Right now Nokomis has fenced construction staging inside both of its beach parking lots. The two fences belong to different projects with different contractors and different end dates. The one at North Jetty Park is for a beach project that finished pumping sand in August. The one at Nokomis Beach is for a road rebuild on Casey Key that officials expect to run into 2027, and the county called that lot closure long-term without giving an end date. If you go to the beach every week, it helps to know which is which. The North Jetty fence should go soon. The Nokomis Beach lot will stay smaller through at least one more season.
Across the water, the Venice side of the inlet is still closed. That makes North Jetty Park the only spot where you can stand at the Venice Inlet and look out at the Gulf.
The North Jetty fence is the short one
On June 10, 2026, Sarasota County posted a notice that part of the southeast section of the North Jetty parking lot would be fenced for contractor use "through fall 2026." The crews belong to the Venice Island beach renourishment, which is run by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for the City of Venice. The county said the kayak launch just north of the staging area would stay open the whole time.
That project's work happens on the Venice side of the inlet. According to the City of Venice's project page, Weeks Marine is placing sand along about 3.2 miles of shoreline, from south of the Venice Inlet to south of the Venice Fishing Pier. The $27,495,000 contract is fully federally funded. The city says dredging and sand placement wrapped up on August 16, 2026. The remaining work is sand tilling, stormwater outfall extensions and rock remediation. The city's September 30 update expected that work to be done by late October.
So the North Jetty fence is tied to a project in its last few weeks. The county's notice never gave a removal date beyond "fall 2026," so the fence will come down whenever the contractor packs up. If you're there before then, you'll still find the kayak launch open on the north side of the fencing.
The Nokomis Beach fence is the long one
The fenced area at Nokomis Beach is for a different project with a much longer timeline. On April 28, 2025, Sarasota County closed part of the Nokomis Beach parking lot south of the playground, on the east side of Casey Key Road, as a long-term staging area. The county closed the 200 block of South Casey Key Road to the public at the same time. WWSB reported that this closure was expected to last through fall 2027.
The equipment is there to rebuild North Casey Key Road, north of Blackburn Point Road, where the 2024 hurricanes undermined the road and damaged the barrier that protects it from the Gulf. Your Observer reported in October 2025 that the de Moya Group signed a $44.59 million contract for permanent repairs. The work covers two stretches. The northern one runs 0.38 miles, from 846 to 526 North Casey Key Road. The southern one runs 0.15 miles, from 332 to 230 North Casey Key Road. At that point, a barge and heavy equipment were parked in the Nokomis Beach lot, and a smaller staging area was set up at Blackburn Point Park.
The rebuild has three phases, which is why this fence takes so much longer to come down:
- A new seawall, built between the road and the shoreline, with traffic cut to one lane around the work. This was underway as of October 2025.
- A temporary road along the shoreline so crews can rebuild North Casey Key Road. County officials told Your Observer this phase would start once the design-build team had all the permits for the permanent work. No start date had been set.
- Removal of the temporary road and bulkhead, which get replaced with a stone riprap barrier.
The two official timelines don't agree. Your Observer reported that officials expected the project to be finished in March 2027. The county's original notice said the 200 block of South Casey Key Road would stay closed through fall 2027, and it described the beach-lot closure only as long-term. Neither date is a promised reopening for the lot, but both point to staging that lasts well past this winter.
Who's using whose lot
| North Jetty Park | Nokomis Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 1000 S. Casey Key Road | 100 Casey Key Road |
| Fenced for | Venice Island beach renourishment | North Casey Key Road rebuild |
| Run by | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, City of Venice | Sarasota County |
| Contractor | Weeks Marine, Inc. | The de Moya Group |
| Contract | $27,495,000, federally funded | $44.59 million |
| Fenced since | June 10, 2026 | April 28, 2025 |
| Stated end | Fall 2026 | Long-term; project expected done March 2027 |
| Still open next to it | Kayak launch north of staging | Playground and remaining lot |
When the Nokomis Beach lot gets short on spaces, some drivers head across the bridge. Your Observer reported that beachgoers had been looking for spots along Albee Road. The owner of Pelican Alley told the paper that beach patrons kept trying to park in the restaurant's lot, which left his customers without overflow parking. That lot is there for people eating at Pelican Alley, so if you're headed to the sand, it's kinder to keep looking.
Why North Jetty has the inlet to itself
North Jetty would be busy this fall even without the fence, because the other side of the inlet is closed. The City of Venice's South Jetty page says Humphris Park, at 2000 Tarpon Center Drive, and the South Jetty walkway are both closed. Both were badly damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and the city asks people not to visit because conditions are unsafe. The city's description of the park still lists fishing, Gulf views, sunsets and its July Fourth fireworks.
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported in March 2026 that people who want to see the Venice Inlet have been going to North Jetty Park while Humphris is closed. So the Nokomis side of the inlet is handling the crowds for both sides, and this season part of its lot is also a contractor's yard.
November brings the Army Corps cost estimate
According to the City of Venice, the Army Corps owns both the north and south jetties and bulkheads and has committed to rebuilding them. The Corps is preparing a major maintenance report, due in November 2026, that will include an estimate of the total repair cost. The West Coast Inland Navigation District and U.S. Rep. Greg Steube's office support a $15 million appropriation request for the South Jetty. The city has said that once it gets the chance, it will rebuild the park area at Humphris to be stronger and more resilient. That $15 million is a request. It has not been reported as secured.
In January 2025, the Herald-Tribune described a plan with four parts: the north jetty, the north bulkhead, the south jetty and the south bulkhead. Federal funding would set the schedule, and early estimates ranged from $50 million to $100 million. In March 2026, the paper reported that Humphris can't reopen until the Army Corps rebuilds the South Jetty as part of updating both jetties. The north jetty is part of that plan too. The November report would replace that early range with the Army Corps' own estimate of the total repair cost, and it covers the Nokomis side as well as Venice.
What's on the calendar at both beaches
Neither fence is getting in the way of the season's lineup. Sarasota County's parks calendar and the Osprey-Nokomis chamber list these coming up:
- Mind Body Wellness, Saturday, October 24, 9 a.m. to noon, at Nokomis Community Park, 234 Nippino Trail E. Free.
- Beach Yoga with Katja, at Nokomis Beach Plaza, 100 Casey Key Road, running October 1, 2026, through April 6, 2027. The county says class dates and times vary.
- Taco Tuesdays, at Nokomis Community Park on the second Tuesday of each month from October through March. The next one is November 10, 5 to 8 p.m.
- Feast Mode 5K, Sunday, November 22, starting at 6 a.m. at North Jetty Park.
- Venice Christmas Boat Parade, December 5 at 6 p.m. on the Intracoastal Waterway.
- Mystical Oasis Sound Bath, December 7 at 5 p.m., at Nokomis Beach Plaza. Free.
The county's listing for Nokomis Beach Park includes a concession, restrooms, lifeguards, fishing, and boat ramps it lists as open 24/7. North Jetty Park's listing gives hours of 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., with beach access, fishing, a concession, restrooms and the canoe and kayak launch. Those are amenity listings, not daily status reports. If you're planning a morning around the jetty or the North Jetty Grille, check with Sarasota County Parks before you leave home.
If the work at Nokomis Beach and the inlet has you wondering how it might affect your street or your plans for the next year, I'm glad to talk it through. I follow these projects because my clients ask about them, and I'll share whatever new information comes out, including the Army Corps report in November. Reach out to Jill Baldwin anytime. Let's Connect.
