The City of St. Petersburg has announced a new investment of $1 million in the Shore Acres Flood Mitigation Project following approval by the City Council. The funding comes through a grant agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) and is intended to bolster ongoing efforts to address flooding issues in the Shore Acres neighborhood.
Mayor Kenneth T. Welch stated, “With climate change impacts becoming more frequent and severe, it’s vital that we invest in disaster mitigation projects across our community. The Shore Acres Flood Mitigation Project will provide flooding relief to residents and ensure essential stormwater operations can continue during power outages. I want to thank our City team and our delegation members, Senator DiCeglie and Representative Cross for their assistance in securing this funding and for their ongoing work in making our community more resilient against future disasters.”
The project aims to enhance stormwater management infrastructure within Shore Acres, an area identified as highly vulnerable to flooding due to tidal events and heavy rainfall. Planned improvements include constructing box culverts, installing a stormwater pump station, adding back flow preventers, and elevating certain roads and intersections.
A key component of the initiative involves acquiring land for an emergency power facility equipped with a generator-powered pump. This addition is expected to help maintain stormwater operations during electrical outages caused by severe weather. The newly allocated $1 million will be used specifically for purchasing the generator and initial components required for building the permanent pump station on this site.
State Senator Nick DiCeglie commented on the significance of these upgrades: “Shore Acres is among the most flood-prone neighborhoods in Pinellas County, where frequent tidal impacts and intense rain events have taken a serious toll on residents. I was proud to sponsor this appropriations request to support the City of St. Petersburg’s efforts to engineer and construct new stormwater infrastructure that will reduce roadway and home flooding, strengthen neighborhood resiliency, and enhance public safety for families who call Shore Acres home.”
State Representative Lindsay Cross added, “This project is essential in the long-term resiliency, planning, and flood mitigation of the Shore Acres neighborhood. The new stormwater pump station, back flow preventers, box culverts, and other mitigation measures that will be funded through this grant marks a step forward in proactive flood protection and strengthens our citywide push to fortify neighborhoods against damaging storms. I’m proud to have partnered with Senator DiCeglie and Mayor Welch’s office in securing this funding for our city.”
City Council Member Mike Harting expressed appreciation for those involved: “I am grateful for the work Senator DiCeglie and Rep. Cross has put into securing this funding. I would also like to thank Brejesh Prayman, Claude Tankersley, and the City team for all their efforts in identifying and planning the Connecticut Avenue project. This will be a historic and gamechanging solution to help alleviate flooding in that area of Shore Acres.”
The overall cost of completing all planned phases exceeds $30 million according to city estimates; over $7 million had already been secured from an earlier FDEP grant awarded last year (2023). More details about this latest development are available at www.stpete.org/CouncilAgendas.
