What is going up behind the barriers in the Macy's parking lot at Coastland Center? Enough people asked that a reader question about the fencing in the southwest lot, "in the shadow of Macy's," ran in Tim Aten's Naples Press column this spring. The answer is Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill. It is one of three sit-down restaurants now taking shape along the mall's U.S. 41 frontage, the commercial edge closest to The Moorings.
Taken together, the projects point the mall outward. Two of the three, Oar & Iron and Atlantic Forge, come with large patios, firepits and repainted walls aimed at the highway and the side streets that Moorings residents drive every day. They also share a calendar, and it does not fall this fall. Every one of them is aiming for late 2026 or early 2027.
Coastland's Western Edge, One Outparcel at a Time
The west side of Coastland Center grew in steps. The Cheesecake Factory came first, followed by freestanding buildings for CMX CinéBistro, Uncle Julio's, Bahama Breeze Island Grille and Twin Peaks. Oar & Iron will be the sixth chain restaurant outparcel on that end of the property.
Two of the five existing buildings are dark. Uncle Julio's moved out of its building in February. The Bahama Breeze building at 2088 Ninth St. N. is still vacant. A Sept. 25 Naples Press report said Darden Restaurants had no short-term plans for it.
The former Uncle Julio's already has its next tenant. Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse is building out the nearly 11,500-square-foot building at 2096 Ninth St. N., on the mall's northwest corner at U.S. 41 North and Golden Gate Parkway. The Naples Design Review Board gave final approval to the façade, landscaping and signage changes on Aug. 26. The changes are easy to see from the road. The colorful mural on the building's western wall, toward U.S. 41, will be painted over in white with the restaurant's name in gold letters. Italian cypress, bougainvillea and podocarpus will replace the agave and umbrella plants. The ironwork near the patio comes out. The patio plans include firepit tables, freestanding firepits, planters and a built-in gas fireplace, according to the design firm's presentation to city staff as Gulfshore Business reported it. The menu has not been announced, and the opening is expected in early 2027.
Oar & Iron, at the other end of the frontage, is set up the same way. The restaurant at 2094 Ninth St. N. will have 5,899 square feet indoors and an 1,833-square-foot patio with a firepit under a louvered pergola. The patio sits beside the main entrance at the corner of Fleischmann Boulevard and U.S. 41. The concept is a Florida version of 110 Grill from the Northeast, with lighter nautical colors, a raw bar and a menu that leans toward seafood and steak. North Naples has had one since late 2023 in Founders Square at Collier Boulevard and Immokalee Road. The Coastland restaurant will be the brand's fifth.
The schedule has already moved once. The first sign on the lot said "Coming late 2025." In May, Rob Luzzi of RAVentures Hospitality Group told Naples Press that the group "would love to be open by the end of 2026, but otherwise early 2027, based on construction." The Sept. 25 update still listed it as under construction, with no fixed date.
The North Entrance Gets a Churrascaria, and Golden Gate Gets a Clinic
The third restaurant is inside the mall. Rodizio Grill, the Brazilian steakhouse, is building out 2048 Ninth St. N. at the mall entrance near CMX CinéBistro. The space has housed Aurelio's Pizza, Pate's House of Prime Rib and Ted's Montana Grill over the years, and the build-out joins it to an empty unit next door. The result is 9,160 square feet of indoor dining. That is much larger than the Rodizio Grill that has operated at Coconut Point mall in Estero since April 2016, and the Naples location will have no outdoor seating. The format is all-you-can-eat. Gauchos carve rotisserie-grilled meats at the table, and there is a salad bar with hot and cold sides plus a full bar. Its target is the same late 2026 or early 2027. As of late September it was still under construction.
Across Golden Gate Parkway, the change is not a restaurant. Northwestern Concierge Clinic is building out the former Dorona space at 2110 Tamiami Trail N., in Centre Pointe on the northeast corner of U.S. 41 and the parkway. The clinic had not announced its services as of the Sept. 25 report.
What You Can Actually Walk Into This Month
Against that list of fenced sites, here is what has actually opened. Just Salad has opened at 1993 Tamiami Trail N., Unit 0004A, in the Publix center across U.S. 41 from Coastland. A Sept. 17 USA Today Network report placed its opening celebration in the week of Sept. 21. The company's grand opening page lists Naples promotions on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and again from Thursday, Oct. 15, through Saturday, Oct. 17.
A little farther north, Juice Society has been serving juices, smoothies and superfood bowls at 4233 Ninth St. N. in Park Shore Plaza since May 13.
Park Shore Plaza is also filling two large retail vacancies, both run by TJX Companies. Sierra, which sells discounted activewear, footwear, outdoor gear and sporting equipment, is taking the 18,676-square-foot former Party City space between Burlington and Kirkland's Home. TJ Maxx is moving into the 27,000-square-foot space that Saks Off 5th left this spring after 10 years, between The Fresh Market and Barnes & Noble. Brixmor Property Group, which owns the center, expects Sierra before the end of this year and TJ Maxx in the first quarter of 2027, according to Naples Press. TJX itself would not confirm dates. Sierra's only Florida store has been in Jacksonville, and the brand's own store locator still showed no Naples location when checked this fall.
Here is the corridor's calendar, using the most recent published timing for each address:
| Address | What's coming | Status | Published timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 Tamiami Trail N. | Just Salad | Open | Celebration week of Sept. 21; promotions Oct. 14–17 |
| 4233 Ninth St. N. | Juice Society | Open | Opened May 13 |
| Park Shore Plaza, former Party City | Sierra | Not yet open | Before end of 2026 |
| 2094 Ninth St. N. | Oar & Iron Raw Bar & Grill | Under construction | End of 2026, otherwise early 2027 |
| 2048 Ninth St. N. | Rodizio Grill | Under construction | Late 2026 or early 2027 |
| 2096 Ninth St. N. | Atlantic Forge Mediterranean Steakhouse | Design approved Aug. 26 | Early 2027 |
| Park Shore Plaza, former Saks Off 5th | TJ Maxx | Planned | First quarter of 2027 |
| 2110 Tamiami Trail N. | Northwestern Concierge Clinic | Build-out | Not announced |
| 2088 Ninth St. N. | Former Bahama Breeze | Vacant | No plans announced |
Inside the Neighborhood, the Change Is at Harbour and Crayton
The City of Naples plans to replace the signal at Harbour Drive and Crayton Road with a single-lane roundabout. The city's request for proposals explains why. The current span-wire signal does not meet FDOT coastal-zone standards, and the city points to crash data, red-light running and maintenance costs. It says the roundabout is meant to slow traffic, reduce severe crashes, improve safety for people on foot and bike, and upgrade the utilities underneath.
The contract is still out for bid. The city's RFP 26-025 carries a $1.6 million budget and closes to proposals at 2 p.m. on Oct. 22, 2026. Proposals are to be evaluated the week of Oct. 26. The project page still lists the work as "In Design," and says the design will be reevaluated and modified before full construction.
Two published timelines disagree. In April, Gulf Coast News reported that construction would start "this summer" and take about 10 months. The current RFP instead calls for substantial completion within 60 days and full completion within 90 days of the notice to proceed. The summer start did not happen, and the 90-day period only begins once a contract is awarded and the contractor is told to start. The RFP requires phased temporary traffic control plans but does not publish a detour route or a lane-closure schedule. The same Gulf Coast News report said some neighbors had raised concerns about driveway access and emergency response, and that the city was going ahead with the project.
Closer to the Gulf, the 8th Avenue North beach access is closed for the city's Stormwater Beach Outfall Project, while Lowdermilk Park and the 7th Avenue North and North Lake Drive accesses are listed as open on the city's beach access page. As of Aug. 11, the Naples Daily News reported that all four major parts of the outfall project were more than 60% complete and ahead of schedule.
Openings like Oar & Iron's patio at Fleischmann or Atlantic Forge's firepits at Golden Gate change what is within a few minutes of a Moorings front door. When you are weighing a home here or thinking about the right time to sell one, I'm glad to talk through how this corridor fits in. Miles Griffin has known these blocks for three generations. Let's Connect.
