In early July, a man who lives aboard his sailboat in Boca Ciega Bay described for Bay News 9 how he had been getting to downtown Gulfport since the 2024 storms. He took his tender to shore and waded the rest of the way. One night the tide went out on him. He couldn't drag the tender back to the water, so he waited on shore until 11 p.m. for the bay to come back up. Bay News 9 reported that demolition of the damaged docks had just started.
His wading days are over. The new floating day docks at the Historic Gulfport Casino opened the week of October 6, and the city now lets boaters tie up from 7 a.m. until 3 a.m. The dock is only one of three waterfront projects, though. Each runs on its own schedule, and only the smallest one is finished. Over the next year, the stretch of shoreline along Shore Boulevard will work as a front door to Beach Boulevard long before the Casino behind it reopens.
The Dock Came Back First
The day dock project cost just under $1 million. Insurance money came in, but in July the city was still waiting to hear whether FEMA would contribute, according to Denis Frain, Gulfport's director of marina operations. Frain blamed the delay on engineering, permitting, the government shutdown and the bid process. Crews were aiming for the end of September and finished about a week late.
In her October 6 update, Mayor Karen Love called the docking free. The full rules are posted at the dock. The regulations the city links to come from its public Casino boat dock code, last amended in a 2015 ordinance. That code limits a vessel to four hours at the dock in any one day and says any boat left there after closing may be treated as abandoned property. The same text bans personal watercraft at the dock. It also bars swimming, fishing and fuel transfers there.
The four-hour cap is what makes this a dinner-and-errands dock. It's a place to land for a meal and a walk on Beach Boulevard, and it was never meant for an overnight stay.
Anchoring Near Veterans Park Is About to Change
The mayor's update had a second message. Love urged boaters to start using the floating docks before anchoring near Veterans Park is prohibited. She also asked residents to attend the October 20 City Council meeting, ten days from now, to discuss dock regulations. The city's written summary doesn't name an ordinance, a boundary or an effective date. For now, the clearest source on the details will be the council meeting itself.
For anyone who stays longer than a dinner, the city already runs 25 year-round mooring balls south of the Casino, Williams Pier and the Municipal Beach. The marina's published rates are $25 a day, $151 a week and $377 a month, plus sales tax. In May, Council approved a $95,000 first phase of planning for a possible expansion to 100 balls, covering underwater surveys and environmental studies. Engineering and installation would come in a later phase. Nothing published since has said whether that work has moved forward.
Put together, the city is moving the boats that used to anchor near the park toward fixed, managed spots, with short stays at the dock and longer ones on the mooring field.
The Marina's South Basin Runs on a Longer Clock
The new day dock sits a short distance from the Municipal Marina, but the two are separate projects. The Army Corps of Engineers approved a plan on September 14 to rebuild the 56 South Basin slips damaged in 2024, and demolition has started, The Gabber reported on October 6.
Here's what the rebuild involves:
- Scope. Piers A through D are being rebuilt at their old size and layout. No new slips are planned.
- Demolition. Enterprise Marine Contracting is removing about 8,852 square feet of dock.
- Structure. About 400 dock pilings and 80 boat-lift pilings will be replaced, and 20 existing lifts reinstalled.
- Materials. The new slips get composite decking, stainless steel hardware and wrapped pilings, along with electrical and pump-out upgrades.
- Timing. The contract allows up to 180 days, and the city has not set a reopening date.
City officials said weather, material supply and surprises on site could move that schedule. As of the Gabber's report, the closed basin had lost the city $260,053 in revenue. A manatee watcher will be on site during in-water work.
Vice Mayor Marlene Shaw once kept a sailboat in the South Basin. She told the Gabber she is looking forward to the Sea Scouts returning, since the youth boating group has been keeping at least one boat on a mooring ball. "I can't wait to see them back on their home waters," she said.
FEMA has grouped the repairs to the marina, Veterans Park and Williams Pier into a single project. That puts all three sites on one federal file, even though each one is coming back at a different pace.
The Casino Itself Is the Longest Wait
The ballroom the dock is named for is still closed. In July, the city said its architectural drawings for the renovation were 60% done. Once the plans are final, the city will seek bids, and officials put reopening 12 to 14 months after a contractor is chosen. Mayor Love's August/September report expected bids by the end of this year and about a year of construction, weather permitting. The city's September 29 update put completion at the end of 2027. Bay News 9's July report put dancers back in the ballroom in late 2027 or early 2028.
"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." Justin Shea, Gulfport cultural facilities and event supervisor, to Bay News 9
Shea said the city will make an announcement once reopening is six months away. The city's Casino events page still lists the ballroom as closed after Helene and Milton and doesn't name a temporary home for its dances.
Where the Dock Actually Leads
With the ballroom closed, the day dock's job is to carry people to the businesses around it. I Love the Burg's October 8 report named O'Maddy's, Neptune Grill, Mademoiselle Paris and The North End among the spots that are now easier to reach by water. It also pointed out that many regulars used to arrive by boat. Neptune Grill sits at 5501 Shore Blvd. S. Mademoiselle Paris is a few blocks up at 2937 Beach Blvd. S.
Beach Boulevard has changed since the last time a boater could tie up there:
- GulfPerk Coffee Bar, 3107 Beach Blvd. S., said on July 9 that it would not reopen after nearly two years closed. Owner Elliot Sutton said the plan had been to reopen, but "that just isn't how things turned out."
- The Wine House, 2913 Beach Blvd. S., closed September 13. Its owners' Gulfport Brewery + Eatery at 3007 Beach Blvd. S. is still open and has taken on some of the Wine House staff.
- The Moon Under Water, a British pub at 2832 Beach Blvd. S., is "getting quite close" to opening and is hiring. No opening date has been announced.
The timing also lines up with the calendar. I Love the Burg noted that the dock reopened at the end of the slow season, with more visitors expected over the next six months.
A Fall Calendar With the Dock in Reach
- Today, October 10, 1 to 9 p.m.: Gulfport Brewery + Eatery holds its seventh annual Oktoberfest, with a German band, German lagers and a special menu.
- Every Tuesday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.: The Tuesday Fresh Market runs year-round on Beach Boulevard below 28th Avenue South.
- October 20: City Council meets, and Mayor Love has asked residents to come discuss dock regulations.
- October 31: A Halloween Bash at the Recreation Center, 5730 Shore Blvd. S.
- November 6, 5 to 9 p.m.: The first-Friday Gulfport Night Market, the event formerly known as Art Walk.
- November 14: The Mayor's Community Walk, starting at Gulfport Beach.
For the next year, the most useful status to track on Gulfport's waterfront is the dock's, not the ballroom's. The dock is open, and a four-hour tie-up is enough time for dinner on Beach Boulevard. The South Basin slips have no reopening date yet. The Casino itself is expected back at the end of 2027.
If you're weighing how close a home or condo sits to the Casino docks, the mooring field or the South Basin, Casey Franks can talk through how these waterfront timelines fit your plans. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
