Fort Hamer Park reopens

Closed since January for the addition of more than $1 million in improvements, Fort Hamer Park quietly reopened this week.

Gone are the silt fences and construction warning signs, and in their place are paved parking and a turn-around loop that can accommodate vehicles pulling boat trailers.

Also new are sidewalks, a pavilion with picnic tables and security lighting. Less obvious are the stormwater improvements designed to help the property drain after a storm.

“The park is open but no grand opening is planned,” Nick Azzara, a spokesman for Manatee County government, confirmed in an email.

Signs announcing that the park was closed along Old Tampa Road were still up Thursday morning, but not at the park itself, where a crew from Gator Grading and Paving and a county maintenance worker were making sure the park was ship-shape.

Otherwise, the only other people at the park were a couple who stood on the dock, fishing in the mirror-like Upper Manatee River, pulling in a few catfish.

All of the park, except for the boat house and floating dock, were closed during the project.

The project at 1605 Fort Hamer Road came in on time and under budget, Tom Yarger, manager of the Manatee County Construction Services Division, has previously said.

In December, the county is expected to tackle improvements to the park’s boat ramp, doubling its width.

This story was originally published August 11, 2016 at 3:52 PM with the headline "Fort Hamer Park reopens."