VERO BEACH, Fla. — The cost to rebuild the boardwalk at Humiston Beach Park has nearly doubled, with the cost projected to be close to $5 million.
At an Aug. 12 Vero Beach City Council meeting, City Manager Monte Falls gave an update on the project.
WATCH BELOW: Cost to rebuild beach boardwalk nearly doubles
"Late last month, we received a new cost estimate which took the boardwalk project up to $3.99 million," Falls said.
Falls said with engineering design, permitting, demolition of the old boardwalk and repairs, the new project is projected to cost $4.7 million.
So far, the city has raised $2.5 million.
"The balance needed is about $2.16 (million)," Falls said.
David Decker, owner of Nino’s Café Pizzeria, said he wants to see a new boardwalk. The old one stood for half a century before it was damaged by Hurricane Nicole in 2022.
Vero Beach
Vero Beach reinstates plan to replace Humiston Park boardwalk
"I think it’s definitely an important pinpoint for the beach side and something that they need to definitely take a look at," Decker said.
A combination of private, city and state partners has helped raise money for the project. However, Mayor John Cotugno said the city may have to tap into its capital funds to get the boardwalk constructed.
"We may be able to modify the design, maybe to make it more cost-effective, but this seems to be a community project. It's helped build the brand of Vero Beach of who we are," Cotugno said. "The community has rallied around it, and it's something the future city council should take a look at."
Council members say the city will continue to raise funds to get the project completed, including pushing through with an appeal to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for more funding.
FEMA recently approved $80,000 in funding for the project. The city is hoping for $400,000 instead.
