JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. — There may be some improvements coming soon to the Jacksonville Beach Pier. The pier’s operator, Curt Dewitt, said it’s all about bringing business to Jax Beach and bringing some fun to the area’s residents.
“If they’re here for four or five days, they fill hotel rooms, they support other local restaurants, and then they go to all the other attractions to make sure they have the most fun they can while they’re in Jacksonville,” Dewitt said.
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Dewitt said the plans include adding food vendors like Rita’s Italian Ice, local art vendors, games for children, and a new souvenir shop to the pier. Additionally, Dewitt said this will all be added to the flat base of the pier, before the start of the area designated for fishers on the pier.
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“We’re not gonna take up any space from the fishing to make sure they have exactly what they need to get their day done,” Dewitt said.
Beyond just bringing foot traffic to Jacksonville Beach’s surrounding businesses, the pier will also begin handing out information on the local businesses to tourists, according to Dewitt. One of those tourists is Shelley Sargeant, who said she could see herself visiting Jacksonville beach much more often because of these new attractions.
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“The only thing that’s here is that little snack thing, which is good too, but if you had more and could entertain children as well, that would be fantastic,” Sargeant said.
Dewitt said all these additions are expected to be ready within the next 30-45 days.
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