An upgrade to Culverhouse Nature Park which included restrooms, ADA Parking, sidewalks, and stormwater improvements, is delayed due to a lack of needed equipment.
SARASOTA, Fla — The supply chain crisis continues to impact different sectors across the country, including right here in the Tampa Bay area.
It has not just affected those businesses that provide goods and services but also local governments and their construction projects. One Sarasota county park restroom project which was scheduled to open to the public this month has now been delayed.
The upgrade to the Culverhouse Nature Park included ADA Parking, additional sidewalks, and some stormwater improvements. However, the lack of much-needed equipment and supplies means construction is on hold and expected to open later this summer.
“We’re not immune to what is happening in private industries, at not-for-profits, all of us that have construction projects that are going on are feeling the same pain,” Nicole Rissler of Sarasota Parks and Recreation said.
“Across all industries, as we know supply chain continues to be a little bit of an issue and so we’re working through that as we move forward with this project,” Rissler said.
In Bradenton, an ADA-compliant playground project with the Rotary Club has also been delayed because the playground equipment which was ordered several months in advance has still not arrived. The city is also waiting on a firetruck and some new vehicles which have been delayed. Many municipalities are also struggling to fill several vacant positions.
“If you can’t find key productive input, it can put a project like a construction project really off track for a while,” Victor Claar, an economist with Florida Gulf Coast University, said.
According to supply chain experts like Claar, a wide range of key sectors are struggling due to many factors which stemmed from the pandemic.
Those factors have continued to adversely impact the shipping and maritime industry which may soon also have to grapple with labor union actions.
The developments have forced businesses and organizations to get creative and activate contingency plans to minimize any negative impact.
“We realize now that sometimes relying on a single source for particular parts can be problematic in the short run, so we’re probably going to see more production and some of these things that we used to import move back here at home,” Claar said.
The experts also say because of China’s zero COVID policy, not a lot of manufacturing has happened there and that has caused fewer goods to be shipped from the Shanghai port.
The best advice — continue planning ahead and remain patient, Claar says.
