TREASURE ISLAND, Fla. — Whether visiting or here to stay, neighbors know just how important the sandy shores are up and down Pinellas County's coast.
"We are known for our beaches," said Clyde Smith, the General Manager of the Bilmar Beach Resort in Treasure Island. "We've got great downtowns also, but the beach is really what brings the people in."
WATCH: Pinellas County places final grains of sand for beach nourishment project
The resort is just down the road from where leaders placed the final grains of sand for Pinellas County's beach nourishment project.
"We needed it for the residents," said Smith. "We needed it for our visitors."
It's a story Tampa Bay 28 covered back in September, after the county started the project. Sand placement, tilling, and grading are now complete.
"This project, long in its making, spanned eight municipalities from Clearwater to St. Pete Beach, and throughout these beaches, we placed nearly two million cubic yards of sand," said Pinellas County Commission Chair Dave Eggers.
The dredged sand was placed in Sand Key, Belleair Beach, North Redington Beach, Redington Shores, Indian Rocks Beach, Indian Shores, Treasure Island, and Upham Beach.
"This project renourishes our beaches and delivers two broad benefits: healthy, wide beaches bringing visitors in and reducing the impact of storm surge on coastal communities," said Eggers.
Tampa Bay 28 spoke with Kelli Hammer Levy, the Public Works Director for Pinellas County.
She shared just how big a difference this project makes.
"Where we were standing before, this was probably at about an elevation of one feet, and now this beach is up at an elevation of over five, almost five and a half, and then the dune behind me over here is upwards of eight feet," said Hammer Levy.
County leaders said the $125.7 million project was primarily funded by the Tourist Development Tax, also known as the hotel bed tax, paid by visitors.
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