Collier County Advances Rebuild of Marco Island CCSO Substation After Hurricane Ian Destruction

Collier County is moving forward with plans to rebuild the Collier County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) substation on Marco Island, more than three years after Hurricane Ian’s devastating storm surge rendered the facility inoperable.

The substation, which served as a critical local hub for patrol operations, community policing, and emergency response, sustained severe flooding and structural damage during Ian’s landfall in September 2022. Deputies assigned to the island have since been operating from temporary workspaces while the county and CCSO pursued long-term solutions.

On Nov. 10, the Collier County Board of Commissioners approved the next phase of the project, authorizing staff to advance design and construction preparations for a full rebuild of the facility. The move signals one of the most significant public-safety infrastructure recoveries on Marco Island since Ian.

County officials said the new substation will be built to modern resiliency standards, including elevated structural design, hardened exterior materials, and upgraded communications systems capable of withstanding major hurricane impacts. The goal, they noted, is to ensure the island’s emergency operations remain functional even in the most extreme weather events.

“We’re committed to restoring a permanent, storm-resistant CCSO presence on Marco Island,” said county leadership during the meeting. “This project reinforces our long-term recovery efforts and strengthens public safety for both residents and visitors.”

The Board’s action follows months of engineering evaluations and coordination with CCSO, as well as insurance and FEMA-related documentation stemming from Ian recovery programs. The county is expected to finalize construction documents in the coming months and prepare the project for bidding.

The substation rebuild is among several Hurricane Ian recovery efforts still underway in coastal Collier County. Marco Island, which experienced storm surge heights of up to eight feet in some areas, continues to repair damaged public facilities, parks, and infrastructure more than three years after the storm.

Once complete, the new CCSO substation will fully restore the sheriff’s presence on Marco Island and improve response capabilities across the southern portion of the county. County staff said they expect a construction timeline and cost estimates to be released once the design phase is finalized.

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2026.