Construction is officially underway on a new eight-story, 161-unit hotel along Madeira Way after a groundbreaking ceremony last Thursday.
The project, called The Beachmaker, will replace a cluster of vacant and storm-damaged buildings that have sat idle since the 2024 hurricane season. Madeira Beach Mayor Anne-Marie Brooks attended the event and operated construction equipment to demolish part of an existing structure on the site.
“The storm was terrible,” Brooks said. “It devastated our town, and all of our residents are still trying to rebuild. Seeing this piece of property leveled and seeing the progress start is something exciting.”
Developer Bill Karnes described the new construction project as a sign of renewal for the area, saying he hopes the hotel will draw visitors back to the beach community.
Not everyone is without reservations. Will Beneziano, who has owned Mad Beach Dive Shop along Madeira Way for 12 years, said he welcomes the foot traffic a new hotel could bring but worries about the long-term character of the neighborhood.
“We’re just worried about how much more pressure we’re going to get from outside forces,” he said. “We are old school Madeira Beach, mom and pop shop, so we have already started feeling it.”
Beneziano added that his own shop is still completing post-storm renovations and plans to hold a re-grand opening at the end of May.
The Beachmaker is expected to open sometime in 2027.
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