Anna Maria gets $1.25 million to help rebuild City Pier. When will it reopen?
The City of Anna Maria has set an “aggressive” timeline to reopen its City Pier thanks to $1.25 million in funding from state officials.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton decimated the pier’s walkway and damaged the building on the end of the pier. While the building can be repaired, the walkway needs to be completely rebuilt, according to City of Anna Maria Mayor Mark Short.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the state’s budget on June 30 and, with it, granted $100 million in appropriations for Manatee County projects, including the funds for the City of Anna Maria.
The main structure of the pier housed the Mote Marine Science Education and Outreach Center and the City Pier Grill and Bait Shop. The pier was also a landing spot for Manatee County’s Gulf Islands Ferry system.
“That pier is vital, not just to the city and this island, but to the county,” Short said.
The estimated $7 million to $9 million project is anticipated to be completed in the fall of 2026. The price tag is still a wide range due to the complexity of the work and unknowns that won’t be realized until the project progresses further, according to Short.
Even without the City Pier, Short said the pier site has remained an important gathering spot for residents and visitors to swap stories about the historic site and speculate what will happen next.
Current progress on the City Pier
At a joint meeting between the City of Anna Maria and the Manatee County Board of County Commissioners on June 18, Short said he set an optimistic timeline for the project, knowing how vital the pier is for the city and the county.
“We know it’s extremely important, not only for the city and the commercial businesses that are in the city, but for the county,” Short said at the meeting. “We know it’s important for everybody, and that’s why my vision is that we need to be aggressive.”
The city has been working with engineers on the redesign of the pier since November, according to Short, and the city is ready to issue a request for proposals next week.
Currently, the city is about 75% finished with demolishing the walkway’s remaining planks and pilings, according to Short.
The city already received an emergency permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild the pier in the same footprint as before, Short told commissioners.
According to Short, the building on the end of the pier can be repaired and the inside remediated. The city still needs to get a remediation crew out to do the work, which has been challenging to do, Short said, because the only way currently is by boat.
The city has talked to Mote Marine Laboratory & Aquarium about the future of the aquarium’s facility on the pier, but no final decisions have been made.
In June, the City Pier Grill owners told the Anna Maria City Commission that they want to renegotiate the restaurant’s lease, the Anna Maria Island Sun reported.
Short said that he hoped pilings could start being installed in the water by the end of this year.
Financing the project
The City of Anna Maria will need more financial assistance to complete what could be a $9 million project.
Manatee County Board of County Commissioners Chairman George Kruse said at the June 18 meeting he is fully invested in making sure the project is completed within Short’s aggressive timeline.
“This has to be rebuilt,” Kruse said at the meeting. “I don’t think there’s any alternative. It’s critical to our tourism, it’s critical to our residents.”
Kruse also said having Mote return to the site is an important amenity for the city and users of the Gulf Islands Ferry.
“If that just becomes a vacant building, that obviously takes away some of the dynamics of what that pier was becoming,” Kruse said.
Chunks of short-term funding are critical for this project, Short explained, since the project is running in phases. The city paid about $223,000 for design and engineering, and Short anticipated about $1.1 million in expenditures over the next three months for the demolition work and remediation of the main structure.
The state appropriation was the first major outside funding source the city received, and Short expressed his gratitude to both state Rep. Will Robinson and state Sen. Jim Boyd for their help in securing the funds.
Additionally, the city is working with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for a reimbursement of up to $4 million, Short said, but specifics remain unknown.
“We don’t have an indication from them yet in terms of what their evaluation or assessment will be, let alone what they believe is eligible for reimbursement,” Short said.
The Manatee County Tourist Development Council recently approved the city’s request of up to $2 million for the project, but that funding is still pending the Manatee County Commission’s approval.
“We want to get this thing done,” Kruse said.
This story was originally published July 9, 2025 at 5:50 AM.
