- April 15, 2025
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At St. Armands Circle on a recent Thursday afternoon, diners packed tables from Crab & Fin to Columbia to Lynches Pub to the Daiquiri Deck. Boutiques and beachy shops were abuzz with groups of shoppers.
But every so often storefronts sat empty, with “now leasing” signs or covered windows — a reminder of the destruction Hurricanes Helene and Milton left behind.
Some 75% of stores on St. Armands Circle have reopened following the 2024 hurricanes, says Rachel Burns, executive director of the St. Armands Circle Association, in an early April interview. The Circle is home to more than 100 merchants, and she says 84 were open by late March.
From October through December, amid recovery efforts, things looked significantly different. “We've never had a hurricane season that affected so many merchants,” Burns says. “Typically, damage is isolated to one section of the circle."
But in Hurricanes Helene and Milton, no one was spared.
“Every store flooded,” says Annika Sandstrom, owner of Olivia boutique at 17 S. Blvd. of the Presidents. “It was a nightmare,” she says, recalling knee-high water and not being able to open the door to her store, which at the time was several doors down.
“It was like a war zone,” she says, with mannequins and a fridge floating in the shop. Insurance paid nothing, she says, since she did not have flood insurance.
Because Sandstrom had spring merchandise on the way after the hurricanes, she had to find a place where she could reopen sooner than in her old shop at 9 Blvd. of the Presidents. She opened in mid-January at her new location.
“January and February were not what [they] should be” as far as sales, says Sandstrom, who has owned Olivia for 38 years. ”March was really good.”
Her experience in the winter months aligns with that of other merchants, according to Burns.
“Definitely, it is a slower tourism season than we would typically see,” Burns says. “Tourism … has been down overall for the area, and I believe that falls in line, unfortunately, with what we're seeing for Sarasota as a whole.”
Area residents who love St. Armands have been coming out to support the local businesses, Burns adds, and the Circle will again begin hosting its special events in May with Corvettes on the Circle set for May 3, hoping to drive foot traffic to the area.
Sandstrom says she is unsure what the summer will bring, adding: “If we all work together to make the Circle great again, we can do it.”
Water damage was the chief issue after Hurricanes Helene and Milton, Burns says, adding it “affected so many people that just have never had to make repairs like this.”
Six months later, much of the structural work has is complete.
Karyn Powell, who owns Jewelry by Cole at 7 N. Blvd. of the Presidents with her husband Stephen Cole Powell, reopened for business March 15.
Powell’s store had to be stripped down to the studs, with no walls, as the shop was rebuilt.
“We had to replace everything,” she says, except for the merchandise, which she took to safety deposit boxes before the storms.
FEMA provided some financial assistance, while insurance did not, Powell says, since she did not have wind insurance.
“I have used personal money, everything I’ve got,” says Powell, to reopen the store, which she has owned for more than 30 years. “We were going to retire this year. That’s not going to happen.”
Since the hurricanes, Jewelry by Cole has gotten a refreshed interior as well as new display cases, including two towers to showcase its handcrafted jewelry.
“It’s been exciting to be brand-new and different,” Powell says, reflecting on the upside. “We’re grateful that we could reopen."
Many merchants have faced delays beyond their control for reopening, Burns says.
“Initially it was supply issues,” she says. “Really the whole west coast of Florida had so much damage” that it was difficult to get drywall and contractors, she adds.
“One of the biggest holdups for a lot of people reopening has been reordering cases and display units and cabinetry — the finishes,” Burns says.
One merchant told Burns the business was using fold-out tables as displays because its cabinets have been on order since November.
“They got to the point where they just had to make that decision,” Burns says. “They couldn’t go all year without an income.”
Getting permits has also “really held people up quite a bit,” Burns says, noting St. Armands has had more permits issued so far in 2025 than it had in all of 2024.
“The city was attempting to expedite all the permits for people impacted by the hurricane. Given the number of permits that inundated the permitting office, we've been assured that they are approving them as fast as they can,” Burns says. "Unfortunately, that doesn't always feel fast enough.”
In the meantime, several prominent businesses on the Circle are working toward reopening, including:
Meanwhile, several new stores have come online.
Merci Boutique at 486 John Ringling Blvd. and Breeza beachwear at 16 Blvd. of the Presidents recently opened, according to Burns, who says women’s clothing store Salty Stitch opened a second location called Kismet, where Little Bo-Tique used to be, at 17 Blvd. of the Presidents.
Others have changed locations, like Olivia. After a fire broke in January at Rochelle’s Boutique, neighbor Sea Glass Lane moved across the street to 59 S. Blvd. of the Presidents. Garden Argosy, whose previous building was sold, has moved to 18 S. Blvd. of the Presidents.
