Where does a walk to the Gulf end in Olde Naples this fall? It no longer ends at the foot of 12th Avenue South. That block stays fenced off for the length of the pier rebuild, and the City has sent beach traffic one street north and one street south. Those two streets, Broad Avenue South and 13th Avenue South, now mark out most of what is new in the neighborhood this season. They frame the beach access, the newest hotel and dining room, and the winter footprint of the Saturday market.
The City Drew the New Map
The closure covers more than the pier deck. The City of Naples lists the pier itself, its stairs, its restrooms and showers, and 12th Avenue South west of Gulf Shore Boulevard South as off-limits for the roughly 18-month project. Parking is reduced too. Only the western third of the pier lot at 12th Avenue South and Gulf Shore Boulevard South is open to the public. The other two-thirds hold construction equipment.
To keep the beach open, the City set up pedestrian bypasses at the Broad Avenue South and 13th Avenue South beach ends. Both stay open for the whole project, and both have restrooms. The pier's showers and comfort station are gone for now, so these two beach ends are where a morning walk, a sunset visit or a trip with guests will start and finish until the new structure opens. The City posts updates on its Naples Pier Rebuild Project page.
Behind the Fence, the Halfway Mark Has Passed
The work site between those two beach ends has moved faster than many large coastal projects. Construction began Jan. 6, 2026, the day after a public groundbreaking. Demolition of the old pier was finished by April 13. The City says a calm summer helped crews keep up their pace.
The clearest measure of progress is concrete. The rebuild needs about 602 cubic yards in total. The first pour on June 26 placed roughly 20 cubic yards, and about 200 had been poured by July 24. The Sept. 18 pour at the mid-Pavilion site took the project past 50 percent of the concrete required.
Several upcoming steps will show from the beach:
- Decking. Two-thirds of the new ipe decking had arrived by July 24. Ipe is a tropical hardwood chosen because it resists rot. Shoreline Foundation Inc. plans to start laying it once all the concrete is poured.
- Structure. The new piles are 18 inches in diameter, up from 14. The concrete support under the decking is stronger, and the whole pier sits higher. Gulfshore Business reported the new deck will be raised at least 3 feet.
- Amenities. Benches and fish-cleaning stations are on the list of finishing work, along with utility systems and renovations to the bathroom and storage building.
Part of the old pier now sits offshore. On April 24, 59 concrete pilings were placed at Wasmer Reef, expanding an artificial reef first established in 2015.
The two published cost figures cover different things. Shoreline Foundation's construction contract, awarded in October 2024, was $23.5 million. Gulfshore Business put the full reconstruction project at $26.3 million. On timing, an early-2026 Gulfshore Business report projected completion in July 2027 and a reopening by summer 2027. The City's own timeline still gives no firm reopening date. Taken together, the sources point to this coming winter being the last full season without the pier.
A Couple of Blocks Inland, a New Anchor at 200 Broad
The north bypass is at the Gulf end of Broad Avenue South. A couple of blocks east, at 200 Broad Ave. S., the Olde Naples Hotel opened this year on the former site of The Plaza on Third Street, the shopping center that bordered Third Street South, Broad Avenue and Gordon Drive. The Camalier family, who own the property and have lived in Naples for more than 60 years, partnered with Ocean Properties Hotels & Resorts on the project. It joins the company's Opal Collection, which also includes The Capri Inn in Old Naples.
The first building and Annie's Bistro, Bar & Bakery opened to the public May 15. Naples Press reported that the rest of the 109 rooms would follow over the summer. The hotel's website now shows the property as open. Hart Howerton designed the three-story building, which takes its inspiration from the original 1889 Naples Hotel that once stood nearby.
"Old Naples has always had a strong sense of place, and we wanted this hotel to carry that forward in a way that feels natural today," general manager Laura Radler told Naples Press.
Annie's is the part most open to the neighborhood. It is a 222-seat room just east of the lobby. The menu starts with espresso and house-made pastries in the morning and moves to an approachable American dinner menu. The room has large murals, a central piano and a gilded ceiling detail. There is also grab-and-go coffee. The plans include about 3,755 square feet of ground-floor retail along Third Street South, which puts the hotel's street frontage on the same blocks as the winter market. Hours were set at opening and may have changed since spring, so check with the hotel before planning an early breakfast.
Mid-November, the Market Moves Into the Same Frame
The Third Street South Farmers Market runs every Saturday of the year from 7:30 to 11:30 a.m. Its location changes with the season. From May to November it sets up in the Neapolitan parking lot between Third Street South and Gordon Drive. From mid-November through April it moves onto Third Street South itself, between Broad Avenue South and 13th Avenue South.
Those are the same two cross streets the City picked for its beach bypasses. Starting in mid-November, a Saturday on foot can go from produce stalls on Third Street to the Gulf without leaving the Broad-to-13th corridor. Market regulars include vendors selling flowers, pastas, seafood, baked goods, jams and fresh roasted coffee, and there are dog treats too.
The corridor has one more opening coming. The historic Olde Naples Building at 1148 Third St. S. has been vacant for a long stretch. Naples Daily News reported a new restaurant lease there on June 18, 2026. At its Aug. 19 meeting, Naples City Council voted unanimously to approve an outdoor dining permit for the incoming operator, an Italian restaurant, according to Naples Daily News. Neither the restaurant's name nor an opening date has been announced in that coverage, so for now this is an approved plan.
The Dates Between Now and the Tree Lighting
These are the events already on the calendar for the corridor and the blocks around it:
- Oct. 8, 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Evening on Fifth along Fifth Avenue South.
- Saturdays Oct. 10, 17, 24 and 31. The farmers market is still in the Neapolitan lot.
- Oct. 15 to 18. The Bon Marché Autumn Sidewalk Sale on Third Street South, with more than 25 participating businesses.
- Oct. 31. Halloween Spooktacular at Cambier Park from 3 to 5 p.m., followed by Evening on Fifth from 5 to 8 p.m.
- Nov. 14, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The first Fine Arts & Craft Show of the season at Cambier Park. It is the first of six shows that run from November through April.
- Mid-November. The farmers market moves back onto Third Street South between Broad and 13th.
- Nov. 23, 6 to 9 p.m. The Naples Tree Lighting opens the 49th annual Christmas on Third. Holiday programming continues Tuesday through Saturday of Thanksgiving week.
A few blocks north, Fifth Avenue South added several new spots earlier this year. All Too Well Gourmet Sandwiches opened Feb. 12 at 795 Fifth Ave. S. and Barrio Taqueria opened Feb. 18 at 539 Fifth Ave. S. The Augusta Clothing Company held its grand opening March 21 at 601 Fifth Ave. S. For a slower walk through the historic blocks, our Olde Naples lifestyle guide covers the streets that have stayed the same.
Once the decking is down and the pier reopens, 12th Avenue South will be the main route to the Gulf again. Until then, the season runs through Broad Avenue South and 13th Avenue South.
If you're thinking about how the new hotel, the Olde Naples Building restaurant and the pier's return could shape your corner of Olde Naples, The Resop Team is glad to talk it through over coffee on Third Street. Book an Appointment whenever it suits your season.
