The Manatee Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has approved the first round of projects to receive funding through the Lasting Manatee Infrastructure Recovery and Resiliency Program (IRRP), advancing another major component of the County’s long-term recovery from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton.
Of the $252.7 million Community Development Block Grant – Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR), Manatee County approved over $100 million in projects for the IRRP, a program specifically designed to restore and strengthen publicly owned infrastructure and reduce vulnerability to future disasters. Eligible projects can include improvements to drainage, stormwater, water and wastewater systems, critical facilities, transportation infrastructure and other public assets.
View CDBG-DR Program funding breakdown here
The projects considered by the Board underwent a formal evaluation process examining factors, including eligibility, demonstrated community need, benefit to Low- and Moderate-Income (LMI) communities, project impact, readiness and feasibility, resilience value, applicant capacity, leveraged resources and alignment with the County’s recovery priorities.
“These dollars give us an opportunity to do more than simply repair what was damaged,” said Manatee County District 2 Commissioner Amanda Ballard. “We’re strengthening critical infrastructure, improving resiliency and directing resources toward Low- and Moderate-Income communities with significant recovery needs. At the same time, our Home Recovery Program continues assisting families in rebuilding their homes and moving forward.”
Approved IRRP Projects
The Board approved the following projects and associated funding amounts:
City of Bradenton
Sanitary Laterals Replacement – $1,880,000
Riverside Drive 1W Resiliency Project – $3,180,000
Water Interconnects with Manatee County – $1,820,000
2nd Avenue Drainage / Alt. Evacuation Route (Phase 2) – $3,650,000
Crescent Court Drainage Improvements – $3,650,000
City of Palmetto
Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion (Phase 1) – $3,619,000
City of Holmes Beach
Infiltration Trench Rehabilitation – $810,750
Town of Longboat Key
Sleepy Lagoon Flood Mitigation and Stormwater Improvements – $681,500
City of Bradenton Beach
Stormwater Resiliency - Pipe Block Removal – $246,750
City of Anna Maria
Gulf Drive & Archer Way Stormwater – $270,250
Manatee County
Public Safety: Manatee County EMS Station 10 Hardening and FEMA 361/ICC – $2,500,000
Public Safety: Manatee County EMS Station 16 Hardening and FEMA 361/ICC – $2,500,000
Utilities: Installation of Five Backup Generators at Lift Stations – $1,909,399
Utilities: Southwest Water Reclamation Facility Storm Surge Hardening – $1,771,275
Natural Resources: Cortez Road Storm Revetment – $6,463,500
Natural Resources: Warner’s Bayou Living Shoreline and Infrastructure – $1,300,000
Public Works: Bowlees Creek Automated Outfall Structures – $ 19,096,200
Public Works: Manatee County CDBG-DR Meadors Subdivision/Pennsylvania – $11,330,000
Public Works: Sylvan Oaks Stormwater Improvement – $8,027,412
Public Works: Manatee County - Glen Creek Stormwater Improvement – $1,731,907
Public Works: Sylvan Oaks Flood Mitigation Area – $1,465,304
Public Works: Pearce Drain Automated Outfall Structures – $24,931,150
View the interactive IRRP project dashboard here
Funding was allocated among Manatee County departments and eligible municipalities under the IRRP program structure and notice of funding availability.
Board approval represents an important step in the process but does not immediately authorize construction. Approved projects must complete applicable federal requirements, which may include environmental review, duplication-of-benefits analysis, cost-reasonableness review and execution of required agreements before CDBG-DR funds can be committed or spent.
Two Programs. Two Needs. One Recovery.
While IRRP projects have come before the Board for approval, the Infrastructure Recovery and Resiliency Program and Home Recovery Program are separate parts of Lasting Manatee and have been moving forward on parallel tracks.
The distinction is simple:
The Infrastructure Recovery and Resiliency Program (IRRP) is for public infrastructure. The County allocated up to $125 million to restore and strengthen publicly owned infrastructure, including drainage, stormwater, water and wastewater systems and other eligible public facilities. Its pre-application process launched June 1, 2026, followed by a formal review and scoring process before projects could be presented to the Board.
The Home Recovery Program (HRP) is for people and their homes. The County allocated approximately $75.6 million to help eligible homeowners with remaining damage from Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton through repair, reconstruction, replacement and/or elevation assistance. The program officially launched May 1, 2026, and the County subsequently opened the Lasting Manatee Intake Center to provide residents with one-on-one application assistance.
The fact that IRRP projects have appeared before the Board now does not mean infrastructure recovery was placed ahead of housing recovery. The Home Recovery Program launched first and has already been working directly with homeowners. The two programs are progressing simultaneously under the larger Lasting Manatee recovery effort.
Residents already participating in the Home Recovery Program do not need to take any action because of the Board’s IRRP decisions. Their applications continue through the HRP review process independently of the infrastructure projects approved by the Board.
Homeowners can also continue to check the status of an existing Home Recovery Program application and access HRP resources through the Lasting Manatee website.