NOW TO STORM PROOF JACKSONVILLE. BEACH’S MOST ICONIC LANDMARK IT’S CLOSER TO
REOPENING, BUT THE CONSTRUCTION
PROCESS IS SLOW THE
JACKSONVILLE BEACH FISHING PIER
WAS SEVERELY DAMAGED IN
HURRICANE MATTHEW IN
2016 2017 RESPECTIVELY ABOUT A
QUARTER OF THE PIER WAS RIPPED
AWAY AND IT’S BEEN CLOSED SINCE
LAST NOVEMBER AS CREWS WORK TO REBUILD IT BUILD IT BACK WITH A NEARLY 10 MILLION DOLLARS
TAXPAYER FUNDED PROJECT.
IT’S IN JAX BEACH BUT OWNED BY
THE CITY
OF JACKSONVILLE. WELL THE
SKETCHES REVEAL A NEW PIER THAT
IS SUPPOSED TO BE BIGGER AND
STRONGER THAN BEFORE AND THAT’S
NOT AN EASY TASK.
ONLY ON NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER VIC
MICOLUCCI JOINS US WITH HOW
CONTRACTORS ARE DOING THAT AND
THEY THINK MAYBE AN EXCLUSIVE
LOOK AT THEIR PROM.
>> THEY DID MARRY A LONG TIME COMING YOU KNOW I WAS IN THAT BUILDING ON THE
PARKING GARAGE. WHEN HURRICANE
MATTHEW CAME THROUGH IN 2016
AND WE SAW THE WAVES AND THAT
STORM SURGE
RIPPED DOWN THE END OF THIS
PIER AND EVER SINCE THEN WE
HAVE HAD SO MANY PEOPLE ASK US
WHEN IS IT GOING TO BE REPAIRED
WHAT’S IT GOING TO
LOOK LIKE AND WHAT’S THE
PROGRESS OF CONSTRUCTION RIGHT
NOW YOU SEE
THE CRANES YOU CAN SEE THE
CREWS EVEN A TEMPORARY
STRUCTURE NEXT TO IT AND CITY
WORKERS SAY THEY’RE MOVING
ALONG.
>> WHO COULD FORGET THESE IMAGES AS HURRICANE MATTHEW BEAT DOWN THE 12 YEAR-OLD
JACKSONVILLE BEACH FISHING
PIER.
♪
WE WATCHED AS THE WAVES AND WIND TOOK OFF THE LAST OF 350 FEET OF THE WOODEN
AND
♪
AND ♪ CONCRETE STRUCTURE.
A YEAR LATER HURRICANE IRMA
ADDED TO THE DAM. LET’S
GO BACK.
>> TO HURRICANE MATTHEW PASSING
BY OUR COAST. I
SAW IT. YOU SAW IT SO MANY
PEOPLE AT HOME SAW IT AS THE
PIER WAS COMING DOWN. WHAT WENT
THROUGH YOUR HEAD. WELL
BEING THAT.
>> I WAS INVOLVED IN THE
BUILDING OF INDIA WAS OUT IT
WAS NOT FUN FOR ME TO SEE IT
COMING DOWN.
>> TOM GOLDSBERRY IS PART OF
THE TEAM BRINGING
IT BACK.
>> LIKE TO FINISH IT TOMORROW,
BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE THAT
TAKES TIME.
>> HE’S THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE’S PROJECT MANAGER
OVERSEEING A 3 CONTRACTORS
TASKED WITH
REBUILDING IT. TALLER AND
STRONGER THEY’VE GOT ALL THESE
POWERS TO DRIVE.
>> BEAMS TO SET CONCRETE SLABS
THE SET.
THE SET. >> GOLDSBERRY GAVE US AN EXCLUSIVE BEHIND THE SCENES
LOOK AT THE PROGRESS NEARLY A
YEAR AFTER THE REBUILDING
PROCESS BEGAN. THE SKY 4 DRONE
SHOWS THE PROJECT FROM ABOVE
YOU’LL NOTICE THEY’VE BUILT A
TEMPORARY PEER ALONGSIDE OF IT
THAT’S TO BRING THE CRANES AND
SUPPLIES
OUT HERE.
>> THEY’RE TOO HEAVY FOR THE
EXISTING STRUCTURE COULD KIND
OF SEE ALL THE EQUIPMENT
NECESSARY TO DO THIS
AND YOU CAN KEEP MOVING OUT
EQUIPMENT OUT WITH YOU WHICH
TAKES TIME.
>> APRIL OF
2022. THAT’S WHEN THE
10 MILLION DOLLAR PROJECT IS
SUPPOSED TO BE DONE. THE FIRST
SECTION WILL BE THE SAME.
THE SECOND WILL BE
INCLINED UPWARDS AND THE
MISSING 3RD SECTION WILL BE
REBUILT 8 FEET HIGHER TO
PROTECTED FROM FUTURE STORMS WE
DON’T KNOW FOR SURE.
>> THAT’S WHERE YOU HAVE TO
MAKE A BUT YOU KNOW WE COULD GO
UP 20 FEET,
US IT COST US A LOT MORE THE
FISHERMAN ONE BE HAPPY BE IN 20
BE MORE IN THE AIR. AND YOU
NEVER KNOW IF YOU’RE GOING TO
GET
THAT STORM.
>> THERE HAVE BEEN OBSTACLES
LIKE OVER THE SUMMER WHEN
CONSTRUCTION SHUT DOWN FOR 2
MONTHS BECAUSE A FEDERAL
WILDLIFE PERMIT DID NOT GET
APPROVED IN TIME. THERE’S ALSO
DEBRIS IN THE WATER THAT NEEDS
TO BE REMOVED. BUT WEATHER HAS
BEEN FAVORABLE.
SO FAR. CREWS HAVE TO GET
THROUGH THIS HURRICANE SEASON
AND NEXT YEAR’S HOPEFULLY
WITHOUT ANY TROPICAL ACTIVITY
GOT TO DO IT RIGHT. YOU WANT TO
MAKE SURE THAT IT’S GOING TO
LAUGH AND IN THE MEANTIME THE
BUILDERS ARE ASKING FOR
PATIENTS.
>> SO IF ALL DOES GO, ACCORDING TO PLANS THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF IN THE
MEANTIME YOU CAN SEE MUCH OF
THE AREA AROUND THE
CONSTRUCTION SITE IS CLOSED OFF
YOU’VE GOT THESE WARNING NO
TRESPASSING SIGNS. THE
CONTRACTORS WANT TO REMIND
PEOPLE IT CAN BE VERY
DANGEROUS. IF YOU DO WANT TO GO
NORTH OR SOUTH OF THE PIER,
THOUGH THEY DO HAVE A
DESIGNATED WALK THROUGH THIS IS
WHERE PEOPLE ON THE BEACH CAN
RIDE THEIR BIKES. THEY CAN WALK
THEY CAN RUN THROUGH SO
YOU DO HAVE THIS ONE SPOT TO
GET TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER
THAT MEANS YOU DON’T HAVE TO GO
AROUND. THIS WAY,
REPORTING LIVE IN JACKSONVILLE
BEACH. I’M VIC MICOLUCCI
CHANNEL 4 THE
LOCAL STATION.
>> SOME VICTIMS, THE CITY OF
JACKSONVILLE HAVE TO PUT ALL OF
THE BILL.
>> YEAH THAT’S A BIG QUESTION
BECAUSE IT’S ABOUT 10 MILLION
DOLLARS FOR THIS PROJECT HERE.
MARY THE GOOD
NEWS IS NOT REALLY BECAUSE THE
OLD PIER DID HAVE INSURANCE SO
THE INSURANCE POLICY IS PAYING
FOR SOME OF THE RECONSTRUCTION
FEES, ACCORDING TO THE
PROJECT MANAGER. ALSO THE CITY
IS STILL WORKING WITH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO TRY TO
GET SOME. FEMA FUNDING THAT
COULD HOPEFULLY LOWER THE BILL
FOR TAXPAYERS HERE IN DUVAL