Pinellas County awarded more than $17 million for flood protection along Joe’s Creek
Pinellas County has been awarded a grant for more than $17 million by the State of Florida for the Joe’s Creek Greenway Restoration Project.
The project aims to reduce flood risk and increase community resilience in the Joe’s Creek Watershed, a 9,256-acre area that includes portions of the Lealman Community Redevelopment Area, the Town of Kenneth City, and the cities of Pinellas Park and St. Petersburg.
The project combines two major community improvements:
- Restoration of Joe’s Creek and the surrounding green space, including channel stabilization for improved stormwater capacity, water quality enhancements and a multi-use trail.
- Reducing property owners’ flood risk and encouraging economic development.
“With this grant from the Florida DEO, Pinellas County looks to bring new life to the Joe’s Creek corridor by improving flood resilience and improving water quality while encouraging safe multimodal transportation and creating economic opportunities for our residents and the business community,” said Kelli Hammer Levy, Director, Pinellas County Public Works.
To complement the grant project, Pinellas County has planned funding for additional flood prevention work in the watershed that includes a regional stormwater facility, culvert restoration, upgrades to erosion control, the addition of dry retention areas, and improvements to stormwater management and natural ecosystems in Lealman and Kenneth City that include green infrastructure and complete streets.
Following the grant award, next steps include beginning the design phase and permit acquisition for the project. For more information, please visit www.pinellascounty.org/publicworks