Bradenton Day Dock Gets a Brand Name
By Lisa Neff
“Quick, what’s the name of Bradenton’s public riverfront pier?”
“Um,” Bradenton resident Sheryl Edwards considered the question July 25 before she walked into the downtown Central Library on Barcarrota Boulevard West. “Well, is it the Dock?”
Half a dozen other downtown visitors answered similarly to Edwards while several others mentioned Pier 22, the restaurant location that previously was the Municipal Pier and the Memorial Pier.
But there’s another pier on the city’s riverfront. It’s situated on the Bradenton Riverwalk, the public stretch of land between the Green and DeSoto bridges along the Manatee River that boasts a multiuse path, fishing, a splash pad, a playground, beach volleyball courts, a skate park and entertainment venues.
Maybe people couldn’t put a name to the pier because the Bradenton City Council only voted July 23 to brand what was commonly referred to as the “day dock” as the “Bradenton Riverwalk Pier.”
“Seems appropriate,” said Pete Hammond, a visitor to the city from Atlanta, when asked about the name. He was watching his kids in the Riverwalk skate park. “I like it fine.”
The council vote to approve branding the day dock as the Bradenton Riverwalk Pier was requested by the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, which drives tourism in Manatee County through marketing and initiatives.
Funding for design and construction of signage at the pier would come from the BACVB and county tourist development tax dollars.
“This new name aims to enhance the area’s identity and attract more visitors to the waterfront,” read a memo submitted to council members by Bradenton city administrator Rob Perry. “By aligning the dock with the Riverwalk, it emphasizes the connection between the community and its scenic waterways.”
Perry said the branding initiative is expected to improve navigation for tourists, especially those heading to the riverfront to catch the Gulf Islands Ferry.
The county’s ferry service currently operates between the Bradenton Riverwalk Pier and Bradenton Beach’s Historic Bridge Street Pier but there are plans to add additional ferry stops, as well as a larger, enclosed boat.
“We’re getting national recognition on the success of the ferries,” Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said.
Naming the day dock the Bradenton Riverwalk Pier also “may create opportunities for events and activities that celebrate the cultural richness of the area,” Perry stated.
