An iconic Naples landmark will soon be closed for almost three months for repairs. The Naples Pier was damaged by Hurricane Irma.
"(Irma) literally picked the pier up, and slammed it back down," said Naples mayor Bill Barnett.
The storm's beating damaged supports and destroyed a railing, making the end of the pier - a popular fishing spot - unsafe. That part of the pier has been closed since the hurricane hit September 10. When repairs begin after July 4th, the entire pier will close.
Barnett said that trying to keep part of the pier open during construction would be too tricky, and would take longer.
"You'd have people back and forth on it, dodging...construction workers and everything else," Barnett said. "So I think this is the way to go."
"I think one of the attractions (of Naples) is certainly the pier," said Collier County resident Robert Jones. "Although I don't think anyone would cancel a trip to beautiful Naples because they're working on the pier."
Barnett said the plan is to have the pier back open by September 30. Repairs are estimated at $275,000 to $280,000. He said insurance should cover most of that cost, and that FEMA will likely cover much of the remainder.
