FLAGLER BEACH, Fla. – Demolition of the iconic Flagler Beach Pier is set to begin this week, marking the start of a long-planned project to replace the storm-battered wooden landmark with a stronger concrete structure.
On Monday, city officials announced on social media that crews will begin removing spans of the pier near the A-frame structure on the landward side and then work seaward.
The work follows months of preparation, including the construction of a temporary trestle alongside the existing pier to support demolition and construction activities.
The nearly century-old pier, first built in 1928, was severely damaged by Hurricane Ian in 2022. The storm destroyed a large portion of its seaward end, forcing its closure and accelerating plans that had been in the works for years to replace the wooden structure.
A December update from the city said the trestle had been extended along the pier to “facilitate the removal and construction of the new pier,” stressing that the temporary structure is only in place for the duration of the project.
“First, they’ll build a trestle,” Flagler Beach City Manager Dale Martin said earlier in the process. “Basically, they build a pier to then use that pier to dismantle the existing pier and build the new one.”
In 2021, city leaders voted to replace the wooden pier with a concrete design meant to better withstand powerful storms and rising seas.
Plans call for the new pier to stand about 28 feet high and stretch about 800 feet — roughly twice as long as the remaining structure — and to be about five feet wider. Federal funding helped make the reconstruction possible after years of planning, according to city officials.
The full reconstruction is expected to take 18 to 24 months to complete.