The Forge at Madison Commons, at 343 NE 1st Ave., soft-opened on Monday, July 20, 2026. That was three years after a $4 million complex was first described for the old WMOP radio site. Most coverage so far reads like a restaurant list. The more useful fact is how the place is put together. The Forge was planned as one shared space, where a drink from one bar can go with you to a table outside another kitchen. So which hour you show up shapes your evening more than which restaurant you choose. In early October, that space is still filling in.
One License, One Big Room
BusinessDebut, writing in September 2025, said the complex holds a liquor license that lets guests walk around the site with their drinks, and called that uncommon in Ocala. The interior is built around the same idea. When Ocala-News.com toured the building on July 21, it found polished concrete floors, high exposed ceilings, large wooden bars and a second-story mezzanine that wraps around and looks down on the main dining hall. Seating mixes regular tables, lounge couches and raised bar seats, so guests can move between concepts that each have their own look.
The scale matches that plan. City records cited by Ocala-News show more than 650 seats and more than 300 visitor parking spaces. The Forge's own site says it also offers valet. Parking was part of the pitch from the start. BusinessDebut's preview called it a fix for a familiar downtown problem and reported a target of at least 3,000 visits a week, from locals and from visitors to events at the World Equestrian Center.
The building is older than any of its tenants. The property was once Ocala Iron Works, which is where the "Forge" name comes from. In the 1930s it was a Turnip Seed Chevrolet dealership, and later it housed WMOP. The redevelopment kept the exposed brick. Owners Joel and Sheila Gibson worked with Midtown Eatery Group partners Wendell Landry, Carlos Sanchez and Santiago Reynolds. Walker Design of Orlando handled the interior, and Miles Christian Anderson Engineers did the architecture and engineering.
Who Is Actually Serving, as of Early October
The tenant list has changed since July. At the soft opening, 352today listed six concepts: Ignite, The Blind Eye, The Hammock, Parting Lines Pizza, Just Desserts and Alloy Kitchen. The Forge's Eat & Drink page now lists a slightly different group. Status below reflects public information as of October 5, 2026.
| Tenant | What it serves | Status |
|---|---|---|
| The Blind Eye | 1920s Prohibition-themed kitchen with Southern food and a whiskey-focused bar | On the official list |
| Ignite | Asian fusion and sushi | On the official list |
| The Hammock | Mediterranean tapas and full bar | On the official list |
| Parting Lines Pizza | Handcrafted pizza | On the official list |
| Just Desserts | Ice cream, shakes, house-made sauces and homestyle desserts | On the official list |
| Pastry Planet | Locally owned specialty cookies on a rotating menu | On the official list |
| Dear Jack Coffee | Coffee | Named in a Sept. 29 local roundup, not on the official page |
| Leaf & Vine | Concept not described | Named in a Sept. 29 local roundup, not on the official page |
| Alloy Kitchen | Greek-style dishes | Serving in July, no longer on the official page |
| Blue Anvil Brewery | Microbrewery | Expected in October, opening not confirmed |
The three large rooms carry the place. In August, the Star-Banner described the complex as three themed full-service restaurants plus entertainment in a multi-level building of more than 20,000 square feet. The Blind Eye is a two-story speakeasy. Local coverage describes a bar of about 70 seats and live music. Ignite serves sushi rolls, potstickers and other Asian fusion dishes in a dining room with wood accents. The Hammock focuses on shareable plates, including skewers on flatbread and falafel, served at a brightly lit bar with rattan seating.
The changing list fits a soft opening. Management said more concepts were coming in the weeks after July, including a Colombian coffee shop and a healthy bowl restaurant. Dear Jack Coffee and Leaf & Vine could turn out to be those tenants, but no public source has confirmed it. Calling ahead is the safest way to know what's open.
The Hour Decides Which Forge You Get
The complex posts one schedule: Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Sunday brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sunday dinner from 4 to 9 p.m. That replaced the flat 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily hours announced at the soft opening. Individual tenants set their own hours inside that window. Ignite's website lists 4 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday through Sunday. The Hammock lists 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
Because the room is shared, those staggered hours add up to different kinds of visits:
- Weekday lunch. Ignite doesn't open until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday, so a midday visit centers on The Hammock, The Blind Eye, pizza and dessert. Early in the soft opening, the Star-Banner found diner Dave Miller having lunch at The Blind Eye.
- Friday or Saturday night. Management told Ocala-News that Ignite turns its dining room into a nightclub with a DJ on weekends, and that The Blind Eye will host regular live music. With the complex open until 2 a.m., that's a very different evening from a Tuesday dinner.
- Sunday. The day splits into a brunch block and a dinner block, with a break from 3 to 4 p.m.
The Forge's own site mentions plans for pop-up markets, ladies' nights and small concerts. Its October events calendar was empty when captured, though, so no dated lineup has been published yet.
Why the Second Building Still Matters
The unfinished piece is the one that would complete the original plan. The 2023 concept called for four restaurants, six bars and a microbrewery. By September 2025, plans described a main building with four to five restaurants, many bars, kiosks and shops, plus a second building for Blue Anvil Brewery with indoor and outdoor seating. Container-style kitchens and six kiosks selling coffee, baked goods and retail items were also planned. In July, 352today reported the brewery was expected in October. As of the Sept. 29 roundup, Blue Anvil was not on the official tenant list.
Dates on this project have moved before. In July 2024, the Star-Banner reported that officials expected The Forge to open by Jan. 1. An August 2024 Ocala-News story said it should open that fall. In September 2025, Gibson was aiming for mid-December. That November, 352today said winter, pending construction and permitting. In December, Ocala-News reported a spring target. The doors finally opened in July 2026, and no grand opening date has been announced. October is a reasonable month to watch for the brewery, but it hasn't been confirmed.
The Forge also has a neighbor with a similar idea. Ocala-News notes it sits a couple of blocks from Midtown Station, a collective dining spot with a lakefront brewery that opened in late 2024. With two multi-concept spots this close together, Midtown has more places to eat and drink than it did two years ago.
At The Table Team, we like any place that brings neighbors to the same table, and The Forge was built to do just that. If you're a Midtown neighbor, or you're thinking about living within walking distance of the old WMOP building, Ricardo and the team would be glad to talk about what this corner of Ocala is like day to day. Schedule a Consultation, in English or Spanish, and we'll save you a seat.
