You can’t throw a stone in the Tampa Bay area without hitting a construction site.
A population explosion during the COVID-19 pandemic helped put the region on the map, attracting developers and investors from near and far.
Some of that growth has since evened out. But rapidly rising skylines and once-sleepy blocks now teeming with energy serve as visible proof of the change that’s taken root.
With new projects announced every month, it can be hard to keep track of which building is going where and when (or if) it will come to fruition.
In no particular order, here are some of the biggest real estate developments moving forward into 2026.
Crews are hard at work building this luxury condo from South Florida developer Kolter Urban, adding roughly one floor each week.
The tower is expected to top out by summer 2026. Rising 42 stories in the heart of downtown Tampa, it will become the city’s tallest residential tower.
Amenities will include, a private dining room, a game room with virtual sports and F1 racing simulators, a theater room, a business lounge equipped with meeting rooms, a pool deck overlooking Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and two guest suites.
After nearly two years of construction, this 50-acre mega development in a former industrial section of Ybor City is finally starting to take shape. The first apartment, La Unión Residence & Social Hall, opened in November 2024.
That’s just the beginning for the project, spearheaded by local businessman Darryl Shaw and Washington D.C.-based developer Kettler.
A second apartment called The Stevedore will open early next year. Two more mixed-use residential buildings, Oliviette and The Luisa, will top out next year with an expected opening date sometime in 2027.
The district’s signature office tower will also open in 2026. It will become the new headquarters for Grow Financial.
Work will continue on a 28,000-square-foot marketplace being built out of a former warehouse. Across the street, crews will break ground on the one-acre Gasworx Park.
Located on Central Avenue in St. Petersburg’s EDGE District, this 2.1-acre project from local firm Ellison Development will add a 168-room hotel with a restaurant run by a celebrity chef, a 140,000 square-foot office building, a handful of below market rate apartments and ground floor retail space.
The only component that’s open right now is a 541-space parking garage. But crews will break ground on the Halycon office tower early next year and the Autograph Collection hotel by mid 2026.
Naples-based Stock Development made waves this summer when it closed on a 0.9-acre lot in downtown Tampa for $40 million.
The seller, TLR Group, had already received approval from the city to build a 48-story tower on the site.
Stock Development plans to build to the max height, creating Tampa’s tallest skyscraper. The building will be a luxury branded condo, said Keith Gelder, president of land acquisitions and development for Stock Development.
Beyond that, few details have been announced. Gelder said Stock is still “in the conceptual design phase” and has been in talks with several potential brand partners.
Demolition of the century-old office building that currently occupies the site has begun and should be completed sometime next year.
This shuttered dog track near the Gandy Bridge in St. Petersburg was purchased by a Connecticut investment firm called Rally Development in April.
Initially, the company’s sole focus was running the game room, which is still open to the public for poker, simulcast betting and more.
But CEO Sagi Genger told the Tampa Bay Times his team is now searching for a development partner who can turn the 130-acre site into a full-fledged entertainment destination.
They’ve already started soliciting formal proposals and plan to choose a partner sometime early next year.
It’s still unclear what exactly will get built. But Genger said initial pitches have included an indoor/outdoor sports center and an amphitheater with retail.
In a unique twist on the growing branded-condo trend, this project is a collaboration between the French designer furniture company Roche Bobois and Clearwater-based Valor Real Estate Development.
In August, the team received approval from the city to build a 29-story tower at the corner of 4th Avenue South and 4th Street South. Once complete, it will include 160-plus residences, more than 4,000 square feet of ground floor retail and restaurant space and a 5,000-square-foot public arts plaza.
Several vacant apartment buildings still stand on the property, but demolition is on the horizon. Crews are expected to break ground in the first half of next year and finish building by 2028.
Slated to open in 2027, the Pendry Tampa is a five-star branded condo/hotel concept that’s been in the works for more than three years.
South Florida developer Two Roads obtained $520 million in construction loans for the project this year. The 38-story tower located along the Tampa Riverwalk will top out sometime next year.
Once complete, the property will include 220 guest rooms, 200 private residences, a rooftop pool, a spa and several dining and nightlife venues from nationally acclaimed Clique Hospitality.
Tampa City Council approved a redevelopment plan in 2024 that would pave the way for a sprawling mixed-use district with shopping, apartments, offices and even medical facilities to replace WestShore Plaza mall.
WestShore Plaza’s owner, Washington Prime Group, listed the 52-acre property for sale in February.
There are no takers so far. But if someone closes on the property next year, it could be the beginning of the end for the nearly 60-year-old mall.
It’s been three years since Miami-based Related Group paid $5.5 million for 6 acres on the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa.
In August the company filed plans to build a 38-story, 269-unit luxury residential tower on that property.
The expected cost of construction was pegged at around $150 million.
No timeline for groundbreaking has been announced yet. But this first tower will be part of a larger vision for the Riverwalk district.
The fate of the largest piece of untouched land in downtown St. Petersburg was thrown into question yet again this year after the Tampa Bay Rays backed out of a deal to redevelop the 56-acre property where their stadium now stands.
In January, the city will issue its third request for proposals in five years, asking for ideas from anyone who thinks they have what it takes to finally bring this project to home base.
Several developers have already thrown their hats in the ring including Red Apple Group, the company behind St. Petersburg’s tallest tower, and a team led by Cathie Wood, CEO of Ark Invest.
