The sea turtles set the schedule for rebuilding the Humiston Beach Park boardwalk. The City of Vero Beach timed construction at 3000 Ocean Drive to start Nov. 1, when nesting season ends, and to finish before nesting begins again in March. That window also happens to hold almost every Sunset Saturday concert and every Art in the Park Sunday on the calendar.
So from November into March, Humiston Park will be a construction site and a gathering place at once. And the boardwalk going up there is still partly a neighborhood project. About $460,000 of it has yet to be raised.
What's Going Back on the Dune
The first boardwalk here was wood, built in the 1930s. It was later replaced by a 427-foot concrete structure with benches and a pavilion. Hurricane Ian weakened it in late September 2022, and Hurricane Nicole washed out the dune underneath it that November. The city took down what remained in January 2023 and rebuilt the dune line. Since then, beachgoers have used the one surviving pavilion and an access point the city patched up so it was safe to use.
The new boardwalk matches the old one's 427-foot length. It's built differently, though. According to Vero News, the plan calls for:
- Timber framing on prestressed concrete pilings
- Decking made of Trex, a composite of recycled materials
- A low-maintenance aluminum railing
- A 12-by-22-foot covered pavilion near the north end
- A 12-by-42-foot covered pavilion near the south end, with an accessible ramp
Four dune crossovers will connect the boardwalk to the beach. Thirty-two benches were saved from the old boardwalk and will go on the new one, still carrying their original donor plaques. Twenty-one new benches will join them. The new boardwalk will look new, but plenty of names from the old one are coming back.
The pilings themselves are a gift. Clayton Sembler of CDS Manufacturing, whose family has deep roots in Indian River County, donated them. They're valued at $850,000.
Why the Calendar Is Set by Nests
Ferreira Construction, whose regional office is in Hobe Sound, submitted the lowest of seven bids. The City Council approved its contract on Aug. 25. On Oct. 1, Public Works Director Matthew Mitts said work would start Nov. 1 as planned. Mitts also said the beach and parts of the park may close temporarily at different points for safety. In September he said residents will get advance notice of closures.
The turtles stay part of the project even after construction begins. Kimley-Horn and Associates designed and permitted the boardwalk. The firm will also monitor turtle nesting activity and handle engineering inspections for as long as the work runs.
The Number That Moved Between September and October
In September, the project looked fully paid for. Bids came in far below the nearly $5 million the city had once expected. Vero News put the total at $2,061,603.77, the Ferreira contract plus design and permitting. Three weeks later, the paper's October report counted costs that weren't in that figure.
| Cost item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Ferreira construction contract | $1,767,109 |
| Demolition and temporary repairs after the 2022 storms | about $125,000 |
| Kimley-Horn permitting and design | $280,625 |
| Construction-phase services, including turtle monitoring | $337,577 |
| Shipping the donated pilings | about $111,000 |
| Contingency, roughly 20% of the contract | $353,422 |
| Total project cost | $2,975,141 |
On the funding side, the city has $1 million in its five-year capital plan. The county committed $400,000, FEMA awarded $460,230 for storm damage, and the state put in $350,000 in its 2025-2026 budget. A second state contribution of $400,000 was vetoed before the 2026-2027 budget was signed on June 29. The community campaign has raised $145,713 in cash and $160,000 in pledges. Vero News puts the city's total available funding at $2,515,953, about $460,000 short of the project cost.
None of this stops the basic construction, which is already paid for. Council member John Carroll, who formed a citizen committee this summer to restart fundraising, told Vero News, "We're in a lot better shape than anybody ever expected." He explained that the contingency fund protects the city because "there have been a number of different structures in that location over the years, and it wouldn't be surprising to run into some pipes, old sections of seawall, or other debris during construction." If the surprises cost less than budgeted, the city will adjust the budget.
Where a Neighbor's Name Can Go
The gap is what turns this from a city project into a neighborhood one. Carroll's committee is working to raise another $500,000 and has set up recognition levels tied to specific parts of the structure.
$1,100 : Your name engraved on one of 236 Trex deck planks.
$10,000 : An engraved brass plaque on one of the 21 new benches.
$25,000 : Recognition on one of two plaques at each of the four dune crossovers.
$100,000 : Naming rights to the smaller pavilion at the north end.
$250,000 : Naming rights to the larger pavilion at the south end.
Gifts of $5,000 or more earn a spot on a Founders Plaque at the main entrance. Local philanthropist Tom Corr has already pledged $100,000. Donations go through rebuildhumiston.org or by phone at 772-492-1407. The Indian River Community Foundation manages the campaign and helps with the paperwork donors need for tax purposes. How a gift affects your own taxes is a question for your accountant. This post is general information, not tax advice.
A Groundbreaking, Then a Full Calendar Beside the Fence
The work starts with a celebration. At its Oct. 5 meeting, the committee voted to hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Sunday, Nov. 1, at 4 p.m. The plan is a tent in the park, a preview of the engraved planks and plaques, and remarks from Jeff Pickering of the Indian River Community Foundation. Carroll has said the event will include music and food and will also raise money. The city's notices will have the final details.
After that, the park's usual season goes on next to the construction. Here's the 2026 portion of the calendar:
- Sunday, Nov. 8: Vero Beach Art Club's 45th Art in the Park, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: Stacy's Soul at Sunset Saturdays, 5 to 8 p.m. on Ocean Drive by the park
- Sunday, Nov. 22: Art in the Park
- Sunday, Dec. 6: Art in the Park
- Saturday, Dec. 12: RipTide at Sunset Saturdays
- Sunday, Dec. 20: Art in the Park
Both series continue into 2027. Art in the Park returns Jan. 3, 17 and 31, Feb. 14 and 28, and March 21. The free Sunset Saturdays concerts, presented by the Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce and GHO Homes, bring 3 O'clock Storm on Jan. 9, Glory Days on Feb. 13 and Johnny & The Blaze on March 13. Organizers invite guests to bring beach chairs.
On days when the city closes part of Humiston's beach, two other city parks list beach access, lifeguards on site and parking: Jaycee Beach Park and South Beach Park.
The nesting season that ends Nov. 1 begins again in March. Between those two dates, the city plans to put 427 feet of boardwalk, two pavilions and four crossovers back on the dune at 3000 Ocean Drive.
If you'd like to talk about what the new boardwalk could mean for a home nearby, Anne & Dan Team would be glad to walk the site with you. Schedule a private consultation with Anne & Dan.