GALVESTON, Texas (AP) -- About 2,000 people have applied for building permits on Bolivar Peninsula since Hurricane Ike devastated the area.

Galveston County Commissioner Patrick Doyle also says two "cornerstones" of the community, Texas First Bank and Gulf Coast Market, are expected to reopen next month.

Doyle told The Galveston County Daily News, for Monday's editions, that the area will not be viable until the bank and grocery store reopen.

About 5,900 structures were damaged, including 3,600 swept off their foundations, as Ike slammed ashore on Sept. 13