FEMA awards $678K for Newton Park Beach engineering contract
The Town of Fort Myers Beach has been approved for more than $678,000 in funding from FEMA to replace park equipment lost during Hurricane Ian.
Town of Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay said the funds will be used for Newton Beach Park, which was destroyed by Hurricane Ian in 2022. McKannay didn’t say what kind of equipment the town intends to use the funds for.
McKannay said that the engineering firm JR Evans is scheduled to provide a 30% design update for the reconstruction work for the park at Town Council’s Aug. 24 meeting.
Last month, the Town of Fort Myers Beach Council approved a $497,750 contract with JR Evans Engineering for engineering and architectural services for the reconstruction of Newton Beach Park.
Funding for that contract is to be provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Program, according to town documents regarding the contract.
The design and permitting is expected to take nine to 10 months, and about six or seven months of construction, JR Evans Engineering Senior Vice President Elizabeth Fountain told Town Council at a meeting last month. Based on that timeline, the work could be completed by the end of 2027 or early 2028.
Fountain said plans for the park will be presented in the next two months. The park and the historic cottages there were destroyed by Hurricane Ian.
There was some talk at last month’s meeting regarding the seawall at the park.
Fort Myers Beach Mayor Dan Allers asked if the seawall at the park will be capped. Fountain said “we are incorporating into that existing wall to achieve resiliency in that project.” The plan is to make a floodmap revision to the property, and place restrooms there.
The project will require permits from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.
To reach Nathan Mayberg, please email nmayberg@breezenewspapers.com