Reimagining the Naples Pier after Ian

The Naples Pier was left beaten and battered by Hurricane Ian. Now, eight months later, plans to reimagine and rebuild it are coming into focus.

Before Ian, the pier was a place that many people visited.

Naples City Council is meeting this week to discuss the design options, which include concession stands, bathrooms and a fishing platform.

People are looking forward to having a new pier regardless of what it looks like. Opinions between the two pier designs were not very polarizing.

There are two options that are up for discussion with slight differences between them.

They both offer concessions, fish cleaning stations, several areas for benches and even a spot for an underwater camera.

Jay Rogowski has lived in Naples for 19 years. He just wants the pier restored so people can be happy to come there again.

“Because there’s so many people that are disappointed that had been out on the pier over the years, that they come back to show their friends and the pier is gone,” Rogowski said.

One group said they wanted to see the concessions halfway out like the old Naples Pier.

“You can stay out there, and while you’re eating you get to watch the men fishing and you get to see the dolphins jumping and you get to see the pelicans moving down,” a Naples woman said.

The designs incorporate some of the things residents told the city they wanted in a recent survey.

Part of the pier has been closed to the public since Sept. 28.

The city council will discuss the two design options during Wednesday’s meeting.

Both designs would increase the stability of the pier by adding a four-piling system instead of three and concrete joints.