Playground, picnic areas open at Siesta Key beach

Part of the Siesta Key Beach improvements opened Saturday, including the picnic table shelters and playground. The new east concession stand and lofted deck are still under construction.

For the influx of visitors coming to the Key for spring break during March and April, all of the parking lots will be opened. After the second week in April, however, the western parking lots and historic west concessions at the Siesta Beach Pavilion will be closed for construction. The new concessions on the east end of the beach will open simultaneously. 

The project as a whole is still ongoing, with projected completion in November or December of this year.