Safety Harbor announces timeline for waterfront repairs following hurricane damage
By Clara Rokita Garcia
July 3, 2025 at 5:00 AM EDT
Construction on the Safety Harbor Pier was set to begin when Hurricane Helene rolled in a few months after Hurricane Debby, and destroyed it.
Reconstruction of Safety Harbor’s Waterfront Park is finally set to begin after the last two years' worth of hurricanes seriously damaged the shoreline.
The City Commission approved a $2.7 million budget on May 19 for the pier and marina repairs, and a timeline for the project was announced on June 16.
Renovations are scheduled to start as early as Monday, July 7, and are expected to be completed by December 2026.
Following this week’s Fourth of July festivities, most of the area will be fenced off.
The park and public restrooms will remain open during the construction period. But Veterans Memorial Lane parking, the boat ramp and the marina will all be closed.
Safety Harbor Mayor Joe Ayoub said he hopes the renovations will be completed sooner than the timeline predicts.
Still, he asked residents to be patient as the living shoreline is replaced, and the pier, marina, bikeway and boardwalk are rebuilt.
Damage from Hurricane Debby forced the closure of the Safety Harbor Pier last year. Construction was set to begin when Hurricane Helene rolled in a few months later and destroyed it.
“It no longer really functions as it was intended to function,” Ayoub said. “It doesn't look like when it was originally built, so that's why it's being handled that way.”
Replacing the pier and the marina was already in the works, but two years’ worth of storms forced the delay.
“We actually started the design of this back in 2020 as the pier was already getting close to its estimated useful life,” Ayoub said.
Because of that, Ayoub said the city already had some money in the budget — but is looking to get additional funds from the state.
The project contractor, Shoreline Foundation Inc., is contracted to receive $2.7 million in city funds.
“Hopefully, we will get a million dollars from the state to help out, and then we're also hoping to get some money from FEMA,” Ayoub said.
It could take a year or two to receive that help, but Ayoub said all the necessary paperwork has already been filed.
“We are going through all the red tape to get that money also,” Ayoub said. “We're hoping to get that money to help out and offset the cost.”
Ayoub said events that are usually held at the park, such as the Craft Beer Festival, Wine Festival and First Friday Flicks, will “most likely” have to be moved elsewhere while construction is underway.
Safety Harbor will keep residents informed through regular updates on the city's website, social media platforms and the CityScape newsletter.
Ayoub said that although construction may take a while, it needs to be done as the park is one of the city's most significant “focal points.”
“I want to thank the residents in advance for their patience because it's going to close a lot of the park down for a while, but when it does reopen, it's going to be more beautiful and better than ever,” Ayoub said.
The City Commission approved a $2.7 million budget on May 19 for the pier and marina repairs, and a timeline for the project was announced on June 16.
Renovations are scheduled to start as early as Monday, July 7, and are expected to be completed by December 2026.
Following this week’s Fourth of July festivities, most of the area will be fenced off.
The park and public restrooms will remain open during the construction period. But Veterans Memorial Lane parking, the boat ramp and the marina will all be closed.
Safety Harbor Mayor Joe Ayoub said he hopes the renovations will be completed sooner than the timeline predicts.
Still, he asked residents to be patient as the living shoreline is replaced, and the pier, marina, bikeway and boardwalk are rebuilt.
Damage from Hurricane Debby forced the closure of the Safety Harbor Pier last year. Construction was set to begin when Hurricane Helene rolled in a few months later and destroyed it.
“It no longer really functions as it was intended to function,” Ayoub said. “It doesn't look like when it was originally built, so that's why it's being handled that way.”
Replacing the pier and the marina was already in the works, but two years’ worth of storms forced the delay.
“We actually started the design of this back in 2020 as the pier was already getting close to its estimated useful life,” Ayoub said.
Because of that, Ayoub said the city already had some money in the budget — but is looking to get additional funds from the state.
The project contractor, Shoreline Foundation Inc., is contracted to receive $2.7 million in city funds.
“Hopefully, we will get a million dollars from the state to help out, and then we're also hoping to get some money from FEMA,” Ayoub said.
It could take a year or two to receive that help, but Ayoub said all the necessary paperwork has already been filed.
“We are going through all the red tape to get that money also,” Ayoub said. “We're hoping to get that money to help out and offset the cost.”
Ayoub said events that are usually held at the park, such as the Craft Beer Festival, Wine Festival and First Friday Flicks, will “most likely” have to be moved elsewhere while construction is underway.
Safety Harbor will keep residents informed through regular updates on the city's website, social media platforms and the CityScape newsletter.
Ayoub said that although construction may take a while, it needs to be done as the park is one of the city's most significant “focal points.”
“I want to thank the residents in advance for their patience because it's going to close a lot of the park down for a while, but when it does reopen, it's going to be more beautiful and better than ever,” Ayoub said.