Winner of Social Media Contest Wins Free Co-Working Space
Last week we teamed up with Industrious Tampa to give away a free week of co-working space and on Friday we announced that Natasha with Sol Studio Marketing was our lucky winner! Natasha shared a photo of her workspace on Instagram, tagged @industrioustampa and @tampasdowntown in her photo along with two friends. Congratulations, Natasha! Located in the heart of Tampa’s Downtown, Industrious’ Tampa office offers unmatched amenities including bike storage and a fitness center with showers and incredible panoramic views of the skyline. Inside they have professional conference rooms, common areas, phone booths, and a private mother’s room. Learn more at industriousoffice.com.
Debriefing: Tampa Theatre’s Renovation Project
Join us for the next Debriefing featuring Tampa Theatre’s Renovation Project. Hear from the President & CEO, John Bell, as he discusses how the theater raised the funds, stayed on budget, and met the completion deadline. The event will be held on Tuesday, February 27th at the Tampa Theatre starting at 7:30am with registration and networking with a continental breakfast, then the program begins at 8am with a tour of the theater beginning at 8:30am. Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for not-yet members. Mark your calendars and join us! Register here.
Opportunities at the Downtown Development Forum
We are currently seeking sponsors for the 22nd Annual Downtown Development Forum. Sponsorship levels range from Bronze at $250 to Platinum at $5,000. View the sponsorship form. This half-day event focuses on the exploration of innovative ideas in urban development and serves as a catalyst for discussion and problem solving for major urban issues. Attendees hear from developers and industry experts on the front lines of the most significant projects in downtown including sports and learn about Tampa’s city center progress in economic development, higher education, and commercial and residential development. If you are interested in sponsoring and getting your company in front of over 250 downtown stakeholders, please contact Rachel Radawec at 813.221.3686. Registration is open! Reserve your spot today.
Win a Set of Tickets to From Bach to Bowie
We’re giving away a set of tickets to Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s performance of From Bach to Bowie at the Straz Center on Thursday February 15th at 8pm! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and check back on our page on Monday at noon to be the first to share and tag a friend in the comment section of our featured post. From sold-out performances that garnered gushing reviews, Complexions Contemporary Ballet brings its latest jaw-dropping program including Star Dust, the glam, “utterly transfixing” tribute to David Bowie (Billboard). Combining technical precision, power and passion, Complexions transcends tradition in a groundbreaking mix of styles ranging from ballet to hip-hop. Check them out!
Commuter Challenge Week
In partnership with Plan Hillsborough, the Tampa Downtown Partnership invites you to join us in a Commuter Challenge Week, and leave your car at home to try another mode of transportation during the week of February 19 – 23. You can participate with us by trying a different way of getting around for a single trip, day, or for the week, and sharing your experience with us on social media by using the hashtag #CommuterChallenge18. This year, we are partnering with Plan Hillsborough and inviting others to join us and give our community’s cars a break. Participants will also gain an opportunity to help air quality, avoid traffic, burn calories and save money. We look forward to seeing how you give your car a break – be sure to share your travel with us at #CommuterChallenge18! Join the staff members of Tampa Downtown Partnership and Plan Hillsborough in #CommuterChallenge18!
Best Practices in Bike Parking Lunch and Learn
The growth of bicycle use for transportation and tourism has increased significantly in the past decade and as a result, deliberate attention to bicycle parking is needed now more than ever. Bicycle storage facilities have become an integral part of new developments and are touted as a premium asset in commercial and residential properties. From noon to 1pm on Wednesday, February 28, this session provides a fundamental approach to comprehensive bicycle parking standards, from selecting the right equipment to adequately preparing the space. The Bicycle Parking Standards and Installation session provides the expertise to improve bike storage to meet the needs of both the developer and the end user. This workshop is brought to you by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and Tampa Downtown Partnership. It is sponsored by Dero. Lunch will be provided. Registration is free but required.
The following is just a sample of upcoming events in Downtown Tampa. Visit the Downtown Tampa Events Calendar for a more comprehensive list. Going to one of the events? Snap a photo and tag #UrbanInsiderTPA
brownsville song (b-side for Tray)
Through Sunday, February 25 Stageworks Theatre Set in the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn, this show is a powerful tale of resilience in the face of tragedy and a poignant story for our time. Moving fluidly between past and present, this bold new play tells the story of Tray, a spirited African-American 18-year-old and his family, who must hold on to hope when Tray’s life is cut short. For more information, go to brownsville song (b-side for Tray).
Art Meets Jazz
Friday, February 16 WaterWorks Bar & Grill Enjoy live jazz music by professional saxophonist Johnny Magnuson and regular restaurant menu service provided by WaterWorks Bar & Grill. Art Meets Jazz
Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival
Saturday, February 17, begins at Noon Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park A great day of beer sipping, bourbon tasting, music, cigars, and barbecue. Use a sampling glass to enjoy an all-you-care-to-taste sampling of beer and bourbon. Some of the best barbecue vendors in the area will be on-site if you get hungry, and there will be seminars in the tasting theater and live music all day!. For more information, go to Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival.
Taking the Stage at the Straz Center
Forever Plaid – Through Sunday, March 11 Open Rehearsal – The Marriage of Figaro – Tuesday, February 13 to Thursday, February 22 The Phantom of the Opera – Wednesday, February 14 to Sunday, February 25 Complexions Contemporary Ballet From Bach to Bowie – Thursday, February 15, begins 8pm Patel Conservatory presents Disney’s The Aristocats Kids – Thursday, February 15 to Sunday, February 18 The Florida Orchestra – Romeo and Juliet & West Side Story – Friday, February 16, begins 8pm Hater’s Roast, The Shady Tour – Saturday, February 17, begins 8pm Nalani and Josh – Live & Local – Saturday, February 17, 5:45pm to 7:45pm Jeremy McCarter – Sunday, February 18, begins 7pm
Now Showing at Tampa Theatre
Valentine’s Vows and ‘When Harry Met Sally’ – Wednesday, February 14, 7pm to 9:15pm Coming to America (1988) – Friday, February 16, 10:30pm to 12:30am Ilza Shlesinger Live – Saturday, February 17, begins 8pm Sixteen Candles (1984) – Sunday, February 18, 3pm to 4:30pm
This Week at Amalie Arena
Andrea Bocelli – Wednesday, February 14, begins 8pm Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Detroit Red Wings – Thursday, February 15, begins 7:30pm Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New Jersey Devils – Saturday, February 17, begins 7pm
Rays Officially Announce Ybor City Stadium
On Wednesday, in honor of their twentieth anniversary celebration, the Rays unveiled a new logo, some new hats, and even a new sandwich. And on Friday, after 20 years of playing baseball in a hollowed out hockey arena, they announced a new stadium site: Ybor City. Ybor City, center of Tampa’s historic cigar industry and present-day nightlife, could soon take on yet another identity as the home of our region’s major league baseball team. All that stands in the way is the small problem of how to raise some $600-700 million. The selected stadium site is 14 acres, bounded by Channelside Drive on the west, 4th Avenue on the north, 15th Street on the east, and Adamo Drive on the south, with the elevated Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway just above Adamo. The port and Channelside district are just beyond the southern boundary but thanks to the Adamo/Crosstown corridor they are largely inaccessible. Northern and eastern edges of the site provide easy access to the street grid and attractions of Ybor City. At present the site, and its neighbors, have commercial and industrial/warehouse uses. “Tampa Bay Rays Officially Announce New Stadium Site in Ybor City” – Drays Bay
Food Halls in Tampa, Twice as Nice
When The Hall on Franklin, an ambitious sit-down service food hall opened up last fall in the up-and-coming Tampa Heights neighborhood of—you guessed it—Tampa, everyone around here went a little bit crazy, in a good way. And then, déjà vu, a few months later, it happened all over again. Just seven minutes away on foot, in the same neighborhood, the hotly anticipated Heights Public Market, a 22,000-square-foot food hall that’s part of an ambitious mixed-use redevelopment right along the Hillsborough River, has just made its debut. Once more, the crowd appears to have gone wild. A neighborhood that was kind of a blank space for a long time, one freeway overpass away from downtown Tampa, has now become a major destination for not one, but two food halls. “Where There Were No Food Halls, Tampa Suddenly Has Two” – Food & Wine
Woolworth Building Gets Historical Marker
Civil Rights leader 79-year-old Clarence Fort tells his story about February 29, 1960 when he and 35 other African Americans, many NAACP Youth Council students, sat down at the Woolworth lunch counter in downtown Tampa during desegregation. The sit-in and many more that followed across Tampa led to desegregation. For years there hasn’t been anything outside the Woolworth building on Franklin Street marking the victory until now. The ‘Woolworth Project’, an effort led by former Tampa TV journalist Tammie Fields, raised money to install a historical marker on the cracked sidewalk. “Historical Marker To Commemorate Tampa Civil Rights Sit-Ins” – ABC Action News
Migration to Downtown Living
Roxanne Amoroso develops apartments for a living, and has put multifamily deals together for the better part of the past two decades. But she’s just as surprised as anyone at how the rental landscape has changed — both from the development side and the customer side — over the past 10 years. Perhaps the biggest change — and greatest surprise — is renter willingness to forego large living spaces in favor of preferred locations and amenity packages. She’s equally surprised by the elevation in rental rates tenants are willing to pay for those locations and amenity packages. Just as mystifying is the seemingly constant demand, fueled by an anticipated in-migration of more than 55,000 new residents to the Tampa Bay area slated to occur between 2017 and 2022. Mosaic Development, for instance, has projects with more than 1,000 new residential rental units in its pipeline, Amoroso says. She describes the current state of apartment development as “fierce” and “competitive.” Those words echo how many commercial real estate practitioners feel heading into 2018, according to an annual survey and interviews conducted nationwide by consulting firm PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC). “Competitively Optimistic” – Business Observer
Passenger Rail vs. Bus Raid Transit
Hillsborough County Commissioner Pat Kemp plans to meet with CSX Florida Government Relations and Community Affairs head Bob O’Malley on Feb. 12 to discuss options for passenger rail along the private company’s routes. Kemp has been vocal in her support for passenger rail along a 9-mile corridor between the University of South Florida and downtown Tampa during public meetings this week. She told the Tampa Bay Business Journal she wants to discuss opportunities for the CSX (NASDAQ: CSX) project she said is both feasible and affordable. Jacobs Engineering recently announced its “catalyst” project in the Florida Department of Transportation-funded Regional Premium Transit Feasibility Plan. It’s a proposed 41-mile bus rapid transit route connecting St. Petersburg and Wesley Chapel along Interstate 275. The plan would cost around $400 million. Kemp called it a “boondoggle” and would rather use that funding for the CSX route. “CSX Executive, Hillsborough Commissioner To Talk Passenger Rail “ – Tampa Bay Business Journal
The Heights is Rising
Dead-center between Tampa Heights’s residential streets, popular with young DIYers, and Downtown Tampa’s bustling event schedule, the Armature Works building has been there all along. While the concept is nothing new — adaptive reuse of a historic structure — everything from the developer to architect to selection of hospitality experts managing individual stalls within the building are locally vetted and invested. In the last years, SoHo Capital began acquiring parcels around it in order to create the now 43-acre development known as The Heights, of which the Public Market is the focal point and arguably the most important success factor* for the future of the entire neighborhood. *That is, minus some sort of improved public transit. Not only will other major residential buildings be completed in the next year, but Water Street looms as a sleeping giant. Whereas The Heights has employed the expertise of many local leaders, with whom we are mostly familiar and comfortable, Water Street’s SPP has made a point to import new ideas and interpretations via leaders from places like Washington, DC. It will be an exciting time of transformation, and Armature Works at The Heights is just a glimpse of what is to come. “Urban Stimuli: Armature Works, Tampa Heights” – 83 Degrees
Concerns Emerge Over BRT
Leaders in Hillsborough politics and transportation are speaking up about their concerns with Tampa Bay’s latest proposal to bring transit to the region. Bus rapid transit, known as BRT, emerged last month as the lead option for Tampa Bay’s first premium transit project, featuring dedicated routes. The initial briefing on this 41-mile project along Interstate 275 from Wesley Chapel to Tampa to St. Petersburg was met with relatively positive feedback during its public unveiling at a tri-county Jan. 19 transportation meeting. Some questioned running the special buses down the I-275 shoulder rather than along a dedicated new lane. The buses would have their own lane in the interstate median from West Shore to downtown Tampa, but the other 36 miles would run along the shoulder or in lanes shared with other cars and vehicles. “Hillsborough Leaders Raise Questions About Bus Rapid Transit” – Tampa Bay Times
Transformation of Tampa’s West Side
This is the beginning of a wide transformation of the area on the west side of Tampa’s Hillsborough River, Mayor Bob Buckhorn said during a media tour Monday of construction at Julian B. Lane Park. The $35 million project to completely redesign 23 underutilized acres is winding its way to completion, with a weekend of opening festivities set for Mother’s Day in May. With increased private investment in the area, the city is seeing redevelopment happening in the North Hyde Park area with the Bryan Glazer Family JCC transformation of the Armory and change afoot in historic West Tampa. “$35M Julian B. Lane Park Nears Completion And Is Seen As A Spark For Private Investment Nearby (Photos)” – Tampa Bay Business Journal
Straz Fights for Riverfront Parking
Parking at the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts has been a nightmare for years, even delaying show starts. But a proposal to alleviate the crunch isn’t getting a standing ovation at City Hall just yet. The Straz wants to remove a landscaped berm on the north side of West Tyler Street to expand its arrival plaza. That would create an undetermined amount of parking and increase capacity for the center’s valet service, which accounts for about 10 percent of its traffic, said Lorrin Shepard, the Straz’s chief operating officer. The Straz’s proposal, though, conflicts with the city’s existing waterfront zoning regulations. To allow the expansion of the plaza, the City Council would have to approve an ordinance change. That’s something city officials are still considering. “The Straz Wants More Parking On The Riverfront. City Hall Remains Cautious”– Tampa Bay Times
Shumaker Attorney Joins TBBCA
The law firm of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, is pleased to announce that Tampa associate Christopher Cavaliere has been selected to sit on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Tampa Bay Businesses for Culture and the Arts (TBBCA). TBBCA unites businesses in the Tampa Bay Area to champion arts and culture for a vibrant and thriving community. Chris in an attorney in Shumaker’s Litigation and Employment practice groups, where he represents both large and small companies in all aspects of their business. “Christopher Cavaliere Selected to Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Tampa Bay Business for Culture and the Arts” – Tampa Bay Newswire
Balsa Bridge Building Competition
USF’s College of Engineering 27th Annual Balsa Bridge Building Competition will be held during USF’s Engineering Expo. Sixty-four (64) teams of middle and high school students design and build bridges based on established rules and guidelines, and compete to see which bridge can withstand the most weight before collapsing. Winners will be eligible for an S3 (S.T.E.M.) Scholarship granted by THEA in honor of the late Lee Roy Selmon. This family friendly event is FREE and a part of the USF Engineering Expo, which seeks to educate K-12 students on the importance of S.T.E.M. within their lives through displays and projects for student interaction and enhanced learning in the sciences and engineering. For more information and to register a team, visit https://usfbalsabridge.weebly.com/
ChappellRoberts Welcomes New Talent
ChappellRoberts, the agency of record for notable clients such as Florida Cancer Specialists, Newland Communities, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, DTCC and 3 Daughters Brewing, has added two new team members, including senior art director, Curtis Elliot, and web developer, Saisha Schwarzenbach. With more than 10 years of graphic design experience, Elliot comes to ChappellRoberts with a portfolio that includes Taco Bell, eBay, Florida Orange Juice and Petco. Complementing the agency’s in-house development and programming team, Schwarzenbach will focus on front-end development and digital asset development for the agency’s integrated accounts. Schwarzenbach’s portfolio includes website development and optimization for brands including Mountain Rose Herbs and Trillium Healthcare. “ChappellRoberts Welcomes New Talent” – Tampa Bay Newswire
HART Service Enhancements
Several service enhancements will go into effect on Sunday, February 25 to complete the foundation of the Mission MAX redesigned system. Based on community feedback, four routes will have increased frequency, seven routes will have more direct trips, and additional route schedules will be modified to improve on-time performance. Click here for a full list of the changes. HART staff will be available at the following locations to provide information and answer questions.
TIA Unveils Rental Car Center
At 2.6 million square feet, the new rental car center at Tampa International Airport is big — bigger, even, than International Plaza. And it is just one of three airport projects scheduled to open to the public on Feb. 14. There’s a 1.4-mile-long SkyConnect people mover (dubbed the #LoveTrain, since it will debut on Valentine’s Day). And the main terminal will be emerging from three years of heavy construction. In all, it’s $971 million worth of work to de-congest the main terminal. Future phases of the expansion are aimed at creating an airport capable of handling 34 million passengers — compared to 19.6 million last year — within the current footprint. “Tampa International’s Billion-Dollar Update is a New Airport Experience” – Tampa Bay Times
Turanchik Enters Mayoral Race
Fixing Tampa’s abysmal transportation and transit network will be at the top of Ed Turanchik’s list of priorities if he’s elected mayor. The transit activist and former mayoral candidate filed campaign paperwork Friday, becoming the first high-profile candidate to enter the race to succeed Bob Buckhorn. From his vantage point officials have engaged for more than a decade in perpetual inaction. “We keep trying to hit a grand slam, but we have no one on base,” Turanchik told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. Turanchik’s grand slam metaphor represents mobility. The players on base would be transit products. Turnachik wasn’t ready to discuss specific plans yet, but vowed he had the knowledge, skills and authority to implement noticeable changes to the way Tampanians get from point A to point B. His strategies would focus largely on innovation and strategy. “Tech And Transportation Go Hand-In-Hand In Mayoral Hopeful Turanchik’s Vision For Tampa”- Tampa Bay Business Journal
Tampa Named a BoomTown
After crunching data for 581 cities covering unemployment rates, unemployment rate change, housing unit change, population change and GDP growth, SmartAsset has pinpointed America’s top 10 boomtowns. On the west coast of the state of Florida, Tampa has seen its population grow 1.9% year on year. This influx of new residents likely helped drop its unemployment rate by 1.5% to 3.2%, grow its GDP by an average of 4.2% and boost its housing growth rate by 3.4%. Together this pushed Tampa into the top 10 for the first time since the annual study began four years ago. With the average temperature rarely dipping below 70 degrees, beach life, a low crime rate and plenty of affordable housing, it’s no surprise that people are flocking to this buzzy coastal town. Tampa is also making a name for itself as an emerging start-up hub, which is attracting entrepreneurs looking to move to a new city straight from college. “America’s Biggest Boomtowns and Why They’re Blossoming” – MSN.com
TIA Gets New Flight to Texas
Beginning April 8, Tampa International Airport is getting additional flights to Austin, Texas courtesy of Frontier Airlines. The Denver-based, low-cost carrier announced the Tampa to Austin flight Thursday along with new service on 35 nonstop routes. TIA already provides service to Austin on Southwest Airlines but Frontier has been expanding aggressively in Tampa and elsewhere. Southwest currently serves the Tampa to Austin routes with one to two flights a day depending on the season, said Kenneth Strickland, TIA’s director of research and air service development. “Tampa International gets new flight to Lone Star State” – Tampa Bay Business Journal
Apple Co-Founder to Speak at USF
Tickets are no longer available for a Feb. 20 free event in the USF Sun Dome featuring Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. All 5,100 seats that were made available to USF students, faculty, staff and the general public have now been claimed. Wozniak will be the guest speaker at the inaugural USF Muma College of Business Thought Leader Series. He’s expected to deliver an hour-long, wide-ranging, informal talk in a conversation with Muma College of Business Dean Moez Limayem beginning at 2pm. The Muma College of Business introduced the Thought Leader Series to feature nationally recognized speakers, innovators, idea generators, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, authors and “turn-around artists” in business and industry. “Tickets Sold Out for Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak’s USF Appearance on Feb. 20” – Tampa Bay Newswire
Coworking Space Coming to Hyde Park Village
Station House, a popular coworking space in downtown St. Petersburg, is opening a second location in Hyde Park Village. Station House will take 30,000 square feet on the top level of Block H, a new 60,000-square-foot building across West Snow Avenue from Vineyard Vines. The redevelopment of Block H is the final phase of the redevelopment of Hyde Park Village, a multimillion-dollar project that Boston-based WS Development kicked off in 2015. Station House will offer flexible memberships, shared office space, conference space and a venue for business and networking events. “Hyde Park Village Lands Big Tenant To Anchor Last Phase Of Redevelopment” – Tampa Bay Business Journal
Monday Morning Memo –Monday Morning Memo is a weekly update of “insider downtown information” regarding developments, transportation, special opportunities and other useful information to help you make the most of downtown. Subscribe to receive this weekly newsletter.
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