Naples condo building first in city to deploy new flood protection

It took nearly four years and $15 million for one beachfront condominium to recover from the damage left behind when Hurricane Ian decimated Naples in September 2022. Now, the Allegro Condominiums is confident a new AquaFence flood protection system will ensure that rising tides and fierce storms never again destroy the 14-story, 76-unit condominium complex on Gulf Shore Boulevard. 

AquaFence is a reusable, modular flood and hurricane barrier system designed to protect buildings and critical infrastructure from rising water and storm surges. It was a key component in the city of Tampa’s plans to keep Tampa General Hospital safe during Hurricane Helene in 2024 and has since been adopted by multiple public and private properties throughout the region. 

Allegro Condominiums, though, is the first in Naples to navigate the city approval process before installing an AquaFence system around its property last week. 

Unlike flood protection measures designed to protect individual doors, garages or other vulnerable openings, Allegro’s AquaFence system creates an engineered perimeter around the entire building that doesn’t have to be physically attached to the structure. On Friday, engineers and training specialists from the Norwegian-born company installed about 870 feet of flood protection engineered to protect the building against water levels up to 6 feet. When not needed, the modular barriers can be stored away. 

“After what our residents experienced, simply rebuilding was not enough. We needed to find a way to better protect our property and residents for the future,” Joni Cline, General Manager of Allegro Condominium Association, says in a release. “Hurricane Ian caused extraordinary damage to our building and our community, and it became part of my mission to do everything possible to mitigate or prevent that from happening again. AquaFence is a major step toward that goal.”

When Hurricane Ian came in September 2022, Allegro took on approximately 38 inches of water, the condominium says. Flooding knocked out the building’s generator, fire panel, electrical panel and electrical components throughout the ground floor, affecting operations across the entire property, and after the storm much of the building’s drywall and flooring had to be replaced.

It was the condominium association that decided to invest in AquaFence’s modular system. The cost of the project has not been disclosed. 

As the first condominium in Naples to pursue approval for an AquaFence installation, Allegro and AquaFence worked closely with city officials through an extensive review and approval process.

AquaFence engineers and project representatives collaborated with Allegro’s team and city building, planning and fire officials to address issues ranging from engineering and anchoring to aesthetics, deployment and resident accessibility.

The process not only resulted in approval for Allegro’s system, but also familiarized local officials with the technology and established a framework that could help other Naples properties pursue similar flood protection measures, Hansson says.

Founded 26 years ago, AquaFence is headquartered in Tampa and its systems are trusted by government agencies, hospitals, emergency services, and private companies to protect critical infrastructure and assets around the world.