GULFPORT, Fla. — A major milestone in Gulfport’s hurricane recovery is now underway as demolition began at the day docks outside the Gulfport Historic Casino Ballroom.

Crews have been removing the old dock since Monday.

Joseph Piotrowski lives on his sailboat in Boca Ciega Bay. Before Hurricane Helene, he could use the day dock there to come ashore for provisions.

“They’re just really convenient,” Piotrowski said.

Since those docks were destroyed in 2024, he has been forced to take his boat tender into shore and walk through the water to get to downtown.

“A few nights ago, the tide got me. I can’t drag my tender back to the water line, so I had to stay on shore till 11:00 at night for the tide to come in,” he said.

This week, demolition started on the old docks to make way for the new ones. The director of marina operations for the city said the process took time.

“A lot of it was the engineering, the permitting process, the government shut down, and then we had to go to bid for the project. So we had hoped to, anticipated it’d be a lot sooner, but it is what it is,” said Denis Frain, director of Marina Operations for Gulfport.

Frain said the project will cost just under $1 million. They’ve received insurance funds, but he said the city is still waiting to see if it will get any FEMA funds. The construction is expected to wrap up by the end of September.

“Gulfport has so much to offer. Come by boat, come by land, we’ll be open with the dock real soon,” Frain said.

Piotrowski is looking forward to that day so he can stay dry when he comes onto land.

“You don’t have to wade in the bay. You don’t have to worry about tides and it’s right there to downtown Gulfport,” he said.

The city also said it is 60% done with the architectural drawings for the Gulfport Casino renovation.

Once those plans are finished, the city will solicit bids from contractors.

When the contractor is picked, officials said reopening would then be 12 to 14 months away.

“We want everybody to know that we are committed to putting the casino back to how it was. It’s just a process, it’s a lengthy process, but we have to keep it historic, and we want to get the dancers back in it enjoying the night here in downtown Gulfport,” said Justin Shea, cultural facilities and event supervisor for Gulfport.

Shea said the city will make an announcement when they are six months away from reopening.

They are projecting that people will be back in the ballroom by late 2027 to early 2028.