7 Stories You Need to Read Before the Week Starts

Alright, Tampa Bay. Let's talk.

This weekend welcomed March Madness, The Valspar and many more fun activities across Tampa Bay. What an absolute beautiful weekend of weather we had. Here is what you might have missed.

The state is rebuilding the Skyway Fishing Pier from scratch. A 320-unit apartment building is replacing the Office Depot on Dale Mabry.

Forbici is finally setting a date in St. Pete. A brand new restaurant opens tonight on South Howard.

The Tampa Riverwalk is up for best in the country and needs your vote.

A 420-mile trail is being planned along the Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay all the way to Naples.

And the Salvador Dalí Museum just dropped a $65 million expansion plan that will make St. Pete's waterfront one of the best cultural destinations in the South.

Big week. Let's get into it.

The Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier Is Getting Completely Rebuilt

What happened: Governor DeSantis announced Thursday that the state is building a brand new fishing pier on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway, right next to the current one, while the Pinellas side gets major renovations to extend its lifespan by at least 20 years. Part of the Manatee side has been closed since Hurricane Milton hit in October.

The details: The Manatee side is not getting a patch job. It gets a full replacement. A new pier goes up next to the existing structure while crews demo what Milton left behind. On the Pinellas side, the renovation is built to keep the structure solid for decades. Preliminary work is already underway, including wider sidewalks along the seawall and upgraded parking areas. Temporary fishing piers go in during construction so the community isn't left without a spot. A hard completion date has not been released yet, but DeSantis said the state plans to move

Why it matters: The Skyway Pier is not just a fishing spot. It is one of the most iconic landmarks in Tampa Bay, and Hurricane Milton took a meaningful chunk of it away. What DeSantis announced is a full rebuild and upgrade on both sides at the same time. When it reopens, it will be better than it was before the storm.

My take: If the rumors of not being able to drive on it are true, that will piss a bunch of people off LOL.

The Skyway Pier means something different to locals than it does to visitors. People grew up fishing off those railings. It is a ritual, not a tourist attraction. The fact that the state is building new instead of just patching things up says a lot about how seriously they are taking this. Worth watching closely.

A $68 Million Apartment Building Is Replacing the Office Depot on Dale Mabry

What happened: A new development called The Mabry is planned at 211 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa's Westshore district, on the current site of the Office Depot. The project is valued at $68 million and calls for 320 apartment units across seven stories.

The details: LeCesse Development Corporation is behind the project, with Baker Barrios as architect. The design includes 320 units, a ground-floor lobby and co-working space, and an eight-story parking garage with 448 spaces. Two interior courtyards anchor the design, with a main amenity deck featuring a pool and outdoor gathering areas. The site is part of Tampa Commons, a retail center controlled by RMC Property Group, which owns multiple properties along that stretch of Dale Mabry. Unit mix, rental rates, and a construction start date have not yet been disclosed.

Why it matters: Dale Mabry north of Kennedy has been big-box retail and surface parking for a long time. A seven-story residential building with ground-floor amenities on one of Tampa's busiest corridors is a different kind of project for this area. It adds density where there was none and moves Westshore closer to the mixed-use district it has been growing into for years.

My take: The Office Depot era on that corner is over. RMC controls multiple properties along that same stretch, which means this probably is not the last redevelopment announcement on that corridor. Keep an eye on Dale Mabry north of Kennedy. Something is building there.

Forbici Is Opening in St. Pete This Spring

What happened: Forbici Modern Italian is set to open its downtown St. Pete location at Sundail this spring in the 12,000-square-foot second-floor space that used to be Sea Salt at 183 2nd Avenue North. A $3.5 million renovation of the space is already complete. Target opening is late April.

The details: Forbici is part of Next Level Brands, the Tampa-based restaurant group led by Jeff Gigante, Andrew Wright, and Joseph Guggino. The St. Pete location will seat 350 guests and brings a more elevated version of the Hyde Park original to downtown St. Pete. Guests walk in through a small market stocked with specialty wines, Italian seasonings, pasta, and pantry staples. The space once held Sea Salt's 80-foot bar and a 20-foot wine tower capable of holding 6,000 bottles. Forbici is making it its own. Indoor and outdoor seating both overlook the Sundial courtyard below.

Why it matters: Forbici is not a new experiment. It is a proven concept with a loyal following built over years in Hyde Park, and it is landing in one of the most prominent restaurant spaces in downtown St. Pete. That Sea Salt address carries weight. Forbici stepping into it with a $3.5 million renovation and a more polished version of its concept is a real statement.

My take: St. Pete's dining scene keeps climbing. The Sundial space needed the right tenant, and Forbici is it. When this place is packed on a Friday night with the courtyard buzzing below, it will feel like exactly what it was always supposed to be.

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717 South Is Gone. The Landon Opens Tonight.

What happened: The restaurant address at 717 S. Howard Ave. in SoHo reopens tonight as The Landon, a brand new concept from the same owner, Michael Stewart. The space has been closed since a 2024 fire shut down 717 South, and Stewart chose to rebuild at the same address rather than move.

The details: The Landon is an Italian and Pacific Rim fare concept led by Chef Robert Hesse, with a fully remodeled dining room from floor to ceiling. Reservations opened through OpenTable on the same day the restaurant was announced. Stewart had every reason to walk away from 717 South Howard after the fire. He stayed, rebuilt, and opens tonight.

Why it matters: 717 South Howard is one of those addresses in Tampa that means something to people. It is not just a location. It is a reference point for how SoHo became what it is today. The Landon is not a replacement of what was there. It is a new chapter at the same address, with a menu concept that does not exist anywhere else in South Tampa right now.

My take: SoHo did not need another restaurant. It needed this one. When a chef rebuilds at the same address after a fire instead of taking an easier exit, that says everything about how they feel about the place. Tonight is going to be a full house.

The Tampa Riverwalk Is Nominated for Best in the Country. Go Vote.

What happened: The Tampa Riverwalk is nominated for Best Riverwalk in the United States in the 2026 USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards. This is the fourth year in a row it has received the nomination. Voting is open once per day through April 6 at 11:59 a.m.

The details: The Riverwalk runs 2.6 miles along the Hillsborough River through downtown Tampa, connecting Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, the Straz Center, the Tampa Museum of Art, the Convention Center, the History Center, hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues. It became a fully continuous public pathway in 2016 and has been one of the city's most used outdoor spaces ever since. The winner is decided entirely by public vote, one vote per person per day.

Why it matters: Four straight nominations means the Riverwalk keeps showing up as one of the best in the country in the eyes of the people who actually use it. That is not luck. That is what a decade of investment in the downtown waterfront looks like from the outside.

My take: This is one of the few moments where showing up for Tampa literally takes 30 seconds. Vote today. Vote every day through April 6. The link is below.

Vote here through April 6

A 420-Mile Trail Is Being Planned Along the Gulf Coast from Tampa Bay to Naples

What happened: Plans are advancing for the Florida Gulf Coast Trail, a proposed 420-mile continuous trail system that would connect Tampa Bay to Naples, linking seven counties and more than 50 communities along Florida's Gulf Coast. The initiative is led by the Trust for Public Land.

The details: The trail would run from Hillsborough and Pinellas counties in the north all the way down to Lee and Collier counties in the south, passing through 52 communities. It connects to other major trail networks already in progress, including the Florida Coast to Coast Trail running from St. Petersburg to Titusville, which is currently 90% complete. In Hillsborough County, plans include a dedicated pedestrian and cyclist path on the Howard Frankland Bridge and a connection to the Courtney Campbell Causeway trail, creating a 26-mile bay crossing loop. Closing those two gaps is all it takes to make that loop a reality.

Why it matters: Tampa Bay's trail infrastructure has been one of the most underappreciated development stories of the last decade. The Pinellas Trail, the Riverwalk, the Courtney Campbell trail — most people use them without realizing they are pieces of a much larger system being connected together. The Florida Gulf Coast Trail is what happens when those pieces finally link all the way to Naples. That stops being a local amenity and starts being a statewide asset.

My take: Two gaps. That is all that stands between Tampa Bay having a connected 26-mile bay loop that would become a destination on its own. The economic and quality-of-life case for trail infrastructure is not theoretical anymore. Cities with trails attract people. This one would attract a lot of them.

The Dalí Museum Just Announced a $65 Million Expansion

What happened: The Salvador Dalí Museum in downtown St. Pete announced a $65 million expansion that adds roughly 35,000 square feet to its waterfront campus at 1 Dalí Boulevard. Construction starts in fall 2026 and new spaces open to the public in 2028.

The details: The expansion builds primarily on the south side of the existing museum between the building and Dalí Boulevard. New additions include flexible gallery spaces built for immersive art and technology experiences, a dedicated student learning center for K-12 and adult education programs, a rooftop terrace, and new community event spaces. Funding comes from private donations, corporate sponsorships, grants, and a $25 million tourist development tax grant from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater through its "From Visitors with Love" initiative. The museum houses more than 2,400 works by Dalí, one of the largest collections outside of Spain, and stays open throughout construction.

Why it matters: The Dalí is already one of the most architecturally distinct museums in the country. This expansion repositions it for the next generation of museum visitors who expect immersive, technology-driven experiences alongside traditional collections. When it opens in 2028, St. Pete will have one of the most compelling cultural waterfronts in the entire Southeast.

My take: A $25 million public investment from tourist tax revenue being reinvested into making the city even more worth visiting is exactly how this is supposed to work. The rooftop terrace is going to become one of the most photographed spots in Tampa Bay. And the immersive gallery concept is a direct play for the audience that drove three hours for Immersive Van Gogh. That audience is huge. And it is coming here.

That is a wrap on this week. If you found this useful, forward it to one person who cares about what is happening in Tampa Bay. It is the best way to grow this thing.

See you next week.

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