NAPLES, Fla. — The Old Naples Pier is set to be demolished, but before construction on a new pier can begin, city officials need a place to offload the debris.
On Tuesday, Collier County Commissioners approved a plan allowing the city to use the docks at Bayview Park to receive and offload materials before they are transported to a landfill.
The plan is to dismantle the pier piece by piece and ship the debris about 2 miles to the park's dock. To facilitate the process, the city will occupy eight parking spaces at Bayview Park. Debris will be collected from both above and below the water, dried, sorted, and hauled away by dump trucks.
WATCH TO SEE WHERE THE CITY OF NAPLES WILL OFFLOAD DEBRIS FROM THE NAPLES PIER:
Despite the operation, the county’s Executive Director of Facilities and the Community Redevelopment Area said the park will remain open to the public, and people will still be able to use the boat ramp.
"The contractor will remove the pier debris. They’ll place it on a barge, they’ll take it to Bayview Park, then remove it and take it to the landfill," said John Dunnuck, Executive Director of Facilities and the Community Redevelopment Area. "The debris will not be stored at the park—it’ll be sorted there, but it will immediately be removed each time the barge is in place," he added.
The city estimates the demolition process will take four to six months.
Some residents who frequent Bayview Park are questioning why the city can’t find a way to offload the old pier within city limits.
"I don’t understand why they can’t just tear it down where it stands," said David Bosanich, who rides his bike through the park once a week. "Sure, it might disrupt the beach for a day or two, but I’d imagine it would be more efficient to do it onsite than bring it all the way here," he added.
Others say they don’t see an issue with the plan, as long as it means the new pier gets built sooner.
"Hey, listen, whatever you got to do to make it work, that’s fine," said Kurt Hanselman, owner of Defender of Fun Tiki Boat Tours, which operates from Bayview Park. "It’s a small park, it’s not a real big park. The parking’s limited, but if it helps to get the pier done, go for it!"
The Naples Pier was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022, and reconstruction has faced multiple delays. While the county’s approval to use Bayview Park is a step forward, the city is still waiting on federal approval before it can begin construction. Once given the green light, city leaders estimate it will take at least 18 months to rebuild the pier.
"It was heartbreaking to see the damage from Hurricane Ian, but we’re looking forward to rebuilding," one resident said. "It’s an iconic landmark."
