NAPLES, Fla. — It's been eighteen months since Hurricane Irma destroyed the old boardwalk at Tin City in Naples, back in September 2017. This week, a brand new boardwalk opened at the historic tourist destination.
"We really have been waiting for this day for the boardwalk to reopen," said Sissy Ramey, a shop owner who operates Tin City Olive Oil. "It's a beautiful boardwalk."
Patrick Sheele, project manager with Terrell Hall Associates, led the construction of the new and improved boardwalk. It's wider than the old one, not to mention stronger.
"We wanted to keep Tin City's historic charm, so we went with a wood finish," Sheele said. "It's a Brazilian hardwood, the same that's on the city pier and city dock."
He said that makes it much more resistant to rotting, insects and severe weather.
Sharon Mentus, owner of the Organic Spa at Tin City, expects the new boardwalk to draw more visitors to the shops and restaurants there.
"Most businesses were seeing a little bit of a slowdown (after Irma,)" she said. "Once we got the word out that the boardwalk is open, it's definitely seeing a lot more traffic now."
