August 2026

Despite weather delays, the City’s Mast Arm project was completed relatively on schedule in early August. Crews removed the existing span wires and installed new traffic signals and streetlights, creating a more durable system that improves signal visibility, performs better in high winds, and reduces long-term maintenance needs.

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Crews continue to make progress on the new pier. The slideshow above highlights the third concrete pour, focused on the section closest to the existing buildings, which was completed on Friday, July 24. Since then, approximately 200 cubic yards of concrete has been poured.

Before any concrete is poured, the mixture is quality-tested in a vacuum-sealed cylinder. Once approved, it is transferred to a Gar-Bro bucket and lifted by crane to the structure. There, crews carefully guide the mixture into specialized plywood and rebar molds, ensuring every inch is filled and smooth before moving on to the next section.

As construction progresses toward the future middle pavilions, Shoreline Foundation Inc. (SFI) will transition to pumping concrete directly into the molds rather than using a Gar-Bro bucket.

Out on the water, SFI barge crews, joined by a curious audience of brown pelicans, have been busy working on the outer pilings. So far, 140 of the required 193 pilings have been driven. Two more barge loads of 100-foot pilings are also planned to travel from Tampa, Florida, to Naples.

Back on land, two-thirds of the Pier’s new decking has arrived. SFI expects to begin installation of the ipe (“ee-pay”) wood, a tropical hardwood known for its durability and resistance to rot, once all the concrete has been poured.

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The Stormwater Beach Outfall Project continues to advance ahead of schedule and has now entered its final roadway, drainage, and watermain phase. Utility work between 4th Ave N and 1st Ave N is substantially complete, and construction has moved south toward 2nd Ave S, where major roadway and utility improvements remain on track for completion by the end of the year.

To date, crews have installed 6,600 of the project’s 9,600 linear feet of storm drainage infrastructure (69%), 4,300 of 6,100 linear feet of watermain (70%), and 73 of 113 inlet and manhole structures (65%). The project’s 3,200 linear feet of 36-inch HDPE offshore outfall pipe is fully installed (100%).

Offshore work reached another major milestone with the successful installation and testing of the two 36-inch outfall pipes before sea turtle nesting season. Diffuser installation is approximately 90 percent complete, with crews finishing work at the North Pump Station diffuser before moving south. This approach aligns with pump station construction and supports the planned startup and testing of the South Pump Station between September and October of this year. The North Pump Station is approximately 75 percent complete, with remaining structural, mechanical, and electrical work continuing into early 2027.

Restoration efforts and other project elements are progressing as well. Landscaping improvements at Alligator Lake have restored the park’s original charm, and installation of the pinch valve that will connect the lake to the South Pump Station is expected in the coming weeks.

Overall, the project remains ahead of its baseline schedule, with an estimated completion date of May 2027, or potentially sooner.