Hurricanes Helene and Milton devastated the region, but recovery efforts pushed forward. Hotels reopened, bridges expanded, governments shuffled through leadership. Cities lost leaders, gained roundabouts and dredged sand. The Rays deal died. Schools shrank. Hulk Hogan died. Through chaos and construction, Pinellas County moved toward tomorrow.

Hotel happenings

The hurricanes reshaped the beach hotel landscape.

The Thunderbird Beach Resort, a Treasure Island landmark since 1957, will be demolished and rebuilt after Helene and Milton caused damage to more than 80% of the property. South Florida brothers Avi and Gilad Ovaknin, who bought the resort for $25.5 million, plan a four-story, 106-room replacement. City commissioners denied their request for additional height in November, sending the owners back to the drawing board. The iconic neon sign will stay.

On St. Pete Beach, the Postcard Inn closed for good in November. The 1957 property will reopen in spring 2026 as The Luce, a Marriott Tribute Portfolio hotel. Owner LCP Group is overhauling the 9-acre resort, which will feature 200 rooms and two restaurants.

Downtown Tarpon Springs finally landed the boutique hotel officials have sought for years. Commissioners approved The Tarpon Registry in October for a vacant lot at 144 E. Tarpon Ave. The three-story development will bring up to 24 rooms and retail space to a site empty since 2008. Target opening: summer 2027.

In Belleair Bluffs, hotelier Tony Utegaard won approval for a boutique hotel on West Bay Drive. He’s promised a “gilded mansion” vibe with marble and chandeliers.

Arts highs and lows

The Beach Theatre returned from the dead. The art deco landmark on Corey Avenue opened in 1940 and shut down without warning in 2012 when its owner died. After years in limbo, the Hockman family bought it for $1 million in March 2024 and began renovations. Then came Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Helene sent 6 feet of storm surge into the theater bowl. Milton blew out the back wall. Director Hannah Hockman pushed through. The theater reopened July 18 with a documentary about its revival. The calendar is fully booked.

Two libraries made comebacks. St. Petersburg’s President Barack Obama Main Library reopened Sept. 27 after more than four years of construction plagued by asbestos removal, Hurricane Milton damage and ballooning costs that topped $17 million. In Safety Harbor, the public library’s long-delayed second-story addition finally wrapped up in April. The $3 million project had been planned since 2016.

The Florida Holocaust Museum reopened Sept. 9 after a 14-month, $8 million renovation. New exhibits include a Danish fishing boat used to smuggle Jews to safety during World War II and an interactive display featuring the late St. Petersburg resident Betty Grebenshikoff. An Elie Wiesel collection is in the works.

The year ended on a sour note for Creative Pinellas. County commissioners voted to eliminate funding for the local arts agency, forcing layoffs and canceled programs. The organization is regrouping.

School enrollment

Pinellas County Schools is shrinking, and closures are coming.

The district lost nearly 3,700 students this school year, dropping from about 77,850 to 74,200. Every grade level declined. Kindergarten fell nearly 10%.

The numbers reflect a long slide. Pinellas was once a district of 100,000 students. It’s now settling into the 65,000-70,000 range with no rebound in sight. The county’s annual birth count continues to drop.

Rising housing costs are pushing young families out. Incomes haven’t kept pace. The district’s demographer doesn’t expect that to change.

Superintendent Kevin Hendrick made the stakes clear at a September workshop: closures are likely. The district held five “Planning for Progress” town halls this fall to gather community input on consolidations, new grade configurations like K-8 schools, and repurposing buildings. Recommendations go to the school board in January.

District officials say state vouchers haven’t driven the decline. The bigger factors are demographic: fewer kids, pricier housing and families leaving.

Hurricane recovery

Pinellas County spent 2025 piecing itself back together after hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The storms stripped 1 million cubic yards of sand from the beaches. The county committed $125 million in tourism tax revenue — money originally earmarked for a Rays stadium — to restore Sand Key, Treasure Island and Upham Beach. The catch: 147 beachfront property owners refused to grant easements, creating gaps in the renourishment. Those properties will only get sand to the high-water mark. Without full easements, the county lost federal funding that previously covered 65% of beach work.

In Dunedin, the marina remained closed most of the year. Both hurricanes collapsed the east seawall and damaged the north wall. The city awarded a $3 million construction contract in July. Work is expected to finish in 2026. Slip holders were allowed back in July, but the boat ramp remains closed.

Safety Harbor’s Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier was destroyed by Helene. The city approved a $2.7 million contract with Shoreline Foundation in May. Construction began July 7. The pier walkway decking is now complete, with an expected finish by late December 2026.

Two beloved restaurants defied the odds. Capogna’s Dugout in Clearwater announced its permanent closure in October 2024 after 51 years. But a partnership between Capogna siblings and former Monty’s Pizzeria owner Sean Stoffel brought it back in spring 2025 with the same menu and most of the original staff.

The Frog Pond in North Redington Beach took 5 feet of water and $150,000 in damage. Original owners walked away. Luciano LaRocca, who started as a dishwasher, took over after loyal customers loaned him money to rebuild. The 43-year-old breakfast institution officially reopened in August with its staff intact.

The Rays and the Gas Plant District

The Rays’ stadium saga went from done deal to dead in less than a year.

St. Petersburg City Council approved the $1.3 billion ballpark and $6.5 billion Gas Plant District redevelopment in July 2024 by a 5-3 vote. Pinellas County followed days later with a 5-2 vote committing $312.5 million in bed tax revenue. The city pledged another $287.5 million. The Rays and developer Hines would cover the rest — at least $700 million. Opening Day 2028 was the target.

Hurricane Milton shredded Tropicana Field’s roof in October. That started the collapse.

Bond approvals stalled in November and December 2024. The county delayed votes twice. Rising costs from the delays became the Rays’ sticking point. The relationship soured.

Owner Stu Sternberg called Mayor Ken Welch on March 13 and said the team wouldn’t meet the March 31 deadline. The deal died automatically April 1.

St. Petersburg City Council made it official in July, voting unanimously to terminate the agreements. The Gas Plant District remains city property. Welch said the city won’t wait for baseball to deliver on 40-year-old promises to the Black community displaced when the land was cleared in the 1980s.

MLB pressured Sternberg to sell. Jacksonville homebuilder Patrick Zalupski’s group bought the team for roughly $1.7 billion. The sale closed Sept. 30.

The Rays played 2025 at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, drawing under 10,000 fans per game. Tropicana Field repairs are underway for 2026. After that, the new owners will chart their own path.

Sad days

Clearwater lost an icon and witnessed a tragedy on the water.

Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan died July 24 at his Clearwater home. He was 71.

Clearwater Police and Fire responded to a cardiac arrest call just before 10 a.m. Hogan, whose real name was Terry Gene Bollea, was pronounced dead at 11:17 a.m. The Pinellas County Medical Examiner ruled the cause as acute myocardial infarction — a heart attack. Hogan had a history of atrial fibrillation and chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Born in Augusta, Georgia, Hogan transformed professional wrestling into mainstream entertainment. He defeated the Iron Sheik for the World Heavyweight Championship in 1984, launching “Hulkamania.” His larger-than-life persona — the bandana, handlebar mustache and 6-foot-7 frame — made him one of the most recognizable figures in pop culture.

Three months earlier, Clearwater Harbor became a disaster scene.

A 37-foot recreational boat slammed into the Clearwater Ferry from behind April 27 near the Memorial Causeway bridge. Jose Castro, 41, of Palm Harbor died. Ten others were injured, six critically.

The ferry was carrying 45 passengers returning from the Sugar Sand Festival’s closing night. Boat operator Jeff Knight, 62, left the scene. Deputies stopped him 3.5 miles away. He passed a sobriety test.

Knight was arrested in July on eight felony counts of leaving the scene. Ferry captain Dennis Kimerer was charged with a misdemeanor for lacking a working stern light.

Redevelopment news

Cities across Tampa Bay reimagined major properties.

Largo is gearing up to open Horizon West Bay. The $81 million mixed-use project on West Bay Drive houses city offices and 18,000 square feet of retail space. The five-story building includes a parking garage and public plaza.

The old city hall at 201 Highland Avenue sits vacant. Voters approved a November 2024 referendum allowing the city to sell the 14-acre property for mixed-use development that could include housing, retail and public safety buildings.

Seminole moved toward redevelopment of the Winn-Dixie at 8740 Park Blvd. Birmingham-based LIV Development proposed Livano Park and Park, a 208-unit luxury apartment complex on the 7.18-acre site. The City Council authorized negotiations in November.

Madeira Beach purchased 4.6 acres at 555 150th Avenue for $18 million in October. Mayor Anne-Marie Brooks said plans include a public works facility, boat slips and recreational green space. The city has been soliciting resident input on final uses.

Tarpon Springs saw construction begin on Anclote Harbor, a controversial 404-unit apartment development on 72 acres along the Anclote River. Residents have fought the project for years, seeking preservation instead of development.

Oldsmar advanced downtown redevelopment. The City Council approved a revised concept from Stanbery Development Group in November – 240 apartments and more than 20,000 square feet near City Hall – but more approvals are needed. Separately, an 82-unit townhome project by Devon Rushnell broke ground in May at the library site on St. Petersburg Drive.

Transportation

Major road projects reshaped Tampa Bay’s infrastructure.

Madeira Beach moved forward on John’s Pass dredging. City commissioners approved a $1.29 million contract with Bayside Dredging in November. The project will remove 12,900 cubic yards of sand that narrowed the channel and created dangerous currents. Work is scheduled to begin in January, dependent on Pinellas County completing its nearby dredging project. The city avoided landfill costs by repurposing the sand at the recently acquired 555 150th Avenue property. The state awarded $1.5 million for the project in 2022 after years of permitting delays.

Dunedin completed two roundabouts on Skinner Boulevard. The single-lane traffic circles at Highland and Douglas avenues opened in September as part of a $10.8 million improvement project. The Florida Department of Transportation reports roundabouts reduce fatalities by 90 percent and traffic delays by 20 percent. The project also reduced lanes from four to two, added bike lanes and bus bays, and installed decorative lighting. Work continues on sidewalks and a multipurpose path connecting to the Pinellas Trail. Full completion is expected spring 2026.

Pinellas County advanced a $15.7 million makeover of 102nd Avenue North in Seminole. The 1.1-mile stretch between 113th and 125th streets logged 64 crashes in five years. County officials presented design plans in May showing transformation of the two-lane road into a three-lane corridor with a center turn lane and a roundabout at Ridge Road. The project will add new signals at 125th Street, upgrade existing signals, improve drainage and add sidewalks.

The Howard Frankland Bridge opened its new southbound span March 25. The $865 million project carries four general-use lanes from Tampa to St. Petersburg, with two toll express lanes in each direction. On July 9, traffic switched to convert the 1990s southbound bridge to northbound lanes. The 1960 northbound bridge will be demolished by spring 2026. The new bridge includes a pedestrian-bike path and 100-year lifespan.

Government leadership changes

Beach cities faced unprecedented turnover in municipal leadership.

Treasure Island descended into chaos. City Manager Chuck Anderson was fired in May after nine months, blamed for poor hurricane response and staff turnover. Commissioners cited lost finance directors, public works directors, community development directors and city clerks.

In September, commissioners fired City Attorney Anthony Sabatini after four months, citing tardiness, absenteeism and poor legal advice.

Indian Rocks Beach lost City Attorney Randy Mora and City Manager Gregg Mims within 24 hours in May. Mora served nearly 10 years. Mims left after 13 years. Mayor Kelly Houseberg called the turnover “an embarrassment.”

Madeira Beach City Manager Robin Gomez resigned in August after numerous complaints, including poor hurricane recovery.

Tarpon Springs Mayor John Koulianos was sworn in the spring. Koulianos and his brother Tom became the first siblings to serve as Tarpon Springs mayors.

Indian Shores made history in July, swearing in Lee Ann Holroyd as the first female police chief in the department’s 61-year history. Holroyd succeeded retiring Chief Richard Swann, who capped a 46-year law enforcement career.