When bids came in much lower than expected in August, it seemed like the city had more than enough money on hand to rebuild the historic Humiston Beach boardwalk. Now, some "hidden" construction-related costs have surfaced, putting the project back in the red.

The good news is the city has the cash it needs from appropriations, grants and donations to move forward with the basic construction, which will start as planned on Nov. 1, according to Vero Beach Public Works Director Matthew Mitts. But it still needs another $460,000 to fully fund the much-anticipated project.

The city received contracts from seven construction companies in August and awarded the job to Ferreira Construction of Hobe Sound, which submitted the low bid of $1,767,109. But that number did not include around $125,000 the city spent to demolish most of the boardwalk after it was destroyed by hurricanes Ian and Nicole in 2022 and for temporary repairs to the remaining pavilion and beach access to make them safe for beachgoers, Mitts said.

Damages from hurricanes and other named storms are not line items in the budget, Mitts said. The city charges the expenses to a hurricane account and uses reserve funds to pay for repairs and then later requests reimbursement from FEMA.

Ferreira's contract also does not include $280,625 the city will spend for permitting and design of the boardwalk, which was completed by Kimley-Horne and Associates. Kimley-Horne will also monitor turtle nesting activity and provide engineering inspection services for the duration of the project, Mitts said. The cost for these "construction phase services" will be another $337,577, he said.

Clayton Sembler, who owns CDS Manufacturing and whose family has deep roots in Indian River County, has generously donated the prestressed concrete pilings for the project, valued at $850,000. But the city will pick up the shipping costs for the pilings, estimated at $111,000.

Finally, $353,422 – approximately 20 percent of Ferreira's construction contract amount – has been added to the tab as a contingency fee to cover any cost overruns or unanticipated costs, Mitts said. If the actual unanticipated costs are less, the budget will be adjusted, he said.

These additions bring the overall cost of the project to $2,975,141.

On the other side of the ledger, the city budgeted $1 million for the boardwalk in its five-year capital improvement plan last year and Indian River County committed another $400,000 to the project. FEMA awarded $460,230 to the city for storm damages from Ian and Nicole and the state of Florida kicked in $350,000 in its 2025-2026 budget.

The city was on track to receive another $400,000 in the state's 2026-2027 budget, but Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed the funding shortly before signing the budget into law on June 29. Mitts said he is not aware of any other grants or funding opportunities.

A fundraising campaign sparked by a Vero Beach 32963 donation and managed by Indian River Community Foundation has collected $145,713 in cash and $160,000 in pledges. Altogether, the city has $2,515,953 available for the project – leaving it about $460,000 short.

This summer, before the low bids came in, when the city expected the project to cost as much as $5 million, city council member John Carroll formed an ad-hoc citizen committee to reenergize the fundraising campaign. That committee is now working to raise another $500,000 to close the funding gap and recognize donors.

"We're in a lot better shape than anybody ever expected," Carroll said. "Those were not really surprise numbers at all. They may not have been obvious to anyone who is not involved in the project, but the council was aware that money had been spent and we would get it back."

Carroll said the contingency fund "protects the city and makes sure that we get the project finished. There have been a number of different structures in that location over the years, and it wouldn't be surprising to run into some pipes, old sections of seawall, or other debris during construction."

The fundraising committee is formulating an advertising and public relations campaign, according to Carroll. Among the marketing items being considered are newspaper ads, a direct mail flier, posters, marketing on Facebook and other social media, and asking the contractor to erect a fundraising sign in Humiston Park, he said.

The committee also wants to plan a ground-breaking celebration with music and food that will double as a fundraiser, Carroll said.

In the meantime, as a means to encourage donations, the group has developed a tiered system for recognizing those who contribute to restoring the boardwalk legacy.

• Those who donate $1,100 will have their names engraved on one of 236 available Trex deck planks.

• A donation of $10,000 earns the donor an engraved brass plaque on one of 21 new benches on the boardwalk; 32 benches were salvaged from the old boardwalk for placement on the new one and those benches already have plaques recognizing the original donors.

• Those who donate $25,000 will be recognized on one of two plaques mounted on each of the four beach access dune crossovers.

• A $100,000 donor will have naming rights for the 22-foot by 12-foot pavilion at the north end of the boardwalk, while a $250,000 donor will have their name on the 42-foot by 12-foot pavilion at the south end.

In addition, the committee plans to erect a "founders plaque" at the boardwalk's main entrance and will be meeting with Clay Sembler to discuss how he will be recognized for his donation of the concrete pilings, Carroll said.

"I am so proud of the dedication shown by the Humiston Boardwalk committee," Carroll said. "They have done their homework in a short amount of time and have developed recommendations that were approved by the city council."

Construction is expected to begin as soon as sea turtle nesting season ends on Nov. 1 and be complete before the next nesting season begins next March, Mitts said. The beach and portions of the park may be closed temporarily at various times during construction for safety reasons, he said.

To make a donation to the boardwalk project, visit rebuildhumiston.org or call 772-492-1407. The Community Foundation will help with the financial paperwork required for tax purposes.