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Tag: Bradenton Beach Bridge Street

Bradenton Beach merchants work to reopen

Bradenton Beach merchants work to reopen

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – As Bridge Street comes back to life with merchants reopening businesses following back-to-back hurricanes, the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) discussed their vision for the area, including Christmas on Bridge Street.

“We had already paid to complete the pergola, and we know that’s an important vision for the street, and in talking with Chief (John) Cosby one of the goals and objectives we have that ties in with is that we are going to be open and supporting Christmas on Bridge Street,” City Attorney Ricinda Perry said at the Oct. 17 CRA meeting. “That is not an option, that is going to happen.”

She said Bridge Street merchants have been working hard to get up and running by Nov. 23.

“It is my goal to execute what we’re going to call our Table of Hope, and that is going to be our kickoff to Christmas on Bridge Street,” Perry said. “The Table of Hope we put together for everybody who’s been a part of this experience, we’re going to shut Bridge Street down, line it with tables, get a bolt of fabric, we’re going to write what we want on that fabric and we’re going to hang that banner over our street for everybody to know that we are strong, that we are standing and that we are a hopeful community.”

The date for that event has not yet been determined.

“Mayor and I are going to be working with the decorators,” Perry said. ”It may not be pretty but it’s going to be something and we’re going to celebrate that heart of the city. “

She invited community members to reach out with thoughts and ideas.

“The merchants are certainly pressed to get where they need to be,” she said, noting that multiple businesses in Bradenton Beach have already reopened including Daiquiri Deck, Anna Maria Oyster Bar on the Pier, SALT Bar and Table, Bridge Tender Inn, Circle K (north location open with fuel, south opens this weekend), and Smoqe House (opens Oct. 21).

Staff at Drift-In AMI, Blue Marlin, Island Time and Island Creperie, among others, told The Sun that they are working to get back up and running as soon as possible.

The CRA board unanimously approved Christmas on Bridge Street and the Table of Hope.

Pier team discusses Bridge Street improvements

Pier team discusses Bridge Street improvements

Written by Leslie Lake on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News.

BRADENTON BEACH – A monthly pier team meeting on June 26 at city hall covered a host of topics including feedback about the Gulf Island Ferry, the installation of cameras on the city pier, road closures for the upcoming Sundown Get Down street party and an update on the floating dock.

“We’re getting a lot of positive feedback from people coming in on the ferry. They absolutely love to hop off that ferry and be right in the middle of Bridge Street and Bradenton Beach,” John Horne, owner of Anna Maria Island Oyster Bar (AMOB), said during the concessionaire report. “I think it’s tremendous.”

Police Chief John Cosby gave an update on the security cameras to be installed on the city pier.

“I’m still waiting,” Cosby said. “I think they started installing some of the equipment. The last I talked to them, they’re waiting for the insulating conduit.”

Other business included the concessionaire report, a dock update, public works and building departments reports and a facilitator report.

Cosby, who is also serving as interim Public Works Director, said regarding trash pickup on the pier, “I don’t really want to hire any new positions until we know what’s happening with OPPAGA (the potential consolidation of Island cities), if anything. We do have a budgeted person for the CRA district and that will be for Saturdays and Sundays so that will be seven days.”

Three days a week, the public works crew will remove trash from Bridge Street.

“In the past, the street was only getting a half of days’ worth of service basically so now there’s two people on it,” Cosby said. “Every Thursday, as long as it’s not raining, they blow out all the dust from the sidewalks and the curb area and out into the roadway for the street sweeper.”

For the upcoming Sundown Get Down street party on Bridge Street, which begins on Thursday, July 18 at 4 p.m., Cosby said the road will be closed to traffic at noon.

“We’ll move traffic out before it actually starts,” he said. “This won’t affect the parking at the pier unless I have to shut the circle down. This is the first time, so it’s a learning curve to see where the crowd is going and if it looks like it’s going to expand then we’ll do exactly the same closure that we do for the Christmas event.”

Cosby said barricades will be in place, but they won’t be used unless needed.

“I don’t want to shut things down that don’t need to be,” Cosby said. “We’ll see how it goes.”

Cosby said many people are planning to arrive for the street party by the Gulf Island Ferry and tickets are sold out.

“As far as the floating dock, everything’s been fixed that we requested to be fixed,” Cosby said.