Lee County awards contracts for Fort Myers Beach Pier, park design

Stacey Henson, Fort Myers News-Press
Updated ·2 min read
1

As Fort Myers Beach continues to rebuild after Hurricane Ian, two of the iconic sites are heading into the design phase with contracts for Fort Myers Beach Pier and Lynn Hall Memorial Park.

The Lee County Board of Commissioners awarded two contracts at Tuesday's meeting:

  • $1.17 million to Stantec Consulting Services Inc., of Fort Myers, to design the replacement of the pier.

  • $579,800 to DRMP Inc., with offices in Fort Myers and Boca Raton, to design Lynn Hall Memorial Park.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Disaster Relief Fund will foot the design bills.

More: Fort Myers Beach pier tattoo with sunset etched on woman's arm is a masterpiece

More: This unique model of the Fort Myers Beach pier received its post-Hurricane Ian makeover

Hurricane Ian, which slammed Southwest Florida on Sept. 28, 2022, left the island in shambles. During the past 19 months, homeowners and businesses have reclaimed their pieces of paradise, with a long stretch ahead of them.

“I believe the co-operative approach with the community, the town leadership, and the county will lead us to yet another important step as we work to restore Fort Myers Beach and continue to look forward,” said Commissioner Ray Sandelli, District 3.

Beachgoers near the pier at Fort Myers Beach (1969 circa). First built in 1930 and with renovations in the decades since, Hurricane Ian destroyed the bridge on Sept. 28, 2022. The Lee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, awarded bids to design a new pier and an adjacent park.
Beachgoers near the pier at Fort Myers Beach (1969 circa). First built in 1930 and with renovations in the decades since, Hurricane Ian destroyed the bridge on Sept. 28, 2022. The Lee County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday, April 16, 2024, awarded bids to design a new pier and an adjacent park.

Fort Myers Beach Pier

The pier, off Times Square on the west end of Estero Island and adjacent to Lynn Hall Memorial Park, draws tourists, locals and anglers as pelicans and seagulls swoop overhead and jellyfish, stingrays and dolphins move underneath.

First built in 1930, the pier last underwent renovations in 1990.

According to a news release, the design will preserve the original pier's "historical integrity" with new permitting and regulatory requirements met.

Officials estimate it will take about 18 months to complete the design portion, then the board will award a construction contract.

The Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, 950 Estero Blvd.., shown in this file photo, was destroyed by Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022. The Lee County Board of Commissioners approved bids to design the replacement pier and work at the park on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.
The Fort Myers Beach Fishing Pier at Lynn Hall Memorial Park, 950 Estero Blvd.., shown in this file photo, was destroyed by Hurricane Ian on Sept. 28, 2022. The Lee County Board of Commissioners approved bids to design the replacement pier and work at the park on Tuesday, April 16, 2024.

Lynn Hall Memorial Park

The design contract for the 5-acre park, 950 Estero Blvd., at the foot of the Matanzas Pass Bridge will include survey, design, permitting, engineering and construction-related services.

Established in the 1950s, the park is named in honor of Lee County Sheriff's Deputy Dwight Lynn Hall, who died April 11, 1979. A 15-year-old killed him in the line of duty while he patrolled Fort Myers Beach.The site included restrooms, four boardwalks, an informational kiosk, two large picnic shelters with grills and public parking.

After Hurricane Ian, the county demolished the remainder of the boardwalks, restroom and picnic shelter. The project will reconstruct the park to pre-hurricane conditions, the county said in the release.

It will take about a year to complete the design.

This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Lee County gives design work on Fort Myers Beach Pier, park