While Pinellas County residents will have to pay out of their own pockets for new sand on their beaches, the federal government is picking up the tab for a similar project in Sarasota.
The city of Sarasota will begin a renourishment of 1.2 miles of Lido Beach, which suffered significant erosion from last year's hurricanes.
But unlike Pinellas, the Army Corps of Engineers will pay for the $12 million project to deposit 200,000 to 300,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from New Pass.
Pinellas' plans have been stymied by a new Army Corps rule that every beachfront property owner has to agree to a permanent easement for the project to begin.
But city of Sarasota spokeswoman Jan Thornburg said the city received all 21 easements that were required by the Army Corps in 2021. This is the second renourishment of Lido Beach paid for by the Army Corps.
"The city has a long-standing agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Lido Beach renourishment every five years," she said. "The city of Sarasota secured the necessary easements for the initial renourishment project with the (Army Corps) in 2021. Those easements remain in effect and continue to authorize access for both the beach berm and dune system, including access for future maintenance and storm risk management work."
The beach will remain open during the project, which is expected to last from this fall until spring of 2026.
New sand dunes will also be built next year. That will include a new vegetated dune system extending from the Lido Beach Pavilion to residential properties to the south.
The city got $12 million in disaster relief funds from the Corps after multiple hurricanes since 2021: $8 million in 2022, and an additional $4 million in 2025 to address the increased project costs from inflation and evolving designs.
“The renourishment of Lido Beach will not only improve the area for residents and visitors but also increase the resiliency of our coastal community,” said Mayor Liz Alpert, in a prepared statement. “We thank our local, state, and federal partners for working alongside us in fortifying Lido Beach against sea level rise, tropical weather, and future climate impacts.”
