The Pelican Bay Foundation has hired Stantec Consulting Services to work out how Marker 36 and Sandbar could take the next coastal storm with less damage, lower repair costs and a shorter recovery. The work started on Aug. 6, 2026. Stantec expects to present options to the Foundation Board at its December or January meeting, which is open to all members.
The study is about more than a new seawall or stronger windows. It changes the question the Foundation is asking. After Ian, the question was how to rebuild. Now it is how to keep the next closure to a matter of days. Sandbar's history over the past four seasons shows why that matters.
Four Seasons at the Beach, Told Through Two Restaurants
The Foundation's own Pelican Bay Post has tracked both restaurants since 2022. Put side by side, those updates show two very different recoveries.
| When | Marker 36 | Sandbar |
|---|---|---|
| November 2022 | Not operating that season after Ian | Not operating that season after Ian |
| December 2022 | Less interior damage, but serious damage to the infrastructure below the deck | Heavier damage to walls, windows and deck areas |
| August 2023 | Ice, water and restrooms restored; outdoor bar planned for early September; full reopening planned for November | Food trailer serving South Beach until Sandbar's kitchen was working again |
| Fall 2024 | Reopened within a week of Helene and Milton, then closed for two days over FPL power problems | Two days from its long-awaited reopening when the storms arrived |
| November 2024 | Operating | Reopened the first week of November, rebuilt from the inside out |
Ian did damage that is hard to picture from a dining deck. The Foundation's December 2022 account said storm sand buried South Beach about 3 to 5 feet deep and scoured roughly the same amount away at Marker 36. Decks, ramps, pilings and utilities all needed repair or replacement, and so did the transformers at both sites. That damage sat in the parts of the restaurants that hold them up and power them, more than in the dining rooms.
The 2024 storms went differently. Melanie Miller, Foundation Vice President, wrote in the November 2024 Post that most post-storm problems were power-related and nearly resolved within two weeks. North Beach reopened two days after Marker 36, and South Beach was set to open in late October. Marker 36 needed about a week. Sandbar's rebuild had already taken two seasons and nearly lost a third.
Why the Gap Between a Week and Two Years Drives This Study
Part of what made Ian so expensive to recover from was paperwork. In mid-November 2022, the Foundation's board chair wrote that repair costs were not yet clear and that flood insurance did not cover the restaurants. Possible funding sources included designated and undesignated funds, reserves, a credit line, capital funds and insurance policies on specific items. The board also weighed two paths for Sandbar. It could rebuild quickly "as is," or it could redesign, which would mean more process, more permitting, more time and more cost. That 2022 debate ended with the rebuild that reopened in November 2024.
The Stantec study goes back to that same choice, but before the next storm instead of after it. George Biltz, Bruce Groves and Linda Raclin wrote in the October 2026 Pelican Bay Post that the Foundation's Resiliency and Natural Resources Committee is looking for ways to lower costs, limit damage and shorten recovery for the restaurants after coastal storms. The committee sent a Request for Proposal to four firms and chose Stantec.
What Stantec Will Bring to the Board
Stantec's scope of work is dated June 29, 2026, and has three parts.
- Site data collection. Stantec will collect real-time data on wind speeds, storm surge and debris impact at the existing restaurants. A topographical survey will map elevations, flood zone designations, mean high water lines, sand berms and other visible improvements.
- Permitting and regulatory review. Both restaurants sit seaward of Florida's Coastal Construction Control Line, an area the state watches closely because of its ecosystems and its exposure to storms. Stantec will review the requirements from FEMA, FDEP, USACE, SFWMD, Collier County and other agencies, then outline the approvals needed to repair, upgrade or replace each building.
- Storm resilience alternatives. The firm will present two "best" options, one for each restaurant. Each will include graphic models, conceptual architectural drawings, elevations, site plans and a preliminary cost estimate.
The permitting review may matter most to members. In 2022 the board said a redesign would take longer because of permitting, and this time Stantec will map that permitting path before anything is built. The committee's article says members may get a chance to ask questions at the board meeting, depending on the rest of the agenda. A longer presentation could get its own session for the Board and members.
Today the study is an assessment. No rebuild, elevation or relocation has been announced for either restaurant.
The Sand Under the Tables Was Already Paid For
The restaurants are only one part of the shoreline. Collier County's 2025 renourishment project covered 2.9 miles of shoreline along Vanderbilt and Pelican Bay. The county said Pelican Bay's share would be paid by the Pelican Bay Services Division rather than from public beach tax funding. In its October 17, 2025 release, the county estimated the full project would be finished by mid-January 2026. PBSD minutes from November 2025 expected the work to reach Marker 37, just south of Marker 36.
That project now shows up on owners' bills. The Fiscal Year 2027 PBSD assessment is $1,250 per Equivalent Residential Unit, down $300, or 20 percent, from $1,550 in FY2026. The PBSD credits the drop to finishing the major dune and beach restoration that followed the 2024 hurricanes. The ad valorem rate stays at 0.0857. The beach is restored and the assessment is lower, so the restaurants are the biggest open question left on the shore.
They are also busy places. The Foundation's tram service connects eight stations through mangrove boardwalks and carries more than 900,000 beach trips a year. At those numbers, even a short closure affects a lot of beach trips.
A New Kitchen Team Arrives Before the Board Sees the Options
This season, members will meet new people in the kitchen months before they see Stantec's drawings. The October 2026 Post introduced a new dining leadership team for Marker 36, Sandbar and The Nest. Marco Garnica is Director of Food and Beverage. At Marker 36, Chef Fabio Bermudez is Director of Culinary – North and Christopher Wright is Director of Operations – North. Chef Rushaune "Rush" Thompson and Kevin Adames lead culinary and operations at Sandbar and The Nest. The Foundation says each restaurant will keep its own personality while the team works on consistency, quality and service.
Each spot has its own style. The Foundation describes Marker 36 as island- and Caribbean-inspired. Sandbar serves a Mediterranean-inspired menu in its renovated building. The Nest sits just south of Sandbar and is the casual stop for snacks, drinks and sunset views. The Foundation's restaurant pages list music nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at Marker 36 and on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at Sandbar. Those pages are undated, so check the schedule before you go.
The season officially opens with Welcome Back Weekend:
- Friday, Nov. 13: Welcome Back Beach Bash at South Beach, 5 to 9 p.m., registration required. DJ Bam and the tribute band Never Stop Believin' play on a stage on the sand, with a complimentary welcome drink, chef-attended food stations and a cash bar.
- Saturday, Nov. 14: The Tennis and Pickleball Kickoff is sold out. At 3:30 p.m., Tuika's Polynesian Island Magic performs at Sandbar on South Beach. Reservations are closed, but the Foundation invites members to come watch the show, which ends with a Samoan Fire Knife Dance.
- Sunday, Nov. 15: Sunday Brunch debuts at Marker 36 with a special buffet. Foundation leadership and management will join the Marker 36 team to welcome members. Beach Bocce follows in the afternoon, and no registration is needed.
Brunch is the first new regular meal service at the beach in years that doesn't come out of storm recovery. Six weeks after it starts, Stantec's options for both restaurants are due before the Board.
If you own in Pelican Bay and wonder how the Foundation's investment in its beach restaurants might shape the community over the next few seasons, TJ Bialek is glad to talk it through, from the Stantec timeline to what members hear at the December or January board meeting. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
