City of Sarasota collaborating with Mote Marine on a living seawall
Crews began mobilizing on Monday, June 5, to construct Phase I of a living seawall project along Sarasota Bay adjacent to O’Leary’s in Bayfront Park, City Manager Tom Barwin announced in his June 2 newsletter.
“The shoreline has been eroding significantly,” Barwin pointed out, adding that “this work is necessary to stabilize and protect this special area of the heavily visited Bayfront Park.”
“The new seawall will tie into the existing one,” he continued, “and the crushed shells along the shoreline will be replaced with sand.”
Construction will be underway through Sept. 22, Barwin noted. “During that time, kayak landing and dinghy mooring will not be permitted in the construction area. We appreciate everyone’s patience during this necessary project to protect and improve the environment,” Barwin wrote.
“Once this traditional, basic seawall is complete,” he continued, “we’ll embark on Phase II, which is an exciting new sustainability project: a living seawall. We’ve been collaborating with Mote [Marine} on this project, which is designed to absorb wave action rather than deflect it, while restoring fish and wildlife habitat.”