Craig Park's seawall is two separate jobs. On the western half, from the boat ramp toward the Beekman lot, the cap work is finished and the berm is waiting on its last drainage pieces. The eastern half runs from that lot to the observation deck, and that is where crews are still driving new panels into Spring Bayou. That is also the edge where people gather every January 6 to watch the cross dive.
For Epiphany 2027, the eastern stretch is the part that counts, and the contract the city approved this spring already covers what happens if it isn't done by January 6.
Two Halves, Two Kinds of Work
The city split Phase 1 into an 800-foot western stretch and a 1,200-foot eastern stretch, and the work on each side is very different.
- West, boat ramp to the Beekman lot. The old wall was in good shape apart from about 20 linear feet of damaged panel, so crews replaced the concrete cap and left the wall in place. The new cap averages about 2 inches higher than the old one. Flood protection here comes from a grassy berm behind the wall, built to 5.8 feet in elevation and designed to hold back a 10-year flood. The sidewalk here wasn't replaced because it already sits higher than the seawall.
- East, Beekman lot to the observation deck. This side gets a whole new wall and a new sidewalk at 5 feet, about 2 to 3 feet higher than the current cap and walkway, plus new drainage and check valves. The design calls for a vinyl sheet pile wall made of fiberglass-reinforced polymer, set about 18 inches in front of the existing seawall, with tiebacks, anchors and a reinforced concrete cap.
Most of the western work is already visible. On the city's Connect Tarpon Springs project page, Zone 3 was marked 100% complete on August 19, with the note "No more work will commence in this area." The eastern side is the slower, heavier job, and it started at the observation deck, which is the spot with the most to lose. According to Tampa Bay Times coverage of the contract approval, project administration director Bob Robertson said the deck sits about 3 feet above mean sea level on a shallow seawall that is "structurally failing and at risk of eventual collapse."
Three Finish Dates, and the Pace Behind Them
The city has given three completion dates for the same project:
| Source | What it says | Date of the statement |
|---|---|---|
| City answers to Tampa Bay Beacons | Substantial completion by early December, "in time for the Epiphany celebration" | August 31, 2026 |
| Active Project Status Summary | Estimated completion by December 31, 2026 | October 2, 2026 |
| Connect Tarpon Springs timeline | "Construction is expected to be completed in spring of 2027" | Page updated October 2, 2026 |
The contract itself sets two separate milestones. It gives the contractor 270 days from notice to proceed to reach substantial completion and 300 days to reach final completion. The city's own pages don't say which milestone each date refers to, so treat all three as estimates.
The best evidence is the rate of work. At the end of August, panel installation on the eastern side was about 15% complete, with no materials on back order. By the October 2 status report, panels were about 55% installed around the bayou, observation deck reconstruction had started, and the overall project was at 42% construction. That's roughly 40 percentage points of panel work in about a month. Crews have had extra hours since late May, when the city extended approved work time from daylight until 10 p.m., Monday through Saturday, with schedules adjusted around the tides.
The western berm was about 95% complete as of October 2. The last of it is waiting on drainage structures that keep rainwater from pooling behind the berms. That unfinished piece is on the western side, away from the Epiphany crowd.
The Clause Written for a Late Finish
The city planned for a delay from the start. When commissioners approved the $2.78 million contract with Florida Solid Solutions, doing business as Florida Seawall Solutions, Robertson said major construction was expected to finish "well before Jan. 6, 2027, next Epiphany," according to the Tampa Bay Times. The same report says that if the work runs long, the contractor has to give the Epiphany celebration unrestricted access to the eastern section of Spring Bayou, including the War Memorial and the platforms and sidewalks around it.
That clause is the backing for the line in bold on the city's project page: "Events will NOT be affected by any construction activities." It promises access to the eastern bayou, whether or not the wall is finished.
Here's where access stands as of the city's October 2 update:
- The observation deck is closed during Zone 4 construction.
- The Craig Park boat ramp is open.
- The float dock and gangway are open.
- The street-level sidewalk stays open next to the fenced work area.
Beekman Lane and the turnaround circle reopened on July 16 after a one-day closure for concrete pumping. Zone 5 is next on the project timeline, and the city says the whole marked area will close once panel driving starts there.
Five Events, One Edge Being Rebuilt
The city lists five Craig Park events between now and January, and all five fall before or near the three estimated finish dates. The further into the season an event falls, the more likely it is to look out over finished work.
- Veterans Day Ceremony & Lunch, Wednesday, November 11. The city lists it at Craig Park. No time or program has been posted yet.
- Snow Place Like Tarpon Springs and the holiday boat parade, Friday, December 4. Snow Place runs 5 to 10 p.m. downtown at 1 E. Tarpon Ave. It's free, with snow slides, Santa and letters to Santa. The boat parade listing from Visit St. Pete-Clearwater puts the parade from 6 to 9 p.m., starting at Tarpon Landing Marina and heading down the Anclote River to finish at Craig Park and Spring Bayou. It suggests watching from Spring Bayou or Whitcomb Bayou, or from waterfront tables at Rusty Bellies Waterfront Grill, Dimitri's on the Water, The Limani, Tarpon Turtle Waterfront Grill and Capt'n Jack's Waterfront Grill. Parking at the marinas and Craig Park is limited, and the listing points drivers to public lots along Dodecanese Boulevard. This is the date closest to the city's "early December" estimate, so the boats will reach a bayou edge that's either newly finished or close to it.
- Tarpon Springs Christmas Parade, Saturday, December 12. The Chamber of Commerce runs this downtown parade, and the route listing still reads "Details to follow."
- Light Up the Bayou, Thursday, December 24. The Sunset Hills Elementary PTA marks its 41st Christmas Eve this year. More than 3,000 Lambatha bags, $3.50 each, go around Spring Bayou and are lit by 6 p.m. Online orders close December 21 at 9 p.m., and in-person orders are taken at the bayou that day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The weather backup date is December 30. The city still supplies the sand for the bags, as it has since the first display in 1986. If the eastern wall is finished by then, bags on that side will sit on the new, higher sidewalk for the first time.
- Epiphany, Wednesday, January 6, 2027. St. Nicholas Cathedral's Epiphany page describes the procession to Spring Bayou, the blessing of the waters, the dove release and the cross dive. No 2027 schedule had been posted as of mid-October. Last January, 18-year-old Tarpon Springs resident Athos Karistinos retrieved the cross, as the Tampa Bay Times reported.
After January, the North Side Waits for Phase 2
Phase 1 doesn't cover all of Spring Bayou. The $2 million federal grant, which the city credits to the efforts of Representative Gus Bilirakis, only pays for the waterfront from the boat ramp to the observation deck, including the deck. City borrowing covers the rest of Phase 1. That share was first estimated at $1.6 million and came down to about $785,727 after the final bid, and the contract includes a $100,000 contingency. The remaining waterfront on the north side of the bayou, possibly along with the boat ramp and its parking area, is assigned to a second phase.
When the Phase 1 wall is done, Robertson expects it to last. Asked by Mayor John Koulianos how long the higher wall would hold up against rising seas, he told commissioners, "The target elevation is 5 feet. I think that gives us 50-plus years, the last numbers I saw," as quoted in the Tampa Bay Times. For anyone who wants updates on closures between now and January 6, you can subscribe on the city's Connect Tarpon Springs project page or email the Project Administration Department at [email protected].
Seawall height, cap condition and what's planned for the next phase all affect how a bayou-front property holds up over time. If you'd like help reading those details on a Tarpon Springs waterfront home you own or are considering, Kirsten Kelley is glad to go through them with you. Schedule a Consultation.
