ANNA MARIA ISLAND, Fla. (SNN) — For decades, the Anna Maria City Pier has been a place where families cast a line, share a meal, and make memories by the water. But after back-to-back hurricanes tore through the structure, the once-bustling walkway now sits empty.

For longtime visitors like Lisa Goodson, the loss is personal.

“I came here for the first time 40 years ago with my grandparents. We’d come here, fish… just eat at the pier. It’s sad not to see it now because we’ve had so many fun memories here,” she said.

Her father, Charles Koziura, has been visiting even longer — six decades of fishing and passing down traditions. He said seeing the pier destroyed has been hard, but he’s glad the city is committed to restoring it.

“I’ve been coming here 60 years… I’m glad to hear the pier walkway will be rebuilt and they will remain the original structure. For us, it’s the memory — for others, it’ll be a new memory.”

The storms destroyed the pier’s walkway, leaving only the “T” at the end still standing. Mayor Mark Short explained that the old walkway wasn’t built to the same specifications as the sturdier T-end. The new design, he says, will fix that problem.

“The plan is the new walkway will be built to the same specs as the ‘T’ to avoid this situation in the future,” Short said.

The city has already removed the damaged sections and is in the process of finalizing a contractor. The rebuilt pier will maintain its classic design but be reinforced to withstand future storms.

As of now, there is no exact timeline for completion, but city officials say they are hoping for late fall of next year. The total budget for the project has not yet been released. City leaders say the cost will depend on the contractor ultimately selected, but at least part of the funding is expected to come from state and federal sources.

Until then, the memories are on hold, but for residents and visitors alike, the promise of a stronger pier means a new chapter is on the horizon for Anna Maria Island.