Gulf State Park Fishing Pier

The fishing pier at Gulf State Park has been a local landmark since the 1960's. But in 2004, Mother Nature decided she had other plans for the pier. Hurricane Ivan destroyed the structure. The storm's heavy surf, relentless rain and strong winds battered the pier until there was nothing left.

But all of that is about to change. By the end of the summer, a new, 17 million dollar fishing pier could open "if" the weather cooperates.

"Whenever Mother Nature smiles on us and let's us finish the pier, she'll let us. But realistically, we're hoping in 60 to 90 days," says Dave LaGasse, CEO of LCI Inc. Construction. "We're not where we wanted to be schedule-wise, we were about five or six months ahead of schedule before Gustav took the end off back."

When the pier opens, park officials say it will be the "gem" of the Gulf Coast...the marquee fishing pier from Panama City to Galveston.