GREEN COVE SPRINGS – After a year of waiting, the City of Green Cove Springs has the money to rebuild its city pier.

A $600,000 allocation was made during the 2017-2018 state budget for repairs to the Green Cove Springs pier and dock area near Spring Park in the wake of the city’s state-funded improvements to the Spring Park Pool. In 2017, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed the pier money, but changed his mind this year when picking which environmental projects to fund.

“I was fortunate the be the Appropriations Chairman this year,” said Sen. Rob Bradley(R-Fleming Island), who grew up in Green Cove Springs. “Last year the pier money was vetoed, but we worked with the Governor on his concerns and were able to get it approved.”

Bradley spent a great deal of time fighting for projects not just in and around the city but along the entire St. Johns River during his time as Appropriations Chair during this year’s session.

“I grew up in Green Cove and it’s a one-of-a-kind treasure – the spring and the river that the spring feeds into really defines the character of this region,” he said. “Not only did we make this investment in the pier, but there’s $25 million in the budget for the St. Johns River itself, so it was a banner year for not only Green Cove Springs and Clay County, but for the St. Johns River as well, which is such an important part of our state and our region.”

Improvements will address concerns the city has had with the pier for some time, including adding a breakwater on the approach to the pier that will prevent waves from hurricanes and Nor'easters from twisting and breaking the pier’s supports.

“It was damaged in [Hurricane] Matthew and was shut down, we had literally opened it back up the day before Hurricane Irma hit,” said Assistant City Manager Mike Null. “Hurricane Irma loosened it up, but nothing else actually broke during Irma.”

Other improvements will include concrete work, rebuilding the floating docks, reworking the electrical systems and lighting, and redoing the roof on the gazebo. In addition, Null said they are also considering extending the main dock and adding dolphins, which are the freestanding pillars that larger boats and cruise ships can use to dock if their boats can’t make it far enough in to use the pier itself.

Null said the state will start looking at budget allocations on July 1 when the new state fiscal year begins, and that the check will make its way to the city sometime around October. The rebuilding work should start early next year, he said.