Lawmakers secure another round of Shore Acres resiliency funding

Shore Acres may be granted $2 million for its Denver Street project, part of a comprehensive resiliency program overhauling outdated storm water conveyances, culverts and pipes that have historically led to massive flood damage.

Republican Senator Nick DeCiglie and House Democratic Representative Lindsay cross stepped across party lines, teaming up to advocate for those funds, though ultimately at less than their initial request: $3 million.

Despite falling short, Cross expressed gratitude for the $2 million they received, adding that she doesn’t believe a lower dollar value from the state will hamper progress: “I don’t think there will be a reduction,” she said, “as they city has a master plan, but St. Pete will have to put more of its own money into that [Shore Acres] project.”

The estimated total just for Shore Acres’ resiliency upgrades is reportedly around $67 million.

Shore Acres suffered four major flooding events between 2020 and 2024; the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton flooded thousands of homes. Shore Acres contends with recurring King tide floods which happen when the moon is closest to the Earth, and flood during heavy rain as well.

“It’s notorious for flooding,” said DeCiglie. “Shore Acres significantly flooded three times before in the same year.”

In previous legislative sessions, DeCiglie and Cross have secured multiple rounds of funding for Shore Acres – most of which barely creeps 1-2 feet above sea level, whereas some zones sag below sea level.

Shore Acres keeps requiring funds to rebuild, which begs the question of whether those dollars are being wasted.

But neither DeCiglie or Cross consider it a waste:

Cross: “The smartest thing we can do is continue looking at this area in a comprehensive way. We can’t just throw our hands up and abandon these communities.”

DeCiglie: “I’m always going to be committed to fighting for allocations for infrastructure improvements.”

When asked if major restructuring of policy and budgeting would he required to ensure sustainable, timely and predictable upgrades, DeCiglie responded: “In general, and this is not a critique of St. Pete, I think that many of our communities are just behind in infrastructure improvements, because it’s extremely expensive.”

He added that “St. Pete has been great and aggressive in its resiliency efforts in that part of the community. In Shore Acres, some homes are at or below sea level, where it creates a challenging situation, because what can local governments do to protect them?”

Both DeCiglie and Cross recognize that alternatives must be explored beside battling the budget each year to get supplemental resiliency dollars for repeat flood zones, amid unpredictable budgetary priorities that shift with the political tides.

As Cross put it, the $2 million from the state is “simply one mechanism to plan and mitigate impacts of flooding.” A combination of short and long-term solutions are required, she said.

As for longer term solutions, some temporary programs that followed the 2024 hurricanes showed potential, if scaled in places like Shore Acres. DeCiglie referred to Elevate Florida, a FEMA-funded program that does as the name suggests: elevates homes and structures to avoid flood damage.

While Elevate Florida closed its applications in April of last year, another program mirroring that one could be a better long term solution, according to DiCeglie.

Note: the $2 million for Shore Acres’ Denver Street project has not yet been secured, only agreed upon between Florida’s House and Senate chambers. The next step is the governor’s desk.

“I hope Gov. DeSantis doesn’t veto it,” Cross said.

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