Lido Beach renourishment project to begin Sunday

SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — Crews were scheduled to start a renourishment project at Lido Beach on Monday, but rough weather forced a delay.

The work will now begin Sunday, with 300,000 cubic yards of locally sourced sand being brought in. The plan is to rebuild shoreline lost to storms.

Officials say dredging will begin in New Pass, with crews starting at the north end of the beach and moving south.

Once a week, Dawn D’Alessio searches for small gifts from the sea.

“It’s a treasure hunt, really. You never know what you are going to find,” she said.

For D’Alessio, it’s about the joy that comes with the find.

“This is how I get rid of my stress — coming to the beach and collecting shells,” she said.

She’s walking along Lido Beach, which will soon undergo a restoration project.

A 50-year partnership between the City of Sarasota and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers calls for renourishment of Lido Beach every five years. This year, around 300,000 cubic yards of sand will be added, all dredged from New Pass.

“I think it’s a great idea. From all the damage the beaches sustained from the storms, it’ll really help the environment — get more sand here and build up the barriers to protect the residents,” she said.

The City of Sarasota’s engineer, Sage Kamiya, says the project aims to restore what was lost from recent hurricanes, especially Debby, Helene and Milton in 2024.

“There were areas of the beach that lost up to 80 feet of width, and a lot of that is being put back. I think we’ve averaged about a 50-foot width that will be restored going forward,” he said.

Crews will start at the north end of the beach near the Lido Beach Pavilion and make their way south to restore 1.2 miles of eroded shoreline.

But some businesses on the beach, like Lido Island Grill, worry the project could interfere with business.

“February is when we start to have the full season with our customers, and we’re hoping they won’t be scared of the renourishment and all the work and its impact,” said Christophe Barthe, the manager of Lido Island Grill.

The county said that signs will be posted alerting beachgoers when areas are temporarily closed, and the plan is to keep the beach as open as possible.

The beach is D’Alessio home away from home, with renourishment projects ensuring she’ll be able to return for years to come.

The renourishment will begin Sunday and is expected to be completed in April, before sea turtle nesting season. The $12 million cost for this year’s renourishment is fully covered through federal funding.