As the year anniversary of the one-two punch of Hurricanes Helene and Milton approaches, Sarasota's coastal parks, which were hit especially hard by the storms, are still in the middle of the recovery process. 

All 10 severely damaged parks are now in the permitting phase with state and federal agencies, according to City of Sarasota leadership. The last required site visit by FEMA officials was completed during the last week of July, nine months post-storms.

Once permitting is finalized by the agencies involved, bidding will begin for the projects and reconstruction will get underway. In heeding the FEMA requirements for repairs, city leadership says it hopes to recoup some federal funding to help offset the costs; it also received a $7.7 million cash infusion from the federal government earlier this year. The city's total recovery costs for the storms is currently sitting at $50 million.

The city's Engineering Division and Parks and Recreation Department expect repairs to begin in 2026 for the following parks:

• Bayfront Park
• Bird Key Park
• Centennial Park
• Eloise Werlin Park
• Indian Beach Park
• Ken Thompson Park
• Nora Patterson Bay Island Park (north)
• Sapphire Shores Park
• Tony Saprito Fishing Pier
• Whitaker Gateway Park

The Gillespie Park playground, which was destroyed by Hurricane Milton, was replaced and reopened in June. Because it is not a waterfront park, the playground did not require site visits or permitting by federal and/or state agencies.

In addition to those 10 parks, docks citywide also will be repaired, as will coastal roadways. Completion timelines for all projects depend upon the number of qualified contractors available who bid on the work, as well as permit approvals from state and federal agencies.