A half-mile long, Newport Fishing Pier, just recently made inaccessible to the public, has existed since 1936. Photo by Laura Behfar

It’s been a magnet for anglers since FDR’s first presidential term, but now the Newport Fishing Pier stands closed, awaiting an agreement that could transform it into a more upscale city-run facility.

The Newport Fishing Pier, damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and only partially open in recent months, was ordered closed on June 28 by city officials after receiving complaints that nearby swimmers were getting stuck by fish hooks.

“The city said that they were fishing in the swim zone,” said Nick Kiliona, who since 1990 has managed the fishing pier, located at 16700 Collins Ave., where Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard meets the beach. Since the pier’s closure on June 28, Kiliona now works in the parking lot at the Newport Beach Resort.

Kiliona said the Newport Beach Resort operators, which control the pier through a lease with the state of Florida, are working to fix the pier. “They’re now trying to get a permit to complete the repairs. This place used to be packed. It’s a really nice place. They’ve got to fix the pier — it’s a landmark,” he added.

Hurricane Wilma’s strike was believed to have damaged the supports for the pier deck, the moorings, handrails and a shack, said Veronica Ford, a waitress at a restaurant next door.

Early last year, repair attempts were begun, but concerns arose about the pier’s structural integrity — the vertical poles that support the pier became loose and were getting looser from the rocking motion of the ocean tides — and that work could disturb endangered sea life.

Because of its location, applications for repair permits must be reviewed by an alphabet’s soup of federal, state and county agencies, including the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the National Parks and Wildlife Service, the Environmental Protection Agency and the county’s Department of Environmental Resources Management.

Several months ago, planks were installed blocking entry to most of the pier, and people began fishing on a small western portion in violation of the county’s ordinance prohibiting fishing in a swim zone, said Assistant City Manager Jorge Vera.

“People started fishing west of the boards in the swim zone, and people were getting hooked,” said Vera. He added that fishing so close to the shore could attract sharks, which can sense the splashing caused by a caught fish thrashing to free itself from a fishing line. “The thrashing could attract sharks to the swim zone, which would put swimmers in further danger,” he said.

The closure took staff at the adjacent Pelican Restaurant by surprise. “It was a popular spot for fishermen,” Veronica Ford said. “When it was open all the way to the end of the pier, it was great for business, but after Wilma it would only attract local residents and die-hard fishermen.”

The closure has disappointed many would-be anglers, Ford said. “Every day people show up with their fishing gear and ask about it.”

Mayor Norman Edelcup said Newport Beach Resort’s owner, Robert Cornfeld, has offered to donate the pier to the city. At a July 19 city workshop meeting on upcoming capital improvement projects, however, city officials agreed to ask Cornfeld to put his offer in writing. They also rejected his demand to retain control and rental revenue from the Pelican Restaurant.

“Dr. Cornfeld wanted to retain the restaurant, which we felt was a deal-breaker,” said Edelcup. “If we are going to have the responsibility for the repair of the pier, we also want the revenues from the restaurant.”

Under that scenario, the city would also assume control of the Pelican Restaurant and take responsibility for the pier’s repairs. Edelcup said initial estimates place the cost of repairs upwards of a million dollars. “It needs major work, new wood railings. He’s facing major costs and I’m not sure the revenues from the restaurant and the fisherman’s fees would cover it,” said Edelcup, who added that city officials asked Cornfeld for a repair estimate and that the city manager would prepare an independent analysis to verify estimated repair costs. He said rental revenues from the restaurant and the fees charged to fishermen could offset some of the repair costs. Edelcup hopes to receive a report from the city manager in August or September.

According to the city’s Web site, the half-mile-long pier was built in 1936 and was designated a historic site in 1982. It is the only designated area for fishing in the city. The pier is accessible through the city-owned Pier Park and is also popular with hotel guests.

Bay Harbor Islands resident Paul Parisi said he misses visiting the pier. “The quality of life was enhanced by being able to walk out onto the pier and look out onto the water,” he said. At times he came to fish, but often he came for the ambiance and camaraderie. “You didn’t need to fish to enjoy it,” said Parisi. He feared the pier could succumb to a developer’s interest in constructing a beachfront condominium complex. “Maybe a funky old pier doesn’t fit in with the redeveloped city,” he said. When told the city was considering taking over and preserving the pier, Parisi expressed relief. “It’s great that the city is considering fixing and saving the pier. There’s no other place the ordinary Joe can go to experience what the pier offers.”

North Miami Beach resident Laura Behfar said she has gone to the pier for 15 years. She took her now-grown sons there when they were children. Although not a fisherman, she said she enjoyed her morning exercise walks and the chance to commune with nature. “I never fish, but it’s the most beautiful spot on the most beautiful beach in the Miami area. Every morning when I could I would go out there and get a little exercise. I’m afraid it will be torn down, like the old pier at Haulover.” She, too, expressed relief when told of the city’s plan to consider repairing and taking control of the pier. “I hope the city takes interest in it. It’s an integral spot in Miami, and I don’t want to lose that place. You know how things tend to disappear and then new things that aren’t as interesting pop up.”

As far as the feasibility of the city taking over the pier, “Long-term I think it would be appropriate for the city’s park system,” Edelcup said. “The pier itself is a historic monument, and the city is probably in the best position to take it over. If the numbers make sense, I would recommend that the City Commission accept it [Cornfeld’s donation offer]. It’s really a landmark for the city of Sunny Isles Beach.”

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