Naples Pier reopened; but anglers limited, blocked from damaged west end

Part of the Naples Pier reopened Thursday, but access to prized fishing spots on the public landmark’s west end remains blocked indefinitely because of damage caused by Hurricane Irma.

The extent of the damage first became clear at noon Thursday when Naples crews opened the Pier west to the concession stand but left the far end closed off.

The Category 3 storm tore at the Pier’s support beams and blasted the west railing into the Gulf.  

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“It’s gone,” said Dana Souza, director of community services for the city. “It’s in the water somewhere.”

Naples crews already have begun working on repairing the Pier’s west end, but that part of the facility will remain closed indefinitely, Souza said. It’s unclear how much the repairs will cost.

In the meantime, access is delayed to the deepest waters of the most popular fishing spot in Naples.

Michael Banks, 55, of Fort Myers, hadn’t been to the Pier since it underwent a $2.7 million reconstruction in 2015. He had hoped to fish off the west end.

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“That’s exactly where I wanted to go,” he said.

On Thursday afternoon, he cast a line off the Pier into shallower waters, but fish weren’t biting the live bait he brought in a white bucket.

The city reopened the Pier’s restrooms near the entrance on 12th Avenue South.

And at the concession stand, Cosmo’s Cafe & Pizzeria was planning to reopen Thursday, said Juan Thompson, the concessions manager.