Both USF’s Riverfront Park and Botanical Gardens are temporarily closed due to Hurricane Milton, which battered the Tampa Bay area almost two weeks ago. 

Curator Craig Huegel said the Gardens have faced its share of hurricanes, but none quite like Milton.

Huegel said he expects the Gardens to reopen on the first Tuesday of November, but the Botanical Gardens Club will announce the exact reopening date on BullsConnect and Instagram.

Related: USF students donate cat food to the Botanical Gardens’ feral residents

Many trees fell and were scattered throughout the Gardens. Huegel said the debris is too large for the staff to remove themselves. They will have to document the cost of tree loss and labor for FEMA to cover the funding. 

Because it takes months to purchase all the seeds needed to restore the Gardens, it will likely take two years to return to its previous state, Huegel said. 

Although it will be a while until the Gardens is back to normal, the shop and staff remain unharmed, Huegel said.

“Plants in the plant shop are unscathed, and little things are too,” Huegel said. “We will be alright.”

Related: USF Botanical Gardens begins Milton cleanup: ‘There’s never been anything like this’ 

USF’s Riverfront Park, located near the intersection of Fletcher Avenue and North 56th Street, was not hit as hard by Milton as the Gardens, but was not left entirely without damage.

The park temporarily closed due to downed utility lines, according to Jason Gosch, associate director of Recreation and Wellness Programs.

Although Riverfront Park has electricity, Gosch said a tree fell on a power line and there is a live wire in a wet area.

Gosch said the park reopening is “entirely at the mercy” of TECO repairing the power line, “hopefully” by the end of the week.

“Our goal is to have TECO repair ASAP, our staff to come clean ASAP and to be able to operate this weekend,” Gosch said.

Debris has not been cleared by maintenance since the team is prioritizing other parts of campus, Gosch said. 

“Thankfully, [there was no damage] to any of our main structures, like our boat house, our kayak shed, our challenge course shed or the challenge course itself,” Gosch said.

While there is still work to be done at the park, USF’s Campus Activity Board advertised Bulls Nite Out Outback Adventure scheduled for Friday night.

The park is working with its partners on alternatives for planned events if the park remains closed past this weekend, Gosch said.

A decision on the final location of the Bulls Nite Out will be made on Wednesday, according to Gosch.   

“It’s not as pretty or as clean as I would like it to be,” Gosch said. “But that’s nature.”

Additional reporting by Joana Riva.