Over a month has passed since Hurricane Milton struck the Tampa Bay area, marking the third significant storm to hit this season. Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton all left their mark on the coastline, leading to substantial damage and cleanup costs for St. Petersburg.

The city views the St. Pete Pier as its “front porch,” a welcoming space for residents and visitors alike. Now, the city is getting a clearer picture of what it will take to restore this iconic area.

“The pier has shown remarkable resilience,” said Chris Ballestra, St. Petersburg’s managing director of development.

The Glazer Family Playground, which was fully submerged by Milton’s heavy rain and had endured Helene’s storm surge, has managed to reopen without needing replacement—saving the city significant funds.

READ: New Report Reveals St. Pete Pier Hurricane Damage

But other areas will require major repairs. Popular with runners and rollerbladers, the St. Pete Pier waterfront’s seawall sustained serious damage, prompting the city council to allocate $3.5 million to restore critical waterfront infrastructure.

“We know there is extensive damage in that area,” said City Representative Gina Driscoll.

The floating docks were damaged, approximately 40 trees were lost, and a public art installation called “Bending Arc,” a suspended net sculpture, was harmed for the third time. Officials are now considering taking down the sculpture to explore more resilient reconstruction options; it originally cost $1.5 million.

“After three separate storms, we believe that to repair and reinforce it, the sculpture may need to come down temporarily,” explained City Development Administrator James Corbett.

One expense the city won’t bear is the cost of clearing the area around a damaged crane. The developer responsible will cover those costs, including the police presence needed to secure the street during the cleanup.

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(Image credit: Martha Asencio-Rhine/Tampa Bay Times via AP)