Clearwater Beach Marina is undergoing a major renovation aimed at strengthening the facility against future storms, following storm damage from last year’s hurricanes.

City of Clearwater engineer Kelly Peterich said the storms highlighted the need to reinforce the aging infrastructure.

“Given the age of the facility and the extent of the damage, it was clear that a full renovation was necessary,” Peterich said. “This project has actually been in planning since 2021.”

The $43 million overhaul includes raising the seawall by more than a foot and replacing the fixed fuel building with a floating version that can rise and fall with storm surges of up to 12 feet.

“We’re using aluminum for the floating structure so it will stay buoyant during major storms,” Peterich explained.

Repairs are also in progress at the harbor marina, which suffered between $3 million and $6 million in flood-related damage.

“We had to replace all the sheetrock, and the restrooms are being renovated as well,” Peterich said. “We expect that work to wrap up in about 8 to 10 weeks.”

Construction at the beach marina is projected to be finished by next summer.

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(Image credit: Spectrum News/Erica Riggins)

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