GULFPORT, Fla. — The floating docks behind the Gulfport Casino are set to reopen to registered boaters at 7 a.m. Friday, restoring a waterfront access point to downtown two years after Hurricane Helene’s storm surge damaged the area.

The docks serve as a gateway for boaters coming into Gulfport from communities along Boca Ciega Bay and the Gulf. Mayor Karen Love said the reopening will help welcome visitors back to the city’s waterfront.

“We know that many people boat here from other communities along the bay and even on along the Gulf,” Love said. “They like to come in here and spend some time here. So we’re going to be so happy to welcome them back.”

The floating docks were ruined after hurricanes Helene and Milton. Parts of the city’s marina were damaged, and many homes were destroyed.

For businesses near the waterfront, the reopening is expected to bring back customers who arrive by boat. Eddie McClure, owner of the Gulfport Corner Store, said he orders items specifically for boaters who visit his store.

“They frequent the store sometimes four or five times a week,” McClure said. “So you get to know them; you get to recognize their faces, talk to them. They almost become friends.”

McClure said some familiar customers left after the storms, but he is starting to see people return to the bay.

The replacement project cost more than $1 million. Public Works Director Kendrix Anderson said one of the biggest challenges was getting the necessary permits.

Construction started in July and finished ahead of schedule.

Anderson said the new platforms are more storm resilient and will be easier to maintain.

“Primarily the upgrades were composite decking, the HDPE pilings with sleeves, building code upgrades as far as the plumbing for the fire system,” Anderson said. “We had to do electrical upgrades.”

McClure said the docks will make it easier for boaters to reach downtown.

“To have those people, the access they need to dock and not have to wade knee-deep into water to get to shore is going to be huge for our town, I believe,” he said.

All registered boaters are welcome to use the docks.

Love said the Gulfport City Council will revisit rules for the docks at its Oct. 20 meeting.