The scent of sawdust fills the air and the noisy buzz of activity is set against a soundtrack of high octane rock n’ roll blasting from the boombox in the corner.
This is Skatepark of Tampa’s new mixed-use space, The Bricks.
For the past several months, SPoT principal owner Brian Schaefer and a crew of SPoT friends, family and soon-to-be staffers have been building out the interior of The Bricks section by section with their own bare hands, working all hours of the day and night to get the place ready for its debut.
“We were supposed to open in March, but as you can see, that’s not happening,” Schaefer tells me during my tour of the building, which encompasses two adjoining storefronts on the corner of 14th Street and Seventh Avenue. The larger space is designed to be a cafe, coffee shop with WiFi access, and eventually, if all goes according to plan, a full bar and live music venue. The smaller space next door will serve as a second SPoT skateshop with gear, clothes and accessories.
