It’s one of 13 City of Sarasota repair projects in limbo, frustrating residents.
By Noah Lechtenstein
Original Air Date: August 14, 2026
Host: A $17 million gap and red tape. That’s what has kept City of Sarasota residents from enjoying again some of their favorite public spots two years after they were wrecked by storms. WSLR News reporter Noah Lechtenstein has a close look at one park to understand what’s going on.
Noah Lechtenstein: Indian Beach Park used to be a popular sunset watching spot. It is located in the Indian Beach-Sapphire Shores neighborhood, where Bay Shore Road and Indian Beach Drive meet Sarasota Bay. But for weeks now, the site has been fenced off, with signs advising it is “temporarily closed.”
So how did the park that drew people from all walks of life turn empty and fenced off? The simple answer is Hurricanes Milton and Helene. Both storms produced flooding, debris and overall destruction of the park. The long answer lies in FEMA, government shutdowns, the wait for approval and overall financial uncertainty for the City of Sarasota.
Over three months ago, new fencing was put up across all of Indian Beach Park with signs saying “Area closed for public safety due to storm damage and ongoing FEMA recovery efforts.”
Richard Parlato, president of the Indian Beach Sapphire Shores neighborhood association, said that lots of residents used the beach as a gathering place.
Richard Parlato: People come for sunsets—to enjoy the water and the sunset—and there was a mixed crowd of neighbors and students. All kinds of people used it as a gathering place.
NL: For more than a year after the 2024 storms, the damaged Bay access was still—kind-of—accessible. Then, earlier this year, the city deployed a mobile camera surveillance system. And once the fence was put up, there was no possible way for anyone to enjoy the location.
The city had issues with people still entering the damaged decks and small sand strip, ignoring yellow tape and other obstacles. In an email to WSLR News, Sarasota’s city communications office explained: “The chain link fencing installed around the park was put in place as a public safety measure due to individuals removing the smaller, orange safety fencing in order to access the park.”
City communications stated that all design and project planning has been completed and is awaiting FEMA approval before they can begin restoration work. The city also mentioned there is no exact time frame for approval.
Parlato explained how some residents have reacted to the wait for FEMA approval.
Damage at Indian Beach Park | Photo courtesy City of Sarasota
RP: My neighbor friends have told me that they were not happy about it not being repaired as quickly as they wanted it to be. But we have no control over that, and I think the city has no control over it.
NL: One idea was brought up by residents: Fixing the beach themselves. But Parlato does not think much of it.
RP: People were talking about it. But it would be very expensive. We’re talking hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably. I didn’t think it would be a reality.
NL: So FEMA it is. FEMA, short for Federal Emergency Management Agency, works with local governments to reimburse and approve projects for rebuilding after a disaster, among other services. But a process change two years ago significantly slowed reimbursement, and it’s been made worse by government shutdowns.
Damage at Hart’s Landing | Photo courtesy City of Sarasota
The Indian Beach sunset spot is just one of 13 reconstruction projects in the city lingering in limbo, the probably most visible one being the blocked-off Hart’s Landing at the foot of the Ringling Bridge. The total cost of these projects sits at more than $17 million.
On their website, the City of Sarasota says that reconstruction of Indian Beach Park is planned to start in late 2026. The website also says that the process was delayed due to the government shutdown.
The city updates the website monthly for all progress on construction.
Reporting for WSLR News, Noah Lechtenstein.
WSLR News aims to keep the local community informed with our 1/2 hour local news show, quarterly newspaper and social media feeds. The local news broadcast airs on Wednesdays and Fridays at 6pm.