Council to Decide on Funding for Huntington Pier Buildings

The City Council is scheduled to decide at its meeting Monday night how to pay for concession buildings proposed for the new pier at an estimated cost of about $1 million.

The $11.7-million pier will be opened next weekend, but the deck of the structure will be mostly vacant. The only buildings on the pier when it opens will be a temporary lifeguard tower and a temporary restroom structure.

The city plans to replace the temporary lifeguard tower and restrooms with two new buildings to be built by next summer. Both the new lifeguard tower and new restroom buildings will be financed by an increase in beach parking fees approved earlier this year by the council.

The City Council has yet to vote on how to fund three commercial buildings also proposed for the new pier. Those structures would be a cafe at the end of the pier, a snack stand and a combination bait-and-tackle and snack shop.

Deputy City Administrator Robert J. Franz has proposed that the council use certificates of participation bonds to finance the concession buildings. He said money coming to the city from the new commercial buildings could be used to retire the bonds.

“The pier concession buildings provide a revenue source that can be used to pay the debt service on the long-term debt,” Franz said.

Monday’s council meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers at City Hall, Main at Yorktown streets.