ANNA MARIA – The Anna Maria City Commission authorized Mayor Mark Short to execute a $436,192 contract with Sarasota-based Southern Cross Contracting for the remaining repair and construction services needed at the T-end of the City Pier.
On Sept. 8, the city commission authorized Mayor Mark Short to execute the contract with Southern Cross.
The contract pertains to what is essentially the final phase of the work needed on the city-owned buildings at the T-end of the pier that were damaged during Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024 but remained structurally intact.
The work performed by Southern Cross Contracting will prepare the pier buildings to soon be occupied and fully fleshed out by the GSM Partners LLC group that includes Brian Seymour (City Pier Grill, Anna Maria General Store), Ben Sato (gRub Tropical BBQ) and Jason Sato (Sato Real Estate).
In June, the trio entered into a new five-year lease with the city to operate the PIERadise dining, drinking and fishing establishment in the larger pier building previously occupied by Mote Marine, with the smaller pier building previously occupied by the City Pier Grill to serve as the kitchen area and bait shop.
The City Pier and PIERadise are expected to be fully open and operational before the end of the year.
Southern Cross was one of three construction companies that responded to the city’s invitation to bid on the work still needed at the T-end of the pier now that the new pier walkway has been completed.
“We ran a process for what I’m calling the finishing work at the T-end of the pier,” Short said.
He said the pending work includes replacing the public restrooms and other needed repairs.
Commissioner Chris Arendt asked if the Southern Cross contract includes the installation of roll-up doors.
Short said the roll-up doors are included, and the two-part door system will also include hurricane-rated exterior shutters to protect the roll-up doors.
The roll-up doors will provide an open-air seating area to be shared by PIERadise patrons and pier visitors. The open-air seating area will also be utilized by Gulf Islands Ferry passengers if and when ferry service returns to the City Pier.
When GSM Partners entered into the new pier lease in June, they provided the city with conceptual renderings of the roll-up doors.
During the Sept. 8 meeting, Seymour said he and the Satos are ready to move in when given the green light and they hope to open in November.
