When the new Flagler Beach Pier is completed it will not have a bait shop like its predecessor, the City Commission decided on Thursday. The decision was made based on analysis of revenue versus operation costs at the bait shop that was open at the old pier prior to its closure.
The space previously held by the bait shop will be used by lifeguards, the Commission decided. As a perk to pier-goers, there will also be no admission for the time being when the new pier opens.
Though pier admission was a source of revenue for Flagler Beach, much if not all of that income went toward keeping the bait shop. Between those sales and the money the bait shop itself made, city officials deemed it unprofitable.
Still, members of the City Commission are exploring ways to tie the pier to other revenue streams. City Commissioner R.J. Santore, who was elected in March 2026, floated the idea of connecting pier access to a paid parking system the commission is strongly considering.
The Flagler Beach Fishing Pier was damaged beyond further usage by the back-to-back impacts of hurricanes Ian and Nicole in late 2022. The wooden structure was fractured and crumbling into the ocean, and tipped-over wooden benches became a bleak local landmark until the pier was demolished in 2025.
In June 2026, the Flagler Beach city government announced that construction on the new pier was 60% complete. The $16 million project began in January, with a target opening date for the new pier in early 2027. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is funding 75% of the cost to rebuild, with the state and city governments each taking 12.5% respectively.
The City Commission is tentatively looking to have it open from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. “I think this community and the surrounding areas is very excited to see it come to fruition after so many years,” City Manager Dale Martin said earlier this year. “It’s now been closed for almost four years.”
Perhaps someone can open a bait shop across the street if any of those business decide to close. I guess the commissioners don’t want people fishing off the pier. Getting rid of the bait shop will help with that. No bait, no one can catch fish.