Raleigh study could lead to changes at pier

Rob Morris | November 2, 2011

Jennette's Pier opened in May, 2011. (Voice photo)

State-owned Jennette’s Pier will probably fall short of breaking even in its first year, but Manager Mike Remige says attendance so far suggests it could be possible in 2012-2013.

Meanwhile, the non-profit North Carolina Aquarium Society, which handles inventory at the pier’s gift shop, is watching developments in Raleigh that could place it in the position of running the entire operation.

An estimated 250,000 people visited the pier from the time it opened May 21 through Oct. 21, Remige told the Jennette’s Pier Advisory Committee last week.

Since there is no admission fee, the five-month estimate was based on optical readers at the front door and videos, he said. The average was about 2,000 people a day during the tourist season.

Revenue for the first five months totaled $536,313. Remige said fishing fees accounted for $264,367 and donations from walk-ons added up to $215,250. Rentals of the upstairs meeting and reception room totaled $62,556.

Remige estimated that overall revenue will be about $900,000 for the first year.

Operating costs for the first year will be $1.1 million. But Remige said that some of the first-year expenses will be one-time costs, such as blinds for the entire facility, at about $70,000, lab equipment for the sewage treatment plant and equipment to bring landscaping up to the Nags Head town code.

All told, Remige said, those expenses could equal the $200,000 shortfall, and if attendance and revenue holds steady or increases, 2012 could be a self-supporting year.

Any shortfall will come out of a dedicated state budget line item made up of admissions revenue from all of the aquarium properties, he said.

The committee also discussed a study by a state legislative committee looking at consolidating state-owned attractions under one department or division. An outside possibility is privatization of parks, aquariums and other facilities.

Taking over management of Jennette’s Pier has been discussed in the past by the North Carolina Aquarium Society. But David Griffin, director of the state aquariums division, told the committee that it has taken on new urgency in anticipation of possible changes in Raleigh.

The arrangement would essentially leave ownership in the state’s hands and turn over operations to the aquarium society. If that happens, Remige and Griffin said, the public would probably not notice the change.

“We don’t have any idea where they’re going,” Griffin said.

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See what people are saying:

John T says:

Too many spaces are being taken by those who don’t spend a dime,but use it for a free beach access and free sight seeing.They can’t afford to give up those spaces IMHO.It’s a nice pier and has so much more potential,if they can get the parking situation under control.

on November 2, 2011 @ 4:54 pm

John VanderMyde says:

I’d really like to see a breakdown of the operating costs.

on November 2, 2011 @ 6:32 pm

Beached Bum says:

$70,000 for blinds man I am in the wrong business. Wish I could make that much siding a whole house.

on November 2, 2011 @ 7:33 pm

roanokeislander says:

i would like to see only made in usa items sold in all public owned gift shops. there is no also local art that i can see for sale at the pier. why? china gets enough of our money.

on November 3, 2011 @ 9:37 am

Chris says:

I’m an out-of-state property owner who enjoys the pier and gladly donated each time. Fishing fee seems too high to me, at least for locals – they should fish for free or at a heavily-discounted rate.

on November 3, 2011 @ 10:05 am

John says:

there is no debit service and you can’t break even with $900,000 in revenue? Please!!!

on November 3, 2011 @ 6:25 pm

Clayton says:

Please support your local owned Outer Banks and Nags Head fishing piers, they need your business. They do not get state money to build and maintain the piers.

on November 3, 2011 @ 9:14 pm

Nick says:

I agree with EVERYONE of the above comments. Too much $$ to fish, can’t break even?!, no place to park, 70K for blinds (WHAT !) yes only USA goods (why not!?) and yes there are other great piers in the area besides this expensive monument. This pier is nice but WAY OVERKILL! People just want a nice place to fish without breaking the bank. This pier doesn’t even sway with the waves…NC you went overboard on this one. Nice but overboard.

on November 5, 2011 @ 3:20 pm

ekim says:

Dead on Clayton & Nick Itshould be called the Basnight pier not Jennettes

on November 6, 2011 @ 11:06 am

tracey says:

All out of state visitors should have to pay an admission price for walking out on the pier – $1 a trip. The free admission should only be for NC residents that have their id’s with them. Kids could go on free since they would not have id’s.

on November 6, 2011 @ 5:56 pm

Junkman says:

Anyway you look at it, the pier is a great asset to the community. The alternative would be another row of ugly
beach houses for fat cats. Instead, we have something that both locals and tourists can enjoy. Yes, fishing fees are too high and parking too limited, but these are start up issues and can be worked out in time. So far as the cost difference goes, its small in comparison to the overall value the pier brings. Lets not get caught up in “outrage” over a short term issue and miss the big picture.

on November 6, 2011 @ 8:47 pm

rosa says:

I went to this peir (on a windy day) and I did not see any indication of anything there being free.

it costs me a dollar to walk on any pier for sight seeing I don’t mind. a dollar is not going to break my bank.

we didn’t go on jennettes pier because it was just to windy for my hubby to fish, but it was a nice pier, and yes governments always overspend for stuff, I guess it is either write your own price contracts for consitutients that help them get elected or some other favor, or they are keeping our prices down by doing this, who in the heck knows why gove costs more, my guess it is deliberate, if they privitize it might cost less and you get better service maybe no, privitization only works as long as they have competition with gov take gov out of the equation and the prices and services will become just as burdensome if not more so since you can’t vote these people out, but not sure.

besides gov is not what it seems, it is a illusionary thing, it is actually a for profit corporation, but that is another story.

rosa

on November 8, 2011 @ 8:39 am

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Raleigh study could lead to changes at pier

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