Bird Key has three projects due in "early 2027." For the John Ringling Causeway, it's when the Florida Department of Transportation expects to finish. For the Bird Key Yacht Club, it's when the commodore expects the new clubhouse to be done. For Bird Key Park, it's when the City of Sarasota expects to start construction. The park's finish isn't expected until early 2028.
So the shared date hides two different timelines. Two of the projects end this winter. The third, the shoreline park right at the foot of Bird Key Drive, is a year longer than the others. Until it reopens, getting on the water from the island means crossing the bridge.
| Project | What "early 2027" means | What comes after | Current status, mid-October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| S.R. 789 / John Ringling Causeway | Expected completion | New lanes and signals in use | Under construction since Jan. 5, 2026 |
| Bird Key Yacht Club clubhouse | Anticipated completion | Members back on Bird Key Drive | Rebuild underway at 301 Bird Key Drive |
| Bird Key Park | Expected construction start | Expected finish in early 2028 | Closed since Hurricane Milton |
The Causeway Is the Closest to Done
The FDOT project, numbered 445926-2, runs from Bird Key Drive to Sunset Drive and costs $12.3 million. According to the City of Sarasota's construction announcement, the work adds dedicated bicycle and transit lanes on the bridge. It also upgrades drainage, raises the seawall cap near Sunset Drive, resurfaces the corridor, and puts new traffic signals at Sunset Drive, Golden Gate Drive and Bird Key Drive. Palm trees and shrubs on the eastern end of the causeway are being moved to medians closer to St. Armands Circle.
The new signal at Bird Key Drive will change daily driving more than anything else on that list. It's the intersection every Bird Key resident uses to get on and off the island.
The schedule hasn't slipped. The MyMPO Traffic Watch for the week of October 11, 2026 still lists early 2027 as the estimated completion. That matches the date FDOT gave when work began. The same bulletin shows what the corridor looks like as the project wraps up:
- Speed limit: 35 mph on Gulfstream Avenue and the John Ringling Causeway, with fines doubled when workers are present.
- Bike lanes: closed for construction, with cyclists sent to a posted detour.
- Pedestrians: routed onto designated paths and posted detours.
- Sunset Drive: closed at the Ritz entrance off Gulfstream Avenue for driveway rebuilding, a closure posted in mid-October to last about 60 days.
- Current work: roadway widening, milling and paving, curb and sidewalk work, drainage, and light pole and signal installation.
That work list looks like a project in its final stretch. Widening and paving have been joined by curbs, light poles and signals, the last pieces of a road job. Work is mostly done during the day, with some night shifts. FDOT's project page still shows a "Late 2025" completion in one field. The fact sheet and the October bulletin both give early 2027.
The Clubhouse Date Is the Commodore's Target
The second early-2027 date is a goal the club leadership has set for itself. In June, the Bird Key Yacht Club passed the gavel from outgoing Commodore Tony Britt to Saul Landesberg. They held the ceremony at the Art Ovation Hotel because the clubhouse is being rebuilt. Your Observer reported that Landesberg's main goal is keeping construction on budget and on schedule, with completion expected at the beginning of 2027.
Landesberg used the ceremony to thank Britt for keeping members together without a clubhouse. He told Your Observer:
"Besides being a great commodore, one who has gotten us through a most challenging time, he is an all-around great guy."
According to the same report, the club kept running through the rebuild instead of shutting down. Members gathered for off-site programs, summer cookouts and the opening of a time capsule from 2000. Landesberg also credited the staff, led by General Manager Tammy Hackney. Britt is still involved and now leads the Bird Key Homeowners Association. Club leaders broke ground at 301 Bird Key Drive in November 2025.
The June target is the most recent public date. It's a goal the leadership set for itself, while FDOT revisits its causeway schedule every week.
The Park Is the Only Project Not Yet Started
Bird Key Park, at 200 John Ringling Causeway, is the island's public waterfront. The city's park profile lists fishing, kayaking and canoeing, and a kayak launch among its amenities. None of them are open right now. The city's park closures page lists Bird Key Park as closed because of damage and safety hazards from Hurricane Milton. Eloise Werlin Park and Indian Beach Park are on the same list.
The city's hurricane recovery status page shows the repair permit approved. The project is still in pre-construction, and the start was pushed back by a partial government shutdown. Construction is expected to begin in early 2027 and finish in early 2028. The same page explains why coastal park repairs take time. FEMA rules require competitive bidding, crews have to work around nesting seasons, and marine-grade materials are backordered statewide. Downtown at Bayfront Park, construction had started and was then paused by the same shutdown. Work there is expected to resume in late 2026 and wrap up in early 2027.
So the causeway and the clubhouse are expected to finish around the time the park's crews arrive. The park's launch will stay closed through this winter and likely into 2028.
Where the Kayaks Launch This Season
The closest replacement is across the bridge at The Bay. On October 1, Ride & Paddle returned to The Bay's kayak launch at 1055 Boulevard of the Arts after a break for construction. It's back to offering kayak and paddleboard rentals plus guided tours, according to its announcement. The launch sits at the southeast edge of the bayou, near Van Wezel Way and Boulevard of the Arts.
The next easy chance to try it is Friday, October 30. The Bay is hosting a free intermediate guided kayak tour from 9 to 11 a.m. through its restored mangroves. Kayaks and life jackets are provided. The tour falls at the end of The Bay's fourth-anniversary month, which brought more than 70 free events in October.
The Bay is also planning a waterfront restaurant, though it's a long way from opening. Your Observer reported that the proposed 4,999-square-foot restaurant first went before the city's Development Review Committee on October 7. It would sit at the end of 10th Street, where a floating day dock is already finished, and the Venice Pier Group is slated to run it. The dock is there now. A sit-down meal on that stretch of water will have to wait.
At the Other End of the Bridge
Heading west, St. Armands Circle has a restaurant back in a familiar spot. Nōnnō Umberto, at 22 S. Boulevard of the Presidents, opened in the former Le Colonne space under new family leadership after Le Colonne closed due to storm damage. Your Observer covered the reopening, which began with a soft opening on December 29, 2025.
The Dates Ahead
- Friday, October 30, 2026: free guided kayak tour at The Bay, 9 to 11 a.m.
- Mid-December 2026, approximately: the end of the roughly 60-day Sunset Drive closure posted in mid-October.
- Early 2027: expected completion of the S.R. 789 causeway project and the yacht club's targeted clubhouse finish. Bird Key Park construction is expected to start.
- Sunday, April 25, 2027: the next Ringling Bridge Run, according to the Education Foundation of Sarasota County.
- Early 2028: expected completion of the Bird Key Park repairs.
If you own on Bird Key and are thinking about when to sell, these dates affect what buyers will see when they drive in. Spring 2027 should bring a finished causeway and a new clubhouse, while the park is still under repair. The Ackerman Group follows these Bird Key projects closely. We're happy to talk through how your listing timing fits around them.
