Palm Beach-based YC Group.
While most bids had yet to be revealed as of Sept. 27, the agenda for the Sept. 30 special commission meeting shows that city staff will recommend the selection of Tampa Bay Marine and its $4,641,239 bid to complete the project.
According to information in the packet for the meeting, “Tampa Bay Marine Inc. was determined to be the most responsive and responsible bidder. … The firm has extensive marine construction experience throughout the region and holds a valid Florida contractor’s license, as well as a marine specialty license.”
While the selection of a contractor could be near, there might be a ways to go before Manatee County and the city come to terms on a new ferry dock.
The county has been exploring options for a new ferry landing at the pier since it closed, but the city so far has rejected all proposals.
Mayor Mark Short shared the county’s latest proposal at a Sept. 25 city commission meeting.
It includes a three-part dock that would stretch about 350 feet along the east side of a rebuilt walkway, running from the T-end down.
The structure would include a ferry dock, a landing area for disembarking passengers, as well as an extended gangway for passenger queuing.
It would also feature a wave attenuator on the north end of the dock to make docking easier.
Short said he was not satisfied with the proposal, which would leave about 350 feet of the east side of the pier “encumbered” by the dock structure.
He added that the county was going back to the drawing board to explore other designs for the city to consider.