ENGLEWOOD, Fla. — The entire Englewood Beach parking lot is now open, after the north end of the lot reopened Tuesday morning.
County crews removed fences and closed signs that had blocked access to the lot for eight months, completing the phased reopening process that began after Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The south section of the parking lot reopened in April.
Watch Fox 4's Alex Orenczuk report on the reopening:
"We're super excited, said Jonathan Hile. "We're so happy. This is such a huge win for our community, not only for the way of life from people who call this place home, but for the overall economic health of not only Englewood, but this entire half of Charlotte County."
Hile and his wife Tawnya led a community rally in May pushing for the lot's reopening, though the ongoing hurricane repairs like repaving kept the lot closed.
"It was a huge interruption in our way of life and in the culture of this community, the overall mental well-being of people who use this beach almost like a church," Hile said.
Local business leaders say the reopening, means more potential customers that will provide a much-needed boost to the area's economy.
"These businesses worked their tails off to reopen after the hurricanes and get their employees back to work - now it's come full circle. The beach is back open, the businesses are open, so come on down and enjoy the fun," said Doug Izzo, Executive Director of the Englewood Chamber of Commerce.
For now, parking at the beach is free of charge.
Some areas of the park are still under repair, including the bathrooms (temporary bathrooms are available), roundabout, playground and boardwalk. Charlotte County says the south end of the lot will need additional repairs at some point in the future.
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