The City of St. Petersburg is adding another $1 million to its Shore Acres Flood Mitigation Project, a major infrastructure effort aimed at reducing severe flooding in one of the city’s most vulnerable neighborhoods.

City Council approved the funding on December 11th through a grant agreement between the City and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP).

The project will upgrade stormwater infrastructure along approximately 10 miles of roadway near Connecticut Avenue, the lowest and most flood prone area of Shore Acres.

The project now carries an estimated total cost of $33 million. About $7.9 million is funded through an FDEP grant awarded in 2023, with an additional $1 million provided through a separate FDEP grant. The City of St. Petersburg will fund the remaining cost.

During Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024, more than 80% of homes in Shore Acres flooded.

While much of the damage was caused by storm surge, the neighborhood also regularly floods during high tide and heavy rainfall, even without major storms.

City officials say the project is necessary because Shore Acres sits just one to two feet above mean sea level, limiting the effectiveness of traditional gravity based stormwater systems.