City park hurricane repairs estimated at $12.45 million

Among the estimated $50 million in projects it will eventually cost the city of Sarasota to recover from the 2024 hurricane season — and the most visible — is damage to city-owned parks, piers and other waterfront amenities projected to cost more than $12.45 million.

The Observer reported last week that Interim City Manager Dave Bullock’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget included a citywide millage rate increase of 0.273 to begin replenishing the city’s reserve fund balance, which as been spent down to below the minimum threshold of 17% of the general fund expenditures. The budget proposal was based on the current 3.0 mills, with the $5.2 million extra generated by the increase earmarked for the fund balance.

FEMA will remit perhaps up to 75% of the city’s storm recovery costs, but Bullock said that remains uncertain. And even if it is, it could be years before any checks arrive beyond the $7 million advance the city received in the wake of last year’s storms.

Image courtesy of the city of Sarasota

Much of the park, pier and other city amenity repair work won’t begin until late 2025 into early 2026 and later, some of it pending FEMA coordination that has the potential to delay it even longer. 

Although the capital expenses for park and pier repairs won’t impact the Parks and Recreation Department budget, lost revenue affected it in some facilities that were shut down temporarily or long-term because of the storm damage.

“It’s almost $200,000,” Parks and Recreation Director Jerry Fogle told commissioners during last week’s budget workshop. 

That figure includes $105,000 from the destruction of Harts Landing and its bait shop, $10,000 from temporary closure of Lido Pool, $60,000 lost by the Lido Beach pavilion concessions, $10,000 in lost revenue by the Arlington Park Aquatic Complex and some $13,500 in lost rental revenue at Municipal Auditorium.

“The impacts to the revenue were situations like people not being able to play tennis at Payne Park, people not being able to be on the athletic fields, people not being able to swim at the Lido Pool,” Bullock cited as examples.