ANNA MARIA – City Commissioners unanimously authorized Mayor Mark Short to sign a contract with Tampa Bay Marine Inc. to rebuild the Anna Maria City Pier walkway destroyed by Hurricane Milton.
When presenting his recommended contractor to city commissioners on Sept. 30, Short said Gibsonton-based Tampa Bay Marine’s $4.64 million base bid was the lowest of the nine bids received. The other bids ranged from $5.3 million to $12 million.
Short said he, city staff members and members of the George F. Young engineering firm reviewed the nine proposals received and further researched Tampa Bay Marine before recommending them as the city’s preferred contractor.
Short said the bid lowers the previously estimated total pier replacement and repair project costs to between $6.2 million and $6.9 million – a decrease from the $7 million to $9 million previously estimated.
The total estimated cost includes the previously completed design and engineering work, the previously completed demolition and debris removal work, the still pending repairs, remediations and restorations needed for the T-end pier buildings that survived the hurricanes and some additional costs associated with the installation and reconnection of electrical, water and sewage lines.
Short said the contract calls for Tampa Bay Marine to complete the construction of the pier walkway by March 31 but additional work will still be needed before the pier is fully open and operational.
“I’m not saying the pier’s going to open on March 31st. I’m still looking at fall of next year,” Short said. “The critical step is getting this walkway up and running.”
The new City Pier walkway will be built atop solid concrete pilings.
“It will be built to the same standards of the T-end of the pier, which means solid cement, no more spun cast pilings,” Short said.
The City Pier walkway destroyed last year by Hurricane Milton was part of the previous City Pier replacement project completed in 2020 after Hurricane Irma damaged the historic wooden City Pier in 2017.
The 2020 total pier replacement project featured a pier walkway made of composite wood decking and a wooden support structure placed atop hollow, spun concrete pilings. The 2020 project also included the construction of the T-end pier buildings that were damaged in 2024 but remain standing on the concrete platform that was built atop solid concrete pilings. According to the city clerk’s office, the total cost for the 2020 pier replacement project was $6.8 million
To be completed simultaneously at an additional cost, the pending repair, remediation and restoration of the still standing pier buildings and T-end deck area will begin in a few weeks when a barge is used to help remove the equipment and interior contents of the pier buildings occupied by the City Pier Grill and the Mote Marine Science Education & Outreach Center before the hurricane struck.
The work needed to return those T-end spaces to a habitable condition will include roof repairs, window repairs, door replacements, decking repairs and the complete repair and restoration of the public restrooms. Short said the city is responsible for all those costs. He did not say who would do that work.
Commissioner Charlie Salem asked if Mote Marine plans to return to the pier and what their responsibilities and obligations might be.
“I have spoken to Mote, but we do not have a commitment one way or the other yet from them,” Short said.
City Pier Grill operator Brian Seymour previously said he hopes to resume his pier-based operations if a modified lease agreement is negotiated.
After the commission authorized the Tampa Bay Marine Inc. agreement, Commissioner Chris Arendt said, “Great work mayor.”
“Let’s get this thing built,” Commissioner Gary McMullen added.
After the meeting, Short said, “This has been a long time coming. I am relieved that we have a commitment in place for the biggest piece of the pier rebuild. We’ll get this thing ready to go as soon as possible.”
Short said Tampa Bay Marine will begin building the new walkway when the 100 or so solid concrete pilings needed to do so arrive.
Funding
A $1.5 million state appropriation will help fund the pier replacement and repair project. The mayor and commission anticipate Manatee County contributing $2 million of tourist development tax revenues to the project but the county contribution now appears to be contingent on city commissioners approving the installation of a county funded ferry landing alongside the new pier walkway.
Short previously said the city hopes to receive up to $4 million from FEMA for the pier replacement project but the actual reimbursement amount and the receipt date remain unknown.
Taking effect on Oct. 1, the city’s 2025-26 fiscal year budget includes a $4 million loan to help cover the city’s upfront pier replacement costs while awaiting FEMA funds. Some of the borrowed $4 million will also be used for stormwater and drainage improvements and to help complete the Pine Avenue sidewalk installation project.
