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Redington Long Pier's future murky

The owner says he wants to repair and expand the pier, but officials continue to have safety concerns.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published July 16, 2006

REDINGTON SHORES - Amid official concerns over the immediate safety of visitors to the Redington Long Pier, its owner is planning a major expansion.

Pier owner Tony Antonious wants to completely rebuild the pier's aging bait house at the same time structural repairs are made.

He says the major feature of a new, larger bait house would be a roof-top deck doubling as an observation deck and an outside eating area for tourists.

The 1,021-foot pier is almost 50 years old, and although it has been renovated several times over the years, is unquestionably aging. It also is one of the few remaining fishing piers extending that far out into the Gulf of Mexico.

The issue over the pier's safety came to a head in Circuit Court earlier this month when a judge ordered part of the popular tourist and fishing destination closed until repairs are made to aging and damaged pilings, as well as other supports and structures cited in a recent marine engineer's report.

He revised that order earlier this week to increase the amount of the pier that could be open to the public, but cut in half the number of people to 150 who could be on the structure at any one time.

Prior to the court action, both the town and Pinellas County ordered the pier closed for safety reasons when several pilings and cross-braces washed up on the beach last month after Tropical Storm Alberto.

"We still think the pier should be completely closed to the public, but the judge has spoken," says Redington Shores Building Official Steve Andrews.

Antonious is repairing decking and some railings, but must get town, county and possibly state permits to replace pilings or make other major structural changes.

The court order does not set any deadline for this work to be completed.

Antonious says he is waiting for his engineer to prepare blueprint drawings of the expanded project and is meeting with state officials to make sure his submerged land lease will allow the expansion.

"His plans for the bait house would be nice if it can be done," says Andrews. He says he is more concerned about the safety issues.

Andrews has yet to be called to inspect any of the repairs now under way. "We think he should get working on the basic structure first."

But what the town "thinks" Antonious should do, and what the pier owner thinks are two often completely opposed points of view.

Both the town and the county tried to buy the pier several years ago when it was put up for sale by the estate of its long-time owner. What happened next is in dispute and is part of a continuing "feud" between Antonious and the town.

According to the town, it and the county were negotiating to purchase the pier as a public park. Before a price could be agreed to, Antonious offered more for the tourist attraction than the town or county were willing to pay.

Antonious says when the town and county refused to pay the asking price he stepped in to "save" the pier from developers.

Both he and the town agree that Antonious then offered to sell the pier to the town and county at an even higher price.

After that offer was turned down, Antonious wanted to redevelop the pier property, building condominiums with a ground level walkway providing public access to a rebuilt pier. That idea was rejected by the town.

More recently, Antonious asked the town to allow him to install coin-operated ice machines in his parking lot. That, too, was turned down.

Now Antonious is convinced the town has a vendetta against him and the closure of the pier is part of the ongoing dispute.

Meanwhile, he says he will make the required repairs.

[Last modified July 15, 2006, 23:38:25]