The Flagler Beach pier has been victim to the strong hurricanes that have hit Florida. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew swept 160 feet of the pier into the ocean. Although it remained open after Matthew, in 2022, Hurricane Ian bit off another 120 feet, leaving the wooden pier unusable.
What remains is a nostalgic structure that is cherished by locals. From the iconic A-frame entrance to the rickety wooden walkway, the Flagler Beach pier serves as a time capsule for most.
Photo by Florida Memory.
While locals may feel attached the pier, it inevitably needs to be repaired or rebuilt. With Flagler Beach’s growing population and tourism, it is unrealistic to keep an unusable, broken pier in the middle of town.
Talk about a concrete pier being built in place has seemingly gone on forever. A timeline is still displayed at the pier, showing that construction was supposed to begin in October of 2024 and end in February 2026. Now, construction is expected to begin in May of this year and take 1-1.5 years.
Photo by Landen Looker.
The new pier will be funded by FEMA, the Department of Emergency Management, and the Department of Environmental Protection, Dale Martin told the Daytona Beach News-Journal.
The plans for the build include preserving the first 100 feet of the historical wooden structure. The rest of the fishing pier is expected to be made primarily out of concrete, reaching over 700 feet long and 25 feet wide. It will also be raised 10 feet taller than the wooden pier and have a T-head at the end.
Photo by Moffatt & Nichol.
The latest target date to have the new pier open was July 4, 2026, but planners are realizing that this goal date is growing unattainable. At this rate, the new pier could take until the end of 2026 to open.
The construction and transportation plan provided by the city of Flagler Beach.
Photo by Flagler Live.
As the community anticipates the construction of the centerpiece of town, the start date continues to get pushed back. With continuous delays, it is hard to tell when the Flagler Beach pier will reopen.