The smell of fresh fish, salt in the air, smiling faces, warm breeze, children laughing – these were all common elements found in decades past at what had been dubbed the “City Pier” on Panama City Beach.  Located a couple miles east of Highway 79, the City Pier used to be called Dan Russell Municipal Pier, but has since found a new name.  But, we’ll get to that in a moment.

The Dan Russell Pier was home to many exciting summer memories, thousands of plates of fish and stood as an icon for decades.  In 2004 and 2005, the active hurricane seasons ravaged the structural components, all but closing it down completely.  Portions at the end of the pier were so badly damaged that permanent gates were built to keep pedestrians away.  The pier remained in this tattered state for a few years while a plan was formulated to make this a destination worth visiting again.

Fast forward to summer 2009 – the “City Pier” greeted Panama City Beach with another Grand Opening for the Fourth of July weekend that was written in spectator’s memory books as the greatest July 4th celebration ever.  Tens of thousands congregated in Pier Park, right across Front Beach Road for live music, entertainment and a whole mess of food and shopping.  The pier was back, with a new name, the Russell Fields Pier, and it extends more than a quarter mile out into the emerald green waters of the Gulf.  But, the pier was just one component, one part of the memories.  Sure, it was the landmark, but there was still something missing.

One year after the grand opening of Russell Fields Pier, for July 4th weekend, the “amenities” at the foot of the pier was open and ready to host concourses of spectators for the Pier Park Star Spangled Spectacular fireworks show.  The pier alone was a source of enjoyment, memories, spectatorship, but without the amenities, it was just a pier, not a destination.  The plans all along included a cafe, bait shop, beach services, restroom facilities, and a huge deck, and now it’s here.

As you walk onto the expansive dark red-stained deck, you notice the vibrant colors, reminiscent of the adjacent Pier Park architecture.  The smell of fresh grouper sandwiches drifts through the air, luring you into Hook’d, the beach-front cafe with gulf-view dining.  With a full bar and a menu that rivals that of a full blown restaurant, your appetite is sure to be pleased here.

Memories of old can be memories of new.  Generations have been coming to the beaches of Panama City Beach for as long as there have been roads.  Grandparents and grandkids alike will surely ponder the time they spent at this Panama City Beach icon for years to come.

After 16 months of construction, the new County Pier is open to the public for spectators and anglers alike.  Located right off Alf Coleman Road (the road that Shipwreck Island is on), the new M.B Miller Pier is three times as long as it’s predecessor and exactly mirrors the new Russel Fields Pier across from Pier Park.

Stretching more than a quarter mile into the Gulf of Mexico, the new County Pier is already being populated by regulars that visit to fish and to watch people fish.

The structure is the exact same as the Russel Fields Pier and is constructed in such a way as to prevent as much damage as possible during a hurricane.  A similarly designed pier designed by the same firm in Pensacola withstood a fraction of the damage as the old M.B Miller Pier did in an even more direct hit during the same storm a few years ago.  This new design is expected to withstand hurricane force winds and storm surge.

Here are the rates and admission fees.

The restroom at the foot of the pier is still in tact and fully functional and a concessions area and bait shop is being built right now, expected to be complete by the end of the year.

Last summer, on the Fourth of July weekend, the new Russell Fields Pier opened – also known as the City Pier in Panama City Beach.  And while this year, the Russel Fields Pier, across from Pier Park is all set to open the much anticipated amenities, the County Pier 2 miles east is preparing to open.  On schedule for their first day of operations on July 4th, this summer will be one pier better than last giving local and visiting anglers alike a new place to throw a line.

In 2005, the active hurricane season damaged the 470-foot M.B. Miller Pier (aka the County Pier) beyond repair.  It was demolished shortly after with plans of rebuilding once funding was secured.  Partnering with Panama City Beach, it was decided that a significant amount of engineering and planning money could be saved if they decided on the exact same design for both the M.B. Miller and Russel Fields Pier.

Located just a few minute walk from Shipwreck Island, the new pier is just shy of 1,500 feet long and is designed to withstand the force of a hurricane with minimal damage.  Designed by the same Pensacola firm that designed the Pensacola Pier that sustained only $45,000 in damages in 2005, the new piers in Panama City Beach are made so the planks will easily detach in the event of forceful waves and surge, easily replaced after the storm is gone.

The total cost of this project was $8 million, but would have cost an estimated $10 million had they not partnered with Panama City Beach.

It was recently discussed the option of hosting a series of outdoor summer events at the new pier property since ample parking is nearby.  Some of the events could include beach benefit concerts and festivals that would hopefully still draw tourists despite the looming potential of oil landfall.

The amenities at the foot of the M.B. Miller Pier are not being rebuilt, but the existing facilities will include a bait shop, concession stand and restroom facilities.

The County Pier (M.B. Miller Pier) has been under construction since March 2009.

The 470-foot long concrete M.B. Miller Pier was damaged in 2005 by Hurricane Dennis. Bay County partnered with Panama City Beach to replace the pier with one identical to the Russell Pier at Pier Park on the West End of the beach. The new pier will be 1,500 feet long and is designed to withstand hurricanes, modeled after one in Pensacola that sustained only minor damage in Hurricane Ivan in 2004.

By partnering with Panama City Beach, the county saved some $2.5 million on the pier’s construction. The design portion of the new pier cost $462,000 – had Bay County done it alone it would have cost approximately $1 million. The bid, with contingencies, for the construction portion of the pier was $8 million, which would have cost $10 million had we not done the project in tandem with Panama City Beach. FEMA reimbursed the county some $3.3 million for the project, meaning the cost to the county is around $5.7 million.

The design portion of the concession building was $91,800 and the construction cost is $628,000. The last remaining item is a parking lot and stormwater system expansion, which is estimated to cost $1 million.

Construction began on the project in March 2009. The pier will be completed July 2010, with the concession/operations building to be completed later in the summer.

The projected construction timeline for the new County Pier located just west of Alf Coleman Road is around 16 months, barring no unexpected obstacles present themselves.  The design is exactly the same as the new Russell-Fields pier located right across from Pier Park.  Alf Coleman Road is the road the Shipwreck Island Waterpark is on, and it runs almost directly into Sterling Reef Condominiums on the Gulf of Mexico.

Construction began in March of this year with the concrete ramp that leads up to the portion of the pier that extends out into the water already complete.  The next milestone is expected in October when they should have the “mid”-section complete by.

The totall cost of this pier will be $7.6 million with FEMA picking up $3 million of the tab.  Completion is expected to be June of 2010.

Since apparently I’m all about people having to pay more for stuff, you would think that I would agree with Bay County deciding to charge the same fee as Panama City Beach did (and will in the future) for using the pier – and you would actually be correct.  However, not at first.

I’ll be frank, the only real objection I have to paying a fee at a place like this is because I’m not usually carrying cash.  I don’t remember if they accepted credit cards, but who likes to charge a dollar anyway.  Plus, who wants to pay $6 just to take the wife and kids out to the end of the pier for 10 minutes on the remote chance that we’ll actually see a fish that is radical enough to entertain the kids.  I mean, seriously, $6 for something that I’ve already paid for through being a tax-payer?

But, the reality of the situation is that the tax dollars that I’ve put towards (or actually will put towards in the future as I’m sure this was financed through bonds) our new pier(s) is actually going to the construction, not the upkeep.  An article in the paper this morning quoted Mike Thomas as stating that Bay County has never run a pier, they just built M.B. Miller Pier and let it run down.  This brings up an interesting point.

Why did I never go to the county pier years ago even though there is tons of space and could be a perfect place for families to hang what with all the setting areas, boardwalks and wide open spaces?   *pause*  Because it was scary.  That’s right, I said it – SCARY.  With the fees, the county would be able to pay for running operating expenses, such as security and pay staff to be onsite.  Now, I know what some of you are thinking – Eliminate the fees and  pay for the running costs with other county fees, just reallocate, adjust budgets in other categories or fire a couple unneeded people.  I know, I know, sounds like a great idea, but you know that the county doesn’t work that way, in fact what municipality does?  You can’t expect government to pay for something NOT directly associated with it.

So, with that said, knowing that the money can’t come from anywhere else, I totally agree with the usage fee.  I want both piers to be on an equal playing field and I want to be able to use either one safely.  Do I like paying the fee?  Not really, but it isn’t because I’m always broke, its more of just an inconvenience, but I’ll find a few bucks if I want to go to the pier, as long as there will be tons of other people there enjoying it with their families and not a bunch of punk drunks.

The twin county and city piers, dubbed M.B. Miller and Dan Russell, respectively will be identical, measuring 1.500 feet long.  The cost is a little more than they style pier that was there before, but they are designed to sustain damage in a more efficient way in order to minimize the cost of repair in the future.

The fees for access to the pier are $5 per adult fisherman, $2 per child fisherman and $1 if you just want to watch.

With progress being made in leaps and bounds, the city pier is on target to be completed first part of 2009. Originally estimated to be around 6 months behind the city pier, the county pier project is now scheduled to be complete in the spring of 2010, more than 12 months behind the city pier.

So, what is taking so long? Well, it turns out, building a new pier is no small task, especially when the new pier is three times as long as the old pier.

Originally the county pier on Panama City Beach was 500 feet long. Surrounded by beautiful waters and an enormous chunk of undeveloped land the county pier has been the favorite of locals and visitors alike. At the foot of the pier lies hundreds of square feet of solid-ground open area that provides for plenty of recreation. With all the parking, it is no wonder that it was a thriving night-life spot.

The design of the county pier will be identical to the new city pier that is now under construction at Pier Park. Flying out over the water more than a quarter mile, both piers will tower 26 feet above the Gulf of Mexico.

In order to begin construction, four things have to happen.

• Bay County has to receive the Joint Coastal Permit (JCP) from the state
• A new submerged land lease has to be issued by the state
• The Army Corps of Engineers need to issue their approval through a permit
• Approval from FEMA to get the grant

With the new pier being so much longer than the old pier, Bay County has to apply for and get approved a new submerged land lease from the State of Florida. The existing lease only allows the county to rebuild to the original specs. The application for the new submerged land lease and Corps of Engineer permit requires the JCP which should be in on Monday, according to the Bay County Planning and Zoning Department.

How’s that for a step by step on what’s going on?

When are they going to start? When they get the money – January 2009. Estimated construction time is 450 days putting the estimated completion date in March or April 2010, right in line with the opening of the new airport!

The city pier is well under way with absolutely no activity at the county pier. The last time I posted, I had mentioned that the county pier was to be a few months behind the city but it looks like that is a little off schedule.

Check after the break for more pictures.

I was also under the impression that there was not going to be a barge in the water driving piles.

I had anticipated getting more information from the engineering firm but my calls and emails have not been returned.

I will continue to keep you updated as I have more information.