As Tampa Bay Beacons reported, Mayor Joe Ayoub said in a Facebook video on the morning of Aug. 27, "It looks like everything is ready to go!" On camera, he checked the last item off a task list while Fiona Fun, the city mascot, stood beside him. The Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier opened at about 10 a.m. that day, and the announcement surprised most of the city.
Nobody waited for the formal ceremony. Visitors started showing up at the marina within hours. By late morning on Aug. 29, in heavy heat, families were walking the 420 feet out to the T-shaped deck to fish, look out over Old Tampa Bay, or just stand in the shade.
That rush makes sense, because the pier sits at the center of the city's logo. The other side of the story got far less coverage. The pier came back on its own. The marina, boat ramp, shelters and parking lane around it are still part of a construction project the city expects to finish by the end of December 2026. For this fall, that means the pier is a place to walk to, fish from and sit under cover. It isn't yet the drive-up marina outing it used to be.
Why the pier finished first
The pier didn't win a race. It came back early because the city could rebuild it exactly as it was. Hurricane Debby damaged the pier in August 2024, and Helene "fully destroyed" it the next month. The City Commission then fast-tracked a reconstruction of both the pier and the Safety Harbor Marina that had been planned for years. The city reused its existing permits for the pier's design and location to speed things up, and the new structure looks and works much like the old one.
Ayoub described the new design as identical to the old pier, just built with stronger materials. According to the city's construction timeline, the rebuild took 13 months and cost about $1.1 million. Federal and state grants covered most of it, and crews finished a few months before the original December target.
The marina has been harder. On Sept. 12, the day of the ribbon cutting, WFLA reported that the nearby marina still needed repairs. Hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton all damaged it. Ayoub put it simply at the ceremony: "We're still getting some of that stuff up and running again."
What's open on the waterfront, as of mid-September
The city posts weekly updates on its Pier & Marina Projects page. The most recent one, dated Sept. 14, says electricians spent Tuesday through Thursday on the marina's main electrical panel, and that the paving contractor came back to paint the boat trailer parking spaces. Electrical work was set to continue the following week. Here's how each piece stood in the city's notices at that point.
| Waterfront piece | Status in the city's mid-September notices |
|---|---|
| Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier | Open since Aug. 27 |
| Waterfront Park restrooms | Open |
| Waterfront Park access | Through the north entry near Jefferson Street |
| Boat ramp | Listed as closed during construction |
| Marina | Listed as closed, with electrical work ongoing |
| Veterans Memorial Lane parking | Listed as closed during construction |
| Veterans Memorial Park shelters | Listed as closed during construction |
Two details are easy to miss. First, even with crews painting boat trailer spaces in mid-September, the city still listed Veterans Memorial Lane parking as closed, and it hasn't posted a reopening date. Second, the city's project notice says 32 of the 35 bollard lights along the trail were still out. The weekly updates don't say when the lights will be fixed, so plan on a dim trail after sunset until the city reports otherwise.
The city's project page also links to a Weatherstem livestream of the marina. It's an easy way to check on the construction before you head over. You'll need a free account to log in.
What the pier is good for right now
The pier is a good walk, and the covered deck at the end is welcome. When the Times visited, one woman reached the end and announced, "We made it!" and another praised the shade. Ray Duke, a retired fire chief, came to the ceremony and called it popular from "sun up to sun down."
People started fishing right away. A visitor caught a baby stingray on Aug. 29 and released it. After the ribbon cutting, another visitor was out with a line in the water, saying "we were waiting and waiting to get back out here." That fits the man the pier is named for. Duke said Fire Marshal Brock spent his off-duty hours there: "if he wasn't working at the City for the fire department – he would be down here fishing."
Before you bring a rod, check two things the coverage doesn't answer. The city hasn't posted daily pier hours. And the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says saltwater fishing normally requires a license, even for catch-and-release. The exception is fishing from a pier that holds its own valid saltwater pier license. No source we found says whether this pier has one. A fishing license covers you either way, and FWC's license page explains the rules.
The surrounding park also changed during the rebuild. WTSP reported that the city refurbished Waterfront Park and replaced the seawall with a living shoreline, which uses plants and other natural materials in place of a hard wall. The mayor listed watching manatees among the reasons people come out. Laura Kepner, a longtime resident and author of "A Brief History of Safety Harbor, Florida," said much the same back in October 2024: "It's a place to see manatees and fish and hang out."
Where the rest of a waterfront afternoon fits this fall
Because the boat ramp and marina are closed, a trip to the pier this fall is short. You walk out, spend time on the deck and walk back. The rest of the afternoon happens on Main Street, up the hill, where the restaurants have also been changing.
What's new or changed on Main
- The Tides Seafood Market & Provisions, at 305 Main St., made the New York Times' 2026 list of 50 favorite restaurants in the country.
- The Sandwich on Main reopened in a bigger space at 801 Main St. It still serves sandwiches, soups, salads and house-baked goods.
- Bar Fly served its last night in Safety Harbor on July 30 after 14 years. Clearwater-based Frenchy's bought the space and plans to open its sixth restaurant there after renovations. An Aug. 7 report floated a September opening but said no building permit had been publicly confirmed, so treat that date as tentative.
- The Barking Lot, a 1,058-square-foot tavern where dogs can join you for a meal, won city approval in a 4–1 vote for 946 Main St. Its overflow parking will be on Delaware Street, and no opening date has been announced.
The fall calendar, in order
Some upcoming events return to the waterfront, and the rest stay on Main Street and at Folly Farm. The city already brought some events back to the water during construction. It moved the July 4 fireworks back to Waterfront Park after first planning to hold them at City Park, though WTSP reported there were no food or drink vendors because of the construction. The BDR Leftover 5K started from Waterfront Park and the Marina on Sept. 26.
- Sundays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: Market on Main is back from its summer break at 401 Main St., with produce, local food vendors and handmade goods.
- October concerts: The Safety Harbor Art & Music Center has Mighty Mystic on Oct. 2, Backtrack Blues Band on Oct. 10, Chris Beard on Oct. 11, Quinn Sullivan on Oct. 16, John Nemeth on Oct. 17 and Sauce Boss on Oct. 18.
- Oct. 16 and Nov. 20, 6 to 10 p.m.: The free Third Friday Street Celebration covers nine blocks of Main Street, with shops open late, live entertainment and wet-zoned drink sales.
- Oct. 23, 7:30 to 10 p.m.: Fright Nights at Folly Farm Nature Preserve, with an $8 haunted trail and a $3 kids' area.
- Nov. 11: The Veterans Day ceremony at Veterans Park at the Marina.
- November concerts: SHAMc has The Black Honkeys on Nov. 7, Coco Montoya on Nov. 8, Damon Fowler on Nov. 20 and Mikel Paris on Nov. 21.
- Nov. 21: Ride and Run with the Stars at Waterfront Park and the Marina.
- Dec. 4 and 5: The Tree Lighting at the John Wilson Park gazebo, then the Holiday Parade on Main Street the next day.
The city says it will post any event changes caused by the construction in each event's listing on SafetyHarborEvents.com. For the pier itself, the weekly updates on the city's Pier & Marina Projects page are the place to watch for the boat ramp, marina and Veterans Memorial Lane parking to come off the closed list.
If you live near the water and want to know what the waterfront recovery could mean for your home, or you just want to compare notes on the new pier, Jenny Neumeyer is glad to talk it through. Let's chat, whether you're looking for a home or getting ready to sell with confidence.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
