Treasure Island has something most beach communities would love to have:
17 waterfront acres with room to rethink what comes next.
The property is Treasure Bay in Treasure Island, and while parts of the site have already seen improvements, the bigger question is still hanging out there:
What should Treasure Island actually do with it?
That question is starting to get interesting because several ideas have been discussed, and they point to very different futures for the property.
City of Treasure Island — September 2026 Treasure Bay update
Watch: What Would You Do With Treasure Bay in Treasure Island?
Join The Conversation on Facebook: Treasure Island has 17 waterfront acres
Join The Conversation on Instagram: Should Treasure Island Keep the Golf & Tennis Club on Paradise Island?
Join The Conversation on Tiktok: What should Treasure Island Do With This Golf & Tennis Club
If you live in Treasure Island, visit regularly, or simply care about how waterfront public land gets used, this is one of those conversations worth paying attention to.
Some improvements are already complete
Treasure Bay in Treasure Island isn’t just sitting untouched.
The property has already seen improvements including a new living shoreline, walking trail and kayak launch.
Those projects give the area more public access and help improve the waterfront itself.
But that still leaves a much bigger question:
What happens to the rest of the site?
Keep the golf course or build something new?
One option that has been discussed would preserve golf with a rebuilt 9-hole par-3 course.
For longtime Treasure Island residents who enjoy having golf right in the middle of the community, that may be the obvious choice.
But other concepts have gone considerably further.
Ideas discussed for Treasure Bay have included things such as:
- a larger putting course
- a clubhouse and grill
- expanded tennis facilities
- a spray park
- a multipurpose field
- community gathering and event space
- additional parking
- other recreational amenities
That doesn’t mean all of those things are coming.
And that distinction is important.
Nothing has been finally decided
At this point, Treasure Island has not selected a final redevelopment concept for Treasure Bay.
The city has continued reviewing the property, including the historical financial performance of golf operations and the costs associated with various options.
So this isn’t a story about something being approved.
It’s a story about a community deciding what it wants one of its largest public properties to become.
And honestly, that may be the more interesting part.
The question Treasure Island has to answer
Public land in a waterfront community is incredibly valuable.
But “valuable” doesn’t necessarily mean building the most things possible.
For some residents, value may mean keeping golf.
For others, it may mean expanding recreation.
Some may want more gathering space for families and events.
Others may simply want as much open space preserved as possible.
That’s why the real question isn’t:
“What could fit on 17 acres?”
It’s:
“What would make Treasure Island better 10 or 20 years from now?”
So, what would YOU do?
If Treasure Bay were yours to redesign, what would you choose?
- ⛳ Keep the golf course?
- 🏓 Expand recreation?
- 🌴 Preserve more open space?
- 🍽️ Add a restaurant or community gathering area?
- 🤔 Do something completely different?
Tell me in the comments.
Because when a community has 17 waterfront acres to work with, there probably isn’t one “right” answer.
But there are definitely going to be opinions.
Tampa Signal covers the projects, developments, neighborhoods and decisions changing life around Tampa Bay.
We look beyond the headlines to explain what’s happening, why it matters to people who already live here, and what it could mean for those thinking about moving here.
If something is changing across the street, we want to know about it.
