By Emily Askwyth
Tampa is living up to its name as a top 10 startup city with many exciting new developments on the way. Here’s some of the most exciting projects in store for this beautiful city.
Midtown Plaza
A 1.8 million square foot multi purpose plaza in Tampa’s Westshore area has received preliminary approval by Tampa City Council. This $500 million project will include three office towers with 750,000 square feet of Class A Office Space, three apartment complexes containing 400 condos and apartments as well as a hotel, park, Whole Foods Market and an 240,000 square feet of retail space. This huge development based around a landscaped pedestrian plaza with a pond and fountain, will serve as what Bromley Companies envisions as a “transformative, truly walkable district connecting downtown Tampa and the Westshore Business District.”
Riverwalk Place
Tampa’s iconic Riverwalk will soon be home to the tallest and most eye-catching building in the city. Construction has begun for Riverwalk Place, a $500 million skyscraper containing 50 stories of office space, restaurants and luxury condos. The internationally renowned architecture firm Gensler has envisioned an elegant curved design as a nod to sailboats in Tampa Bay that gives nearly every space a water view while also making it extra resilient to wind. Gensler hopes this project will “activate the Riverwalk, and contribute to the urban landscape of downtown Tampa” with a parking garage, rooftop bar, lounge and event space overlooking the Hillsborough River as well as a public plaza on the ground floor filled with shops and restaurants that will merge the skyscraper with the riverwalk turning this prime location on Ashley Drive into an urban social hub.
Straz Center
A revolutionary renovation plan has been proposed that would turn the David A. Straz Center For The Performing Arts into an elegant modern plaza to further activate Tampa’s Riverwalk. An elaborate sculpture built on an extension of the riverwalk would serve as a striking addition to the downtown scenery and welcome visitors into the plaza as the first thing they see when entering a new, larger entrance with a corridor providing a clear view of the river. A grand terrace on the river side would be able to hold all kinds of outdoor events, and a sleek oval shaped pavilion next to the Cass Street Bridge containing a waterfront restaurant and performance hall could seat up to 800 guests. A 10,000 foot expansion of the Patel Conservatory for music, dance and theater and an elegant expanded lobby would also contribute to transforming the Straz Center into an open, unique waterfront gathering place.
America’s First Man Made Lagoon
The first man-made lagoon has opened in Wesley Chapel, Fl. “Crystal Lagoons” is seven acres and includes private cabanas, a swim up bar, yoga lawn and a family beach. Olympic champion Michael Phelps is the global ambassador for “Crystal Lagoons,” who paired with Metro Development to create lagoons across the globe. This is the first in the United States, and plans have been made to create more in Central Florida. The massive project which will be surrounded by 1,000 homes, dozens of which have already been sold and will serve as a fun, unique and exciting destination less than 30 minutes north of Tampa.
With all these new developments on the way, there’s never been a better time to find your new home in the Tampa Bay area with Prospera Realty, an independent and privately owned firm that offers individualized service to meet the needs of every client. Contact Teresa Williams at 813-434-0290 or Info@ProsperaRealty.com to help you with your real estate needs in the Tampa Bay Area.
