Local

Jacksonville mayor explains delays, costs of newly-reopened Jax Beach pier

JACKSONVILLE, BEACH, Fla. — To many locals, the Jax Beach pier’s reconstruction felt like forever.

“It’s been in building during most of our period,” Alan Forrest said.

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He and his wife, Eileen, moved to the Jax Beach area around the same time the pier was taken out by Hurricane Matthew in 2016, and finished off by Irma the next year.

It then fully closed in 2019.

“Really wondering how long it would take and hoping we’d still be around to walk on it,” Eileen Forrest added.

Finally, that day has come. The Forrests took their first steps on the newly-reconstructed pier during its reopening ceremony Wednesday.

Jacksonville mayor Lenny Curry says the new pier is higher and more reinforced — ready for any storm.

Read: The Jacksonville Beach Pier welcomes guests at its grand reopening

When asked why it took so long to reopen, Curry cited “project unknowns” and said some funding for the more-than $11 million project came from FEMA.

“Any time you’re having to deal with FEMA it is going to take longer than normal than if you could just spend the money on your own but you want to make sure you get the reimbursement and there’s paperwork involved and protocols so that was part of it,” Curry explained.

For beachgoers like George: “We had some good times up here.”

He’s looking forward to making more memories on the new pier.

Entry to the pier is free for now, according to city officials.

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