Rod and Reel reopens. Another island landmark needs more time after Irma

Though largely spared from Hurricane Irma’s wrath, businesses and homes on Anna Maria Island did see some damage. More than a week later, one of the most popular spots on the island is finally open again.

The Rod and Reel Pier reopened Wednesday to a crowd of guests who spent some time enjoying being back out on the pier.

Dave Cochran, general manager of the Rod and Reel Pier, said the damage left after Irma was “nothing significant,” but it took until Wednesday to get things up and running.

“We had some pipes that were down and air conditioning got knocked over,” Cochran said.

There was also the issue of getting power back on and cleaning up the parking lot, but nothing major.

Restaurant crews also had to clean up some damaged awnings and clean all the equipment, Cochran said.

Some of the most notable damage on the island was the roof of the Anna Maria City Pier. From behind the gate on the island side of the pier on Sept. 11, the roof over the bait shop side of the pier was clearly torn off.

At the time, City Pier Restaurant manager Dave Sork said the ceiling was still intact.

As of Wednesday, it’s still unclear when the Anna Maria City Pier will reopen to the public. Sork said it could take more time than he had hoped, possibly months.

“The damage was more extensive than what (the engineers) anticipated,” Sork said.

Damage to the roof is currently covered with a tarp, Sork said.

It’s a wait-and-see game, but Sork and the staff are ready.

“We’re pursing every avenue as far as getting back up and running,” Sork said.

There is still no power to the end of the pier as crews work to make sure everything is okay before turning it back on.

Farther south on the island, the Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Bridge Street Pier remained closed Wednesday, as they had scheduled to close for a few weeks before the season picks up again.

AMOB on the Pier is scheduled to reopen Monday, John Horne, president of AMOB said. It closed for a seasonal break on Sept. 6, and food was removed from the restaurant.

Horne said they only thing they lost to the storm was time in their remodeling process.

The restaurant was working to replace equipment structure on the roof, so some time was lost there as roofing crews couldn’t work during the storm then were called to more emergency jobs, Horne said.

They aim to reopen Monday, after the other locations celebrate 20 years of AMOB.

This story was originally published September 20, 2017 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Rod and Reel reopens. Another island landmark needs more time after Irma."