Tampa Hotel Partners Chosen To Redevelop Tampa's Classic Federal Courthouse

After considering five proposals for the redevelopment of the Classic Federal Courthouse in downtown Tampa, Mayor Bob Buckhorn recently announced that the City of Tampa made its decision: Tampa Hotel Partners, LLC.

A team comprised of the Development Services Group (DSG) of Memphis, Ferrell Redevelopment of Tampa, Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design (KKAID) of Miami and the Beck Group of Tampa, Tampa Hotel Partners, LLC will redevelop the building during an estimated $22 million renovation project, converting the 1905 building into a boutique hotel.

DSG will act as the project's developer while Ferrell Redevelopment will be the historical architectual consultant. KKAID will be the project's architect and the Beck Group will manage the construction of the project.

“One of several reasons the team was chosen was previous experience in the adaptive reuse of historic buildings into a hotel,” says Bob McDonaugh, manager of the Channel District and Downtown Community Redevelopment Areas (CRA).

According to McDonaugh, DSG won the prestigious “2010 Pennsylvania Historic Preservation Award Recipient for Adaptive Reuse,” after converting a historic Philadelphia building into the Le Meridien Hotel.

Meanwhile, Stephanie Ferrell of Ferrell Redevelopment has worked on similar projects dealing with historic properties throughout the state of Florida, including the Seidenberg Cigar Factory in Ybor City; KKAID has preserved several well-known buildings in Miami Beach, including the Dorset Hotel and Hotel Versailles; and the Beck Group has worked on several local and national restoration projects, including the Hillsborough County Education Foundation El Centro Español de Tampa.

“The federal courthouse is a historical and cultural landmark and it is important to not only preserve it, but to also utilize it in a way that people can enjoy it,” says Mayor Buckhorn. “Our urban core is long overdue for activity and this hotel will activate a piece of our downtown that has been vacant for too long. It represents our history, will anchor downtown's future and adds to the unique flavor of Tampa.”

Upon commencement of construction, the project is expected to take approximately 16 months to complete, creating close to 425 construction jobs. Once completed, the hotel itself will employ about 100 people.

“The renovation and reopening of this hotel will benefit practically everyone,” says Mayor Buckhorn.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Bob McDonaugh and Mayor Bob Buckhorn, City of Tampa