Development is flourishing all over the Tampa Bay area.
Shopping centers, high rises, apartments, renovations and re-builds, and more are popping up from Pasco all the way down to Sarasota.
Development-wise, 2017 holds great promise for local residents as well as for investors considering new projects going forward.
Here are some of the most-anticipated projects that are scheduled for major work and even completion in the Tampa Bay area in the coming year.
1. Tampa International Airport
If you've traveled through
Tampa International Airport recently, you're bound to have noticed some construction.
The airport is more than two years into its roughly three-year, nearly $1 billion expansion to decongest, modernize and enhance the airport, says Danny Valentine, a Communications Manager at TPA.
.
"We celebrated the two-year anniversary on Nov. 20," he says. "This past year was a year of heavy lifts, and we passed a number of significant milestones, including opening 23 new shops and restaurants, re-opening our Taxiway J bridge, and topping out the concrete structure on the new consolidated rental car center."
The airport also completed a significant percentage of the 1.4-mile guideway for its new SkyConnect train that connects the main terminal to economy parking and the new rental car center.
TPA’s historic expansion is a large and complex undertaking, involving a half dozen projects, five design-builders, hundreds of subcontractors and thousands of workers, Valentine explains.
"As you see every day, TPA’s campus is a flurry of activity," he says. "We’re building a new train to connect to a new state-of-the-art rental car center. We’re adding 69 new shops and restaurants, overhauling our Main Terminal’s transfer level. We’re rebuilding a taxiway bridge, redoing roadways and constructing various support buildings."
The main terminal's third floor transfer level is being expanded and modernized. More than 20 new shops and restaurants are already open, and nearly 70 concessions will be added throughout the airport. You'll also find more local options with the number of homegrown concessions increasing from four to 27.
"The transfer level, which will grow in size by about a football field, is in the midst of a complete facelift with all new floors, ceilings, escalators, elevator cabs and shuttle lobbies," Valentine says. "The airport is also adding four new outdoor dining terraces -- two on the east side of the transfer level and two on the west side. Construction on three of the four outdoor dining terraces is complete, and many of the new finishes on the transfer level are now open to the public."
The goal of the main terminal and transfer level is to provide passengers with more space and allow the airport to handle more passengers. The work on the main terminal expansion is scheduled to be finished in late 2017.
The Taxiway J Bridge needed to be demolished and rebuilt in order to accommodate the new people-mover underneath, Valentine says. The old bridge closed in February 2015 for demolition. The new bridge, which is about 100 feet wider and longer than the old one, opened Oct. 24.
Construction workers on the automated people-mover, SkyConnect, are in the process of building the guideway's four stations, which include the main terminal, economy parking, the rental car center, and one for maintenance.
"It is now possible to walk on a continuous concrete deck roughly from the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting station (near Airside A) all the way south to the new rental car center," Valentine says. "Mitsubishi, which is building the SkyConnect system, is in the process of building the concrete running surfaces. The SkyConnect trains are scheduled to be delivered from Japan in spring 2017, and the system should be open in late 2017."
The rental car center itself is located just south of the economy garage. Valentine says that crews have poured all 110,000 cubic yards of concrete for the entire structure. In mid-November, crews took down the third and final tower crane, signaling the end of a busy period of construction.
"The rental car center will house nine different rental car companies, making up 16 different rental car brands," he says. "When it opens in late 2017, it will be a quick four-minute ride from the main terminal on the new SkyConnect system."
2. Johns Hopkins All Children's Research and Education building
The
Johns Hopkins All Children's Research and Education building in St. Petersburg will enable physicians, scientists, residents and fellows to collaborate in a team-based environment to promote medical education and scientific discovery.
"Our Johns Hopkins All Children’s Research and Education building will expand space and allow our teams to work on innovative research to discover new cures that can help prevent childhood diseases,” says Jonathan Ellen, President and Vice Dean. “The building will also have educational spaces, including a simulation center where our pediatric residents and nurses can practice their medical skills and learn about the latest treatments in pediatrics."
The 225,000-square-feet facility broke ground in November 2015 and is currently under construction. Approximately 200 people will eventually work there. According to Danielle Caci, Public Relations Manager, the 7-story building will house the research and academic offices of four key institutes that unite treatment, education, research and advocacy to advance treatment and prevention: Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute; Johns Hopkins All Children’s Cancer & Blood Disorders Institute; Johns Hopkins All Children’s Institute for Brain Protection Sciences; and Johns Hopkins All Children’s Maternal, Fetal & Neonatal Institute.
In 2016, the building's design was completed, and construction began on March 14. By the end of this year, Caci says the building structure will be 90 percent complete. Work is now beginning on the interior mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems.
Next year, the structure will be completed and a top out is expected in February. Construction on the interior spaces will begin and be about 60 percent complete by the end of 2017, Caci says. The building's exterior skin is also expected to be complete in late 2017.
Construction on the facility is expected to be fully complete in 2018.
3. Cypress Creek Town Center
After Tampa Premium Outlets opened at the end of 2015,
Sierra Properties' Cypress Creek Town Center, an approximately 500-acre mixed-use project in Wesley Chapel, began focusing on restaurants.
Cheddar's,
Chick-fil-A and
Culver's all opened in front of the outlets along State Road 56 this year, followed by
BJ’s Brewhouse and
Longhorn Steakhouse.
“By summer 2017, over 300,000 square feet of retail space will be under construction in Cypress Creek Town Center North,” says Michael Sierra, VP of Sierra Properties. “It’s an exciting time to be in Pasco County. The retail stores and restaurants already open are doing great.
Ford’s Garage,
Pollo Tropical,
McDonald's and
Costo are under construction and will open early 2017.”
McDonald's and Costco are located on the same side of State Road 56 as the other restaurants. Ford's Garage and Pollo Tropical are located on the opposite side.
Wendy’s and
Taco Bell, which are also planned on the opposite side, are both in the final phase of permitting and will likely start construction by early 2017.
In September,
Impact Properties announced that it joined Sierra Properties to develop a Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference Center on SR 56. The hotel is expected to have 130 rooms, free Wi-Fi and 24-hour food offerings. It will also bring about 60 jobs to fast-growing Wesley Chapel, according to Dilip Kanji, President of Impact Properties.
"The Wesley Chapel area is considered one of the fastest-growing areas in Florida, and we are excited to bring the first Hyatt and the first conference center hotel to the market," Kanji says. "We are on schedule to start construction in early 2017."
The hotel is slated to open in the first quarter of 2018.
4. Hyde Park Village
It's been a busy year at
Hyde Park Village where several eateries, boutiques and pop-up shops opened this year.
Buddy Brew Coffee,
On Swann,
Cambridge Club,
Kendra Scott,
Suitsupply,
vineyard vines,
Goody Goody and
Scout & Molly's all opened permanent locations in 2016.
Pop-up shop
Florist Fire opened in February, and
Dark Cycle Clothing, an alternative T-shirt company, opened Sept. 23. Both have extended their terms at Hyde Park Village. Florist Fire will be open through June 2017, and Dark Cycle will have its shop through Dec. 31.
HICO, a Colombian swimwear and lingerie company, will also be open through Dec. 31. And
Toffee to Go, which was the Village's first pop-up shop in 2015, has returned for this year's holiday season through Dec. 26.
"Right now we have paused construction for the holidays and will pick back up in the New Year," says Gabby Soriano, Marketing Director with
WS Development, the company developing Hyde Park Village. "We will start by finishing the north side of Swann Avenue by adding in a new traffic light, updated crosswalks, on-street parking, landscaping and leveling the street. This will help slow down traffic and make it much more pedestrian friendly."
Renovations of Snow Circle shops will also be completed in 2017. This includes replacing the awnings, adding a new facade, pouring new sidewalks and upgrading landscaping.
"We will also begin renovation within the Village, adding new, wider sidewalks, leveling the street, incorporating more on-street parking and landscaping, and whitewashing the bricks and replacing the covered sidewalks with updated canopies," Soriano says.
The "H Block," which is the building across from vineyard vines and
J.McLaughlin, will be demolished and reconstructed.
"This will be a 2-story building occupied with office tenants on the second floor and new retail and restaurants on the first floor," Soriano says. "The only tenant we have officially announced is the modern steakhouse,
Meat Market, which will take up the space adjacent to Pottery Barn Kids."
In addition to Meat Market opening in 2017,
Hyppo Gourmet Ice Pops,
Surf Outfitter and Fig & Julep will also be opening.
"We are gearing up to announce a couple more new additions in 2017 at the end of the year, and we will continue to rotate our pop-up shops and events throughout the year," Soriano says.
"We are also looking into expanding our events, including bringing back the Art Festival and making our Fall Festival a village-wide event due to the high volume of customers that attended last year and the year before," she adds.
5. Artisan on Main
Those looking to relocate in Sarasota will have a new option in 2017 when the
Artisan on Main townhome community opens at School Avenue and Main Street in downtown Sarasota.
Ground is being broken this month on the first phase of the complex, which will be composed of 37 fee-simple townhomes ranging in size from 1,857 to 2,690 square feet. Units will be ready for move in by late summer or early fall, according to Mike Bednarski, Principle of
Icon Residential, which is developing the property.
Icon Residential is planning to save more than 50 trees at the property by removing them during construction and replanting them when the complex is complete, Bednarski says, making Artisan on Main the most wooded urban infill community in downtown Sarasota.
The complex will also offer private rooftop terraces and walking distance to nightlife.
“Artisan on Main will set a good example for smart growth and development of for-sale housing in Sarasota,” Bednarski says. “We are developing a high-quality product at reasonable prices in the $500-$600s, more approachable to local middle-income households than the $800 (price per square foot) condos being developed everywhere. Artisan also illustrates how developers can be socially responsible by designing their communities around trees, while maintaining an attractive urban live-work-play environment.”
6. Riverwalk Tower
The tallest building in Tampa sits at 100 N. Tampa St., but that will change once
Riverwalk Tower is constructed at Ashley Drive and Brorein Street.
The 52-story office and luxury residential building will be 10 stories taller than
100 North Tampa and offer 300-degrees of water views.
Feldman Equities and
Tower Realty Partners bought the 1.47-acre land site across from the
Wells Fargo Center on the edge of the
Tampa Riverwalk from Brownstone Tampa Partners in 2014 for $12.05 million.
"Our project will transform Tampa’s skyline and deliver the first new downtown office tower since 1992," says Project Developer and Feldman Equities CEO Larry Feldman. "I am particularly excited about the retail portion of the project, which has been pre-designed to interact seamlessly with the Riverwalk."
The building calls for retail on the ground floor, including three waterfront restaurants with waterfront seating along the Riverwalk. In addition, there will be a fourth restaurant and outdoor bar on top of a seven-story parking structure overlooking the river. There are other retail components that have not yet been released, such as a nail salon, sundries shop and bank branch.
The top of the parking garage will also have a rooftop green space with trees and grass, a dog walking area, and a bar and café. Thirteen stories will be assigned for 188,000 square feet of rentable office space above the parking garage. Thirty-one stories will be assigned for 205 units of luxury, high-end condo space above the office section. All floors will have 10-foot-high floor-to-ceiling glass.
"The Riverwalk project is moving full steam ahead, and we expect to be in the ground in the summer of 2017," says Mack Feldman, assistant to Larry Feldman.
The design architect for the project is
Gensler. Fort Lauderdale-based
Adache is drawing up the plans, and the structural engineer is
DeSimone.
The building is now pre-leasing office space.
7. Station House Arcade
The
Green-Richman Arcade was built in 1925 and was one of 11 shopping arcades in St. Petersburg's downtown core through the 1940s.
Now, it's taking on new life as office space for today's modern workers thanks to
Steve Gianfilippo, who bought the property at 689 Central Avenue for $1.2 million.
Gianfilippo, who also owns
Station House, is renaming the 7,296-square-foot building the Station House Arcade and expanding his company's inventory of cutting-edge office suites and co-working space. The arcade will have about 10 office suites.
"Our goal is to create convenience, affordability, and add creativity and fun to the workplace environment," Gianfilippo
told 83 Degrees in October. "We are a lifestyle company, so we strive to make the live/work/play experience the best it can be. Gone are the 9-to-5 jobs, so if people need to work around the clock or at night, they can do it in a super cool, fun, creative space."
There are already tenants in place in some of the office suites, and there is a waiting list for the suites that are being built.
Plans call for collaborative office space upstairs and in the back downstairs of the building. The front downstairs will serve as space for retailer
Urban Creamery and one other retail tenant.
"We have finished our floor plan revisions and are close to finalizing our tenant for the ground floor retail," Gianfillipo says in an interview in late November. "We plan to have an outdoor/indoor patio added on the second level, which will be a great amenity for guests and members."
The building will also have ping pong, an artist easel area, video game and virtual reality stations, a turn table, a bar, a kitchen, phone rooms, and conference rooms.
8. The Heights Public Market
The
Armature Works building in Tampa once served as a storage and maintenance facility for Tampa's streetcars. But the 70,000-square-foot building will find new life in 2017 as
The Heights Public Market, a shared workspace, a rooftop social area, two restaurants, and multiple event spaces.
Reservations for event spaces are already being taken for events starting in May 2017.
SoHo Capital, which is developing the project, received zoning and planning approvals for the building this year.
"The Heights Public Market will include an array of unique food concepts designed and operated by local restaurateurs and chefs," says Taryn Bruck, Managing Director of the Armature Works. "Distinctive cocktails, craft beers, baked breads and gourmet sandwiches, savory noodles, the finest cheeses and charcuterie, coffee, fresh flowers, pizza and a bakery full of desserts are just a few of the items that will be offered."
Several partners have been announced for The Heights Public Market this year, including:
Ichicoro Ramen, a mod casual authentic Ramen restaurant, serving soulful, delicious food and beverages; Union by
Commune + Co, local coffee company that has a fleet of trikes sharing the company’s flagship iced coffee product, Pressure Brew, at area events;
Tailored Twig, a floral boutique that specializes in one-of-a-kind pieces for distinctive events;
Chocolate Pi, a bakery focusing on pastries and cakes made in the European tradition with American creativity; Fine and Dandy, a cocktail emporium focusing on package sales, craft cocktail kits and classes; Steelbach Ranch, a boutique butcher with charcuterie and artisan cheeses; and Ava, a second pizzeria-style location of the popular SoHo restaurant.
The Heights Public Market will also feature an interactive kitchen called Show + Tell that will host educational cooking classes, corporate team-building activities and pop-up dinners in collaboration with The Heights Public Market tenants.
Two other restaurants will be located at The Heights Public Market, including Steelbach, a modern eatery that uses the best meats from the in-house butcher in the market, and
Atlantic Beer & Oyster, an outdoor eatery that will showcase a rotation of East Coast, West Coast and Gulf Coast oysters, as well as fresh shrimp, smoked fish dip, its signature grouper sandwich, and local breweries.
"We also began work on the Pearl, a four-building, 314-unit apartment community with 28,500 square feet of retail space," Bruck says.
The Heights Public Market is scheduled to open next spring, and SoHo Capital should know an exact opening date in the first three months of 2017. Currently, the roof is being added to complete the back half of the building and will be finished in January. More tenants are expected to be announced in the next for weeks for The Heights Public Market, which has space remaining for three more tenants.
"The Heights is a unique mixed-use project for Tampa Bay and Florida," says Adam Harden, Principal of SoHo Capital. "It further accelerates the growth and maturation of the northern end of Tampa’s downtown."
9. AC by Marriott at MetWest International
Out-of-town visitors will have a new place to stay in early 2018 when the AC Hotel by Marriott opens at
MetWest International in Westshore.
The hotel brand is meant to appeal to millennial travelers.
"We’re excited to introduce the AC Hotel by Marriott brand to Tampa," says Javier Garcia, Managing Director of the
PRISA Group, which is building the hotel with Orlando-based
Welbro Building Corp. "The AC Hotel brings a new lifestyle hospitality concept to the vibrant Westshore business district, combining a modern, European design aesthetic with exciting bar and lounge offerings, all next to the many food and beverage offerings of the MetWest International project."
MetWest International is a 32-acre mixed-use development in the heart of Tampa's Westshore business district with retail, hotel, residential and office spaces. It's located near Tampa International Airport and International Plaza.
Ground was broken on the hotel in September. It's slated to have 175 rooms and 96,000 square feet of space.
"The guest rooms follow simplistic design and include a signature closet, work desk, luggage bench and a 47-inch TV," Garcia says. "Clean-cut, linear aesthetics highlight the public space areas, inclusive of a collaborative space with a communal table and reading section."
There will also be lounge seating, a multimedia area, a market, two media salons, a business and social events room, fitness center, pool and pool bar, and complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the property.
10. ArtsXchange
St. Petersburg is cultivating its reputation as an arts destination and place where new artists can thrive. But increasing property values make finding studio space difficult.
That's why in 2014, St. Petersburg's
Warehouse Arts District Association began fundraising for the
ArtsXchange, an air-conditioned and affordable studio space for artists of all disciplines.
Soon after, the association bought a compound of six warehouse buildings comprising 50,000 square feet of space to be renovated. The plan is to first build out 11,000 square feet of space for studios and a gallery, but the goal is to use the whole space for studios, galleries, classrooms, a coffee shop and educational microbrewery and restaurant.
"In 2016, we made great strides, raising additional money to build between 20 and 30 studios at the ArtsXchange," says Mary Jane Park, the association's Executive Director. "Through the generosity of private donors and public support from the Florida Legislature and the city of St. Petersburg, we will begin construction in December."
Already, more than 300 artists -- 10 percent of whom live somewhere other than Florida -- have signed up for studio space at the ArtsXchange. The association is currently interviewing those who have applied.
"By May or June, when the studios are complete, we also will have a community gathering space that will be suitable for classes, exhibitions, performances, meetings and other public events," Park says.
The association is also working with
Deuces Live on an action plan that will enhance the district and bring more visitors to the area.
"We are in conversation with Pinellas County officials about improvements, such as lighting and landscaping along the Pinellas Trail" Park says. "Our goal is to make the area more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists, especially during St. Petersburg’s monthly
Second Saturday ArtWalks."
11. Westshore Village
Young Tampa professionals will have a new option when looking for a home once
Westshore Village townhomes become available.
The development is located at 2511 N. Grady Ave. in the heart of the Westshore Business District and across from International Plaza. Once complete, the community will feature 92 fee-simple townhomes with six different floor plan designs ranging in size from 1,445 square feet to 2,543 square feet. Prices will start in the $300,000s.
Mike Bednarski, principle of
Icon Residential, the company developing the community, says Weshore Village is the only fee-simple townhome community in the Westshore district, and most likely the only one that will ever be built.
"Reason is because the densities in this area are very high and allow for a variety of mid- and high-rise uses: hotel, condos, apartments, office, etc. So land is very expensive."
Bednarski says Icon Residential bought the deal off-market in a stroke of luck.
"The fee-simple ownership element is critical because it makes the units very financeable for home buyers," he says, adding that obtaining traditional bank financing is easier, and the down payment requirements are 5 percent.
"So a younger working professional couple can put 5 percent down and buy a unit that is twice as large as a nearby luxury three-bedroom apartment and has the same monthly payments."
Westshore Village will have a full length lap pool, fire pits, ping pong, cabanas, and outdoor kitchen and living space. There will also be a dog park, dog washing station, and other dog-friendly features. And residents will find private roof top terraces equipped with built-in barbecue grills and whirlpool spas.
"We are under construction with the site work and just broke ground on the vertical units of Phase I," Bednarski says. "Phase I is 21 townhomes, and they are expected to be complete by late summer/early fall of 2017. The amenity will be complete by second quarter of next year."
Bednarski says the community's proximity to shopping, dining and nightlife make it a true urban townhome development. Its higher-density nature is better than traditional home-builder townhomes because higher densities place a lower cost burden on cities and encourage positive live/work/play environments.
"This community location is also what we call 'Uber-oriented development' because home owners can get to nightlife, work or shopping within a quick Uber ride," he says. "That helps solve a proliferating chronic traffic congestion problem in major cities that consumes drivers' times, making them less productive and, frankly, more frustrated sitting in traffic 1.5-2 hours/day."
12. Tampa Tribune building
For years, the building at 202 S. Parker St. in Tampa served as headquarters for The Tampa Tribune. Now,
Related Group, which has built and managed more than 80,000 condominium and apartment residences since its inception in 1979, is turning the property into an 8-story apartment complex with 400 units.
"We have 'broken ground' as abatement commenced prior to October," says Arturo Peña, Related's VP of Development. "We are taking the required regulatory steps now that must precede demolition."
The average unit size will be 975 square feet, and the average rent will be $2,600 per month. Amenities will include a pool along the river with an infinity edge, a sunken bar area and a club lounge.
The architect for the project is
Arquitectonica. The back half of the building will have three wings stretching east, making it look like the capital letter "E." There will be a courtyard on either side of the center wing. A 4-story front section of the building will connect with the "E," and there will be another courtyard in the center of that segment.
Peña says he expects most renters to be millennials, graduate students at the
University of Tampa, and medical students completing their residencies at
Tampa General Hospital. Residents will be able to walk to the nearby
Publix on Bayshore Boulevard to do their grocery shopping, grab a bite at
Oxford Exchange and other nearby restaurants, or head over the Kennedy Bridge for events at
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.
Peña says leasing is expected to begin in the last quarter of 2018, and the whole project will be complete by the first quarter of 2019.
In addition to the Tampa Tribune building, Related is also redeveloping Tampa's signature
West River project, which has been named Town at Westshore Marina District, to expand downtown west of the Hillsborough River.
"The city’s commitment to activate the waterfront with the Riverwalk and waterfront trails, which both projects will be a part of, are a major reason why we continue to invest in Tampa,” Peña says. "Under Mayor Bob Buckhorn, Tampa has the second-highest job growth in the state and unemployment at an extremely low 4.4 percent. We pick and choose the cities we want to invest in, and Tampa’s culture of working with developers to find solutions is a major reason why we have four projects in the works there."
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