Lake Worth Pier Work Will Bring Construction to Doorstep of Restaurant

By Mike Clary, South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Nov. 4–LAKE WORTH — In more than two decades running a restaurant on a fishing pier that reaches into the Atlantic Ocean, Peter Thanopoulos has learned that most of his customers are beachgoers in search of peace and relaxation.

But for the next 18 months, the restaurateur hopes, some customers also will enjoy a close-up view of a pier reconstruction project.

“It could be a good thing,” said Thanopoulos, who with cousin John Tsakon owns Benny’s on the Beach, at 10 Ocean Blvd. “I’m very optimistic.”

Preparation for the $3 million project to rebuild the William O. Lockhart Municipal Pier, closed since Hurricane Frances wiped out a section of its 960-foot length in September 2004, occurred last month, Lake Worth Public Works Director Joe Kroll said.

Workers had to tear down a portion of the restaurant’s screen enclosure to make room for construction equipment.

Plans to move the crane onto the pier late tonight and early Monday morning have been delayed indefinitely because of the weather, Kroll said. When the move does occur, it likely will close Benny’s for most of the day, he said.

West Palm Beach firm Murphy Construction will use the crane to bring construction materials onto the pier.

“The main thing was making sure we could keep the restaurant open for business,” Kroll said.

Some 690 feet of the pier are to be rebuilt, and its height will be raised 5 feet, according to Kroll.

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