Expect some closures during Pompano Beach pier upgrade

A popular stretch of Pompano’s beach is becoming a construction zone for the coming months as work begins to build the city’s new pier.

It has resulted in the closures of the city’s old pier as well as nearby Pompano Beach Boulevard.

The stretch of the boulevard, between Northeast Second Street to Northeast Third, will be shut down from now until Thanksgiving.

Mayor Lamar Fisher said the new $11.3 million pier will stand in the old pier’s stead by January 2019. It’s going to be bigger, higher and with technological bells and whistles never imagined when the current pier first opened, he said.

The kickoff of construction was met with cheers and applause from city officials and residents. They said they see it as the next big step toward a transformation of the beach.

The old pier, which was permanently closed last week, will remain that way until the new pier is completed.

“There’s going to be 75 percent more area, with shade structures,” Fisher said. “The new pier will be elevated to deal with ocean level rise.”

As part of improvements on the beach, the city so far has upgraded its beachside sidewalk, landscaping and sent utility wires underground. A $20 million garage was opened last June.

And an oceanside restaurant — the first since Hurricane Wilma damaged the Fisherman’s Wharf in 2005 — is under construction and expected to open around Thanksgiving.

A developer also is going to build a 40,000-square-foot fishing village, which is expected to include a Kilwin’s, a BurgerFi and a surf shop. It is scheduled to open by 2020.

Lisa Russotto, 53, of North Lauderdale, was part of the crowd of about 75 who gathered to watch the ceremonial start of the construction last week.

“I never liked Pompano until recently, until they added all this,” she said, pointing to the upgraded promenade. “Before they did all this, there was nothing that fun. Just the beach.”

Former Commissioner Ed Phillips said he’s excited about the changes. “I’m a fisherman and I fish here,” he said. “But they’ve been catching more fish in Deerfield because of their pier.”

Pompano’s old pier was partially damaged in Hurricane Wilma and the city made some stopgap repairs. But Hurricane Sandy damaged it so much, the easternmost nub was closed for safety. And that hastened talks of a total pier replacement.

This Fourth of July, the fireworks will still be shot off the pier, but the pyrotechnicians will have to boat to get to it. The demolition starts at the base of the pier and will go eastward, according to Horacio Danovich, who supervises capital improvement projects.

Commissioner Michael Sobel, who represents the beachside, said he’s excited about the improvements planned for the new pier, including an underwater fish camera and public WiFi.

“It’s a step forward for our fishing village and a giant leap forward for Pompano Beach,” he said.