At 11 a.m. on Monday, October 5, city officials gathered at 700 Florida Avenue to break ground on the $4.3 million Florida and Ohio Avenue Corridor Improvements Project. The city's notice said Phase I closures would begin that day, with detour signs in place. Florida Avenue is now closed to cars from W. 7th Street to W. 8th Street. W. 7th Street is closed between Ohio Avenue and Florida Avenue.
The closures are short: one block on each street. But they sit where the two downtown avenues connect, and for now that corner is a work zone. Ohio Avenue has no announced closures, so through the end of 2026 it carries downtown's errands, desserts and park visits. Florida Avenue is rebuilt over the same months.
Phase I closes two blocks
The city's Phase I closure notice, posted September 30, lists these closed sections:
- Florida Avenue, W. 7th Street to W. 8th Street, closed to vehicles
- W. 7th Street, Ohio Avenue to Florida Avenue, closed to vehicles
- Detours marked with posted signs around the work area
- Expected completion for both segments in early 2027
Ohio Avenue isn't on the list. Cars can still drive the length of Ohio, but the turn at 7th toward Florida Avenue is closed until the Phase I work finishes. The notice doesn't mention parking restrictions or special access to businesses, so the posted detour signs are the guide for now.
The Ohio Avenue stops, south to north
Ohio Avenue runs past the closure without a break. Here is how its established stops line up against the work zone.
| Address | Stop | Position relative to the closure |
|---|---|---|
| 400 Ohio Ave | PoFolks | South of 7th Street |
| 529 Ohio Ave | La Pera's Sweet Shop | South of 7th Street |
| W. 7th St, Ohio to Florida | Closed to vehicles | The work zone |
| 715 Ohio Ave | Domino's | Just north of 7th Street |
| 901 Ohio Ave | Sharon Sheffield Park | North of the work zone |
At the south end, PoFolks at 400 Ohio Avenue posts daily hours and takes orders online. Farther up the 500 block is the downtown stop with the most recent local coverage. Panhandle Fork profiled La Pera's Sweet Shop at 529 Ohio Avenue on September 1, about a month before the groundbreaking. The shop's bagels are prepared in New York, par-baked and frozen, then shipped to Lynn Haven and finished in the shop. That gives them the crisp outside and chewy center a New York bagel is known for.
Panhandle Fork also reported that La Pera's serves plain, everything, cinnamon raisin, onion, poppy and pumpernickel bagels. Spreads have included jalapeño cheddar and honey brown sugar, and the dessert menu runs to sundaes, milkshakes, ice cream sandwiches and ice cream nachos. Its slogans, "United We Scoop" and "Celebrating Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Ice Cream," carry a patriotic theme through the brand. The shop's website says it's open every day, which covers a morning bagel, an afternoon cinnamon roll or an evening sundae.
Domino's at 715 Ohio Avenue is closest to the work. It sits on the Ohio Avenue side, just north of the closed segment of 7th Street, and its store page still lists current hours and ordering. Two blocks north, Sharon Sheffield Park at 901 Ohio Avenue anchors the north end of the stretch. The city held its 2025 Christmas Tree Lighting there.
Florida Avenue gets the pavers
On Florida Avenue, the closure is the start of a rebuild. The city's notice describes the finished street: new pavers on Florida Avenue from 7th Street to 10th Street, new asphalt on the side streets, and new sidewalks, crosswalks, curbing, landscape planters and trees. The city says the project is meant to improve the downtown's appearance, make it safer for people on foot, and modernize public infrastructure.
Pavers are named only for Florida Avenue, which means this stretch will look the most changed when the work is done. It's also the street where restaurants sit inside the work area. Victoria's Last Bite is on Florida Avenue, and its website shows customer activity as recent as mid-October 2026. Call ahead or check the restaurant's own channels for the best way in while the street is under construction.
Federal money is paying for the work. It comes through the Community Development Block Grant–Disaster Recovery Hometown Revitalization Program, according to the city's groundbreaking announcement. The project took years to reach groundbreaking. In February 2023, the city asked architects and engineers to submit qualifications for design services, describing a corridor on Florida and Ohio Avenues between 7th and 12th Streets. The city's earlier project submission estimated the cost at $4.5 million and included storefront assistance along with the streetscape, electrical and landscaping work. The figure at groundbreaking was about $4.3 million.
The planning versions went further than the current notice. In April 2025, WMBB reported plans for five blocks on each avenue between 7th and 12th Streets. That plan included burying utilities and widening Florida Avenue. Those details come from the planning stage. The September 2026 notice describes Phase I and the paver work from 7th to 10th, and the city hasn't announced later phases yet.
How long the work lasts
The city has published two timelines:
- Phase I, covering Florida Avenue from 7th to 8th and W. 7th Street from Ohio to Florida, is expected to finish in early 2027.
- The full corridor project is expected to take about 12 months from the October 5 groundbreaking. That points to fall 2027, though the city hasn't published an end date.
That means a full year of downtown events will take place around active construction. The holiday season is the first.
The holiday season works around the corner
The city's biggest November event isn't downtown. Winter Wonderland 2026 is set for Saturday, November 21, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Lynn Haven Sports Complex, 2201 Recreation Drive, well away from Florida Avenue.
December is less settled. As of this week, the city's December 2026 calendar doesn't list a Christmas parade or tree lighting. Past years show where those events have been held. The 2025 tree lighting was at Sharon Sheffield Park, 901 Ohio Avenue, north of the closure. The 2024 Christmas Parade listing gave its location as 5th Street and Florida Avenue, two blocks south of the closed segment. Both spots are close to the work zone but outside it. Watch for the city's 2026 listings to see where the parade and tree lighting land this year.
One more stop is still open this week. As part of Florida Cities Week, WJHG reported a student art exhibit at City Hall that runs through Friday, October 30.
For the next few months, Ohio Avenue covers the routine trips: PoFolks and La Pera's on the south end, Domino's at 7th, and Sharon Sheffield Park at 901. Florida Avenue stays behind detour signs until the Phase I work finishes in early 2027.
If you own property near Florida or Ohio Avenue, the streetscape project will shape how downtown looks and works for the next year. At Think Real Estate, we follow each phase as the city posts it, and we're glad to talk through what the changes mean for your street. Contact a Local Expert.
