Friday, March 24, 2006

Outer Banks' Oldest Fishing Pier Being Rebuilt

Originally built by Walton Jennette in 1939, Jennette's Pier is the oldest on the Outer Banks. Although the pier has been damaged and rebuilt numerous times over the decades, the 540 feet destroyed by Hurricane Isabel in 2003 had left the pier's future in doubt. Now it seems Jennette's Pier will be rebuilt once more. The North Carolina Aquarium Society has raised $18 million in revenue bonds to fund the pier reconstruction project, expansions to the Roanoke Island Aquarium and additional storm water management enhancements. The high price tag for the reconstruction is due to plans to make the new pier as storm-proof as possible. The entire pier will be based on the design of Mercer's Pier in Wrightsville's Beach and built entirely of steel reinforced concrete. The final version of Jennette's Pier will be 1,000 feet long, include a two story pier house and two large aquarium tanks to display fish species of the Outer Banks. NC Aquarium Society Vice President Mark Joyner is quoted as saying, "We want this pier to stand as an icon on the North Carolina coast - it's going to be like a fishing outpost on the beach." More on the reconstruction is available from the Outer Banks Sentinel and the Jennette's Pier website.

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