A heavily trafficked section of downtown St. Petersburg’s sidewalk and seawall was left dangerously compromised after Hurricane Milton. The area has posed a public safety hazard for nearly a month.

On Thursday, the city council approved a $3.48 million proposal to replace the waterfront infrastructure. However, the Vinoy Yacht Basin’s sidewalk and seawall will remain in disrepair for at least another 15 weeks.

Brejesh Prayman, the city’s engineering and capital improvements director, said adjacent sections along 5th Avenue NE that experienced similar storm damage would continue to be monitored. Councilmember Gina Driscoll questioned why the city was not moving faster to fix the neighboring problematic seawalls, noting that the funding was already allocated years ago.

The council also approved $2.5 million to rebuild the storm-damaged walls of Bear Creek and $655,000 to repair the Eden Isle Culvert, both in residential areas. Driscoll emphasized that the downtown sidewalk is a heavily used public space and has “multiple areas that need to be fixed.”

The soaring costs reflect the broader challenges St. Petersburg faces. Officials estimate that replacing the city’s 100 miles of aging, functionally obsolete seawalls could cost over $1 billion. The repair materials have a 75-year service life, but the price tag has escalated dramatically, from $7,000 per square foot in 2016 to over $11,000 currently.

Prayman cited several factors contributing to the high costs, including the need to accommodate heavy vehicle traffic and the use of more durable materials like sheet concrete. The city also faces labor and equipment expenses, with project managers earning $250 per hour and unskilled laborers making $34 per hour.

Despite the financial strain, the city is committed to prioritizing critical projects and seeking additional funding sources, including potential FEMA reimbursement for storm-related damage. Driscoll reiterated the urgency of addressing the city’s aging infrastructure, noting that “things keep getting more and more expensive.”

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(Image credit: Mark Parker)