Parks, Cigars & a $31.5M Piece of Old Florida

Gasworx Park just got a face and a groundbreaking date. The guys behind Boulon are building a Mexican steakhouse off the Riverwalk. The Beachcomber sold for $31.5 million and Jimmy B's isn't going anywhere. Plus Florida just drew a line in the sand on data centers. Seven stories. Let's get into it.

By Taylor Gangis | May 11, 2026

🏗️ Gasworx Park Gets Real: Renderings Are Here and Ground Breaks This Year

What happened: Gasworx Park, the nearly one-acre green space at the heart of the Gasworx district in Ybor, officially has renderings out and is set to break ground in 2026.

The details: The park sits in front of the 28,000-square-foot marketplace that is being built inside a historic warehouse on the site. Plans show open lawn, tree-lined walkways, picnic areas, and cooling water features that mirror what you see at Curtis Hixon. The marketplace is slated to open in early 2027. Right now, two apartment buildings are already up and leasing. The Stevedore opened April 1 with 390 units. The Olivette, a 10-story tower with 376 units, just topped out this spring. The Grow Financial office tower is on track to open later this year. A 4,300-seat Live Nation music venue is also confirmed for the district, set to open in 2028. All of this on a 50-acre site connecting Ybor City to the Channel District, being built by developer Darryl Shaw and Washington D.C.-based Kettler.

Why it matters: When that park opens, Gasworx will have a real front door. A place to sit, gather, and feel the neighborhood. That is what turns a collection of buildings into somewhere people actually want to be.

My take: We have been watching this site change month by month. The buildings are up. The office tower is topped out. Now the park is getting its moment. Gasworx is not a future project anymore. It is almost here. The 3rd Avenue Paseo, the marketplace, the Live Nation venue, the streetcar stop, all of it landing within a year or two of each other. This is the stretch that turns Gasworx into a destination. Tampa's urban core does not have a lot of moments like this. Pay attention.

🍹 Beachcomber Sells for $31.5M. New Owner Says Jimmy B's Stays.

What happened: OTO Development, a South Carolina-based hotel company, bought The Beachcomber Resort on St. Pete Beach for $31.5 million. The deal closed May 4.

The details: The Beachcomber sits at 6200 Gulf Blvd. on four beachfront acres. It has 102 rooms, two pools, and direct beach access. The seller was Miami-based Gencom, which had owned it since 2018. OTO already owns the Hilton Garden Inn right next door, plus the AC Hotel in downtown St. Pete, the Hampton Inn in Ybor City, and the DoubleTree in North Redington Beach. That brings OTO's Tampa Bay footprint to five hotels and 681 rooms total. The Beachcomber had closed for about a year after Hurricanes Helene and Milton and reopened last October after a full restoration. The new general manager said it plainly: "Jimmy B's is a legend in this community."

Why it matters: A $31.5 million sale on a 102-room property on St. Pete Beach is a strong signal that the beaches market has real recovery momentum. Someone just bet big on it.

My take: OTO now controls two of the busiest beachfront bars on Gulf Boulevard, Jimmy B's and Coconut Charlie's. That stretch of beach is becoming a managed entertainment corridor, not just a row of independent hotels. Add The Luce opening next door this summer and the TradeWinds properties to the south, and that whole block is going to be one of the most active beach destinations in Florida. Watch how that drives room rates and what it does to the property values nearby.

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🥩 Matilde Is Coming: The Boulon Team Announces a Coastal Mexican Steakhouse Downtown

What happened: Next Level Brands, the group behind Boulon, Forbici, and Union New American, announced a new restaurant called Matilde coming to downtown Tampa's River Arts District.

The details: Matilde is described as an elevated coastal Mexican steakhouse. It takes 7,600 square feet on the ground floor of AER Tampa, the 334-unit luxury rental building at 300 W Tyler Street, right next to Straz Center and the Riverwalk. The opening target is spring 2027. The kitchen will be led by Next Level's Culinary Director Jacob Rios, a Food Network veteran who has helped shape Tampa's food identity for years. The restaurant is named after co-founder Andrew Wright's grandmother. The AER building is also home to JetSet Pilates, Yoga Six, Bagel Nook, and Engel & Volkers on the ground floor.

Why it matters: Next Level Brands has a strong track record in Tampa. Boulon on Water Street set a tone for the whole neighborhood. Matilde landing inside a major residential tower on the Riverwalk corridor adds another reason to live, eat, and stay in that part of downtown.

My take: Jeff Gigante and the Next Level team do not open restaurants in the wrong places. They opened Boulon on Water Street when Water Street was just getting started. They opened in Hyde Park when that neighborhood needed more. Now they are planting a flag at AER Tampa, right between the Straz and the Riverwalk. That is not a coincidence. The River Arts District is the next stretch of downtown to fill in. This restaurant is a down payment on that.

🖥️ DeSantis Signs Data Center Law: Floridians Will Not Pay for AI's Power Bill

What happened: Governor Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 484 at Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland on Thursday, creating new rules for large-scale data centers in Florida.

The details: The law blocks electric utilities from passing data center costs on to residential and small business customers. Data centers must cover their full cost of service, including electricity and infrastructure upgrades. Local governments keep the authority to approve or reject data center development in their communities through zoning and permitting. The bill also requires large-scale data centers to use reclaimed water as part of the permitting process. DeSantis signed this in Lakeland, where a proposed 4.4 million square foot data center on a former phosphate mine site had already drawn sharp pushback from the state. Pinellas County commissioners have also been vocal about not wanting large data centers in their area, citing water use concerns.

Why it matters: AI infrastructure is expanding fast and it is hungry for power and water. Florida just put a fence around who pays and who decides. Residents and small businesses are protected from higher utility bills. And local governments have a stronger say in what gets built near them.

My take: This hits close to home for Tampa Bay. Pinellas is already debating whether to block data centers entirely. This law gives local governments more teeth to do that, while also making the economics less attractive for developers who were counting on shifting costs to the grid. If you are watching the land use story in this region, this is worth tracking. Industrial land near major power lines just got more complicated.

🚦 FDOT Commits $31M to Keep Tampa Bay Traffic Running Smarter

What happened: FDOT District 7 awarded a five-year, $31 million contract to Iteris Inc. to operate the Regional Transportation Management Center for the Tampa Bay area.

The details: The contract covers around-the-clock monitoring of roads across Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties. Iteris has handled this work for over a decade and is back for another term. The center manages traffic signals, detects incidents, and coordinates responses across a network that links 12 jurisdictions. Iteris is bringing in Lucent Group as a partner to handle highway operations, arterial coordination, and incident response. The contract was announced April 22.

Why it matters: With this region growing as fast as it is, having a fully staffed, well-funded traffic operations center is infrastructure that does not get much attention but matters every single day. Faster incident clearance means fewer backups. Smarter signal timing means less time stuck on I-275.

My take: This is the kind of investment that does not get headlines but should. Roads do not just get more capacity. They get smarter. Thirty-one million dollars over five years to make sure the entire Tampa Bay highway network is being actively managed is a serious commitment. As this region keeps building, the difference between a city that moves and one that does not often comes down to how well the infrastructure is operated, not just how much was built.

🌊 Sarasota County Votes 4-1 to Buy Stickney Point for $18.1M. Businesses Must Be Out by May 14.

What happened: Sarasota County commissioners approved the purchase of Stickney Point Plaza near the south bridge to Siesta Key for $18.1 million, with total financing of $20.77 million.

The details: The site is at 1500 Stickney Point Road on the mainland side, just before the bridge to Siesta Key. It is 2.04 acres with 21 commercial condo parcels. The county plans to demolish the buildings and build a waterfront park with kayak and canoe launches, fishing access, 30 to 40 boat slips, picnic areas, and space for mobile vendors. The vote was 4-1, with Commissioner Tom Knight in opposition. The property was appraised at $14 million. The county paid $18.1 million. Businesses currently on the site, including longtime tenant Siesta Key Watersports, were told to vacate by May 14. Closing on the property is expected in July.

Why it matters: Sarasota is buying back its waterfront. Public access to water is getting harder to come by as values rise. This is a long-term play on keeping that access open to everyone.

My take: The price is steep and the vote was not unanimous for a reason. Paying $4 million over appraised value is a real question. But Commission Chair Ron Cutsinger said it well: you buy this with a 20-year lens, not a short-term one. The waterfront at that gateway to Siesta Key is not something you get a second shot at. The harder story here is what happens to Siesta Key Watersports and the other small businesses pushed out. That is the real cost that does not show up in the financing documents.

🍃 Rumor Roundup

Word on the street from @exhale_kale's Instagram is that King Corona Cigars, the Ybor institution that's been rolling on 7th Avenue since 1998, is set to announce a new lounge location soon. No address, no timeline, nothing confirmed. But King Corona expanding makes a lot of sense given what is happening across the district right now. Nothing on paper yet.

THE CLOSE

Gasworx Park has a look. The Beachcomber has a new owner who gets it. Tampa's food scene is about to get a Riverwalk anchor and Ybor might be getting another great place to smoke a cigar. This region keeps stacking up reasons to pay attention. We will keep documenting it.

See you next week. — Real Tampa Bay

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