Here is a rather informative news letter I receive from the Tampa DT Partnership... lots of project updates worth gabbing about and other facets of projects under way...

http://www.tampasdowntown.com/newsletter.aspx?newid=69

The New Tampa Museum of Art will be designed by Stanley Saitowitz of Berkley, CA. His firm was selected by the Tampa Museum of Art Building Committee a few weeks ago. The New Museum will be located along the west and southwest of the Poe Garage in the New Riverfront Park being designed by Thomas Balsley of New York. The location will be adjacent to the Children's Museum location and along the Tampa Riverwalk. The Museum Board is excited about our new location and the time frame for completion is two years from now or before the end of 2008. The building will be designed / built in phases and the schematic drawings for the facility are due to the Building Committee by the end of February with a GMP contract and construction documents to be ready by this summer. The first phase will be 60,000 square feet and will be designed for an equal or larger phase II.

_________________________---------------__________________________

I think this is the closest we have gotten to a real focus on a new museum. Maybe we will see something now. Thank goodness

Wow! Is it really going to happen ?!

Very soon, I hope.

Just read an article on tbo.com (sure it will be in the morning Trib), stating Element is under construction... good to hear. It also referenced the the Twelve project. North Downtown is shaping up nicely.

The New Tampa Museum of Art will be designed by Stanley Saitowitz of Berkley, CA. His firm was selected by the Tampa Museum of Art Building Committee a few weeks ago. The New Museum will be located along the west and southwest of the Poe Garage in the New Riverfront Park being designed by Thomas Balsley of New York. The location will be adjacent to the Children's Museum location and along the Tampa Riverwalk. The Museum Board is excited about our new location and the time frame for completion is two years from now or before the end of 2008. The building will be designed / built in phases and the schematic drawings for the facility are due to the Building Committee by the end of February with a GMP contract and construction documents to be ready by this summer. The first phase will be 60,000 square feet and will be designed for an equal or larger phase II.

_________________________---------------__________________________

I think this is the closest we have gotten to a real focus on a new museum. Maybe we will see something now. Thank goodness

Very cool, though I am certainly still rather skeptical of the riverwalk in general. I really hope this all comes together well, as an improved art museum in Down Town is a much needed cultural addition.

The New Tampa Museum of Art will be designed by Stanley Saitowitz of Berkley, CA. His firm was selected by the Tampa Museum of Art Building Committee a few weeks ago. The New Museum will be located along the west and southwest of the Poe Garage in the New Riverfront Park being designed by Thomas Balsley of New York. The location will be adjacent to the Children's Museum location and along the Tampa Riverwalk. The Museum Board is excited about our new location and the time frame for completion is two years from now or before the end of 2008. The building will be designed / built in phases and the schematic drawings for the facility are due to the Building Committee by the end of February with a GMP contract and construction documents to be ready by this summer. The first phase will be 60,000 square feet and will be designed for an equal or larger phase II.

_________________________---------------__________________________

I think this is the closest we have gotten to a real focus on a new museum. Maybe we will see something now. Thank goodness

Two years seems quite ambitious of a completion date for a project that may not even be under design yet, especially for such a notorious project over the past two years and the fact that it is multi-phased. They are either serious about this finally or crazy. Either way I hope they're right because it would be nice to have it done by the Super Bowl. Otherwise we'll be hearing come Super Bowl time," this city doesn't even have an art museum."

Bayfront Hotel, Condos Planned For Rocky Point

By SHANNON BEHNKEN The Tampa Tribune

Published: Jan 4, 2007

TAMPA - New waterfront condos and a luxury hotel could replace an aging hotel at Rocky Point.

Clearwater-based Orion Communities and its affiliate RPS LLC have proposed building two 260-foot towers. One would house a hotel with 325-rooms and 20 condominiums. A 132-unit condo tower is planned next door.

The developer has a contract to purchase the 6-acre property - south of Courtney Campbell Parkway and west of Rocky Point Drive - contingent upon a rezoning request. The proposal is expected to be presented to the Tampa City Council in April.

A waterfront Westin hotel is under construction across the street from Orion's proposed hotel and condo. Another condominium is being built beside the Westin site.

John Grandoff, the attorney representing Orion, said the site for the new hotel is close to everything. "This is an excellent site because of the water views and the excitement of Rocky Point's bars and restaurants."

The Radisson Bay Harbor hotel is on the site, at 7700 W. Courtney Campbell Parkway, and would have to be razed.

Orion representatives could not be reached for comment.

Grandoff said the development would include boat docks for condominium owners.

The Rocky Point area is home to several hotels, and condominium projects there are gaining popularity.

Daniel Peek, managing director of Regent Street, an affiliate of The Plasencia Group, a hospitality consultant based in Tampa, said hotels with condominium components are successful in other cities but haven't been built in Tampa.

"Most four- or five-star hotels built in the U.S. in the last five years include condo units," Peek said. "Without those units, the project wouldn't have been feasible."

The Radisson was the site of four shooting deaths involving a former hotel worker in 1999.

Reporter Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804 or sbehnken@tampatrib.com.

http://www.tbo.com/news/money/MGBU2XSIIWE.html

A waterfront Westin hotel is under construction across the street from Orion's proposed hotel and condo. Another condominium is being built beside the Westin site.

I really haven't seen construction on the site but that's good to hear if it's true.

A 4 or 5 star hotel would be a perfect fit for that area. Though the price range of the condos would probaly have to be relatively low the fact that it has a hotel in todays hotel market is good. Another problem could be the FAA, I'm not sure if it would get in the way of a flight path but it's really close to the airport. But, I'm glad a developer wants to go more vertical. If the Westin supposidly U/C and that other condo planned next door get built along with this Rocky Points Skyline would be amazing, and staggered in height.

Proposed 595 foot tower, 4-star hotel, w/ luxury condos.

This is the first I've heard of these guys; here's their website - http://www.fuelgroupinternational.com/

Click on 'Properties' and then 'Downtown Tampa.'

Proposed 595 foot tower, 4-star hotel, w/ luxury condos.

This is the first I've heard of these guys; here's their website - http://www.fuelgroupinternational.com/

Click on 'Properties' and then 'Downtown Tampa.'

I think we need a 5 star hotel downtown...but hey a 4 star will do.

Proposed 595 foot tower, 4-star hotel, w/ luxury condos.

This is the first I've heard of these guys; here's their website - http://www.fuelgroupinternational.com/

Click on 'Properties' and then 'Downtown Tampa.'
Sounds like an awesome project. Don't know if this is a old project, since they show Embassy as just the site. Maybe I'll email them to see what is going on.

Render also decieves me. Doesn't look 595 ft to me.

Sounds like an awesome project. Don't know if this is a old project, since they show Embassy as just the site. Maybe I'll email them to see what is going on.

Render also decieves me. Doesn't look 595 ft to me.

I remember hearing about this project like 8 months ago. There was one article and then I never heard anything on it again so I considered dead. It looks liek one of the more interesting designs from what you can tell in the out of proportion rendering. Plus, I doubt the FAA would allow 595 feet on that sight so the render could be a shorter redesign.

Interesting but not inspiring. I am not buying it

^^ Well, I can't see it on their website. All I get is a brown box. :( The page pulls up fine but the scrolling options offer nothing to view or analyze.

^^ Well, I can't see it on their website. All I get is a brown box. :( The page pulls up fine but the scrolling options offer nothing to view or analyze.
Hmmm...I can see it. It's just a a blue mdel, no details, just the outline of it. They have to pics of it actually. One is closer to TTT and that looks like it is 595 ft, but then another one but that is across the Selmon and closer to the Convention Center, but looks nothing to the height they said it was

There are obviously two different versions of their vision, depending upon which, if any site they can obtain for the project. SFAIK, the site across from the TCC is still owned by multiple parties, which in the recent past including the USPS, some other company and Joe Redner (of storied rezoning battle with the city council). I have no idea who owns it now, though a trip to the property appraiser's site would clue us in... The other site is owned by one govt agency or another, and is operated as a city parking lot.

As a concept, it is obvious that both parcels will be redeveloped in time, and probably not too far into the future. Both blocks feature the Franklin St address which will have increased cachet in time, and both blocks are next to the soon to be extended trolley line. I also like the idea of converting the city parking lot in between (called 'Crosstown 1') to a park of some sort. There is already a fair amount of pedestrian traffic in that area when events are going on, and that is sure to increase as DT develops. Making that journey more enjoyable is a wise investment, if only to encourage more trips taken on foot, which means fewer taken in a car.


As for this crew being the ones to make it happen, I have no idea of their capabilities.

I'm all for parks, but that lots is framed by a Crosstown on ramp, the crosstown, a parking garage and a big surface parking lot (the only feature which is likely to change) - they should sell it to a developer and buy a better lot for a park - just my opinion.

^no, not the Hart lot (the parcel directly south of the Ft Brooke Garage)... Their renderings show that the parking lot under the crosstown was covered with landscaping and a wide pathway... I was saying that I thought it was an interesting use of that space... I'm sure it's much more attractive to have that than an asphalt parking lot next to a shmancy downtown hotel.

Proposed 595 foot tower, 4-star hotel, w/ luxury condos.

This is the first I've heard of these guys; here's their website - http://www.fuelgroupinternational.com/

Click on 'Properties' and then 'Downtown Tampa.'

I've known about this project for sometime now but didn't have any concrete evidence to post so I never mentioned it.... but I've heard from the owner of the block that includes Fuel/Diesel/XS (whatever the name of the club is at this current time)... that entire block will be leveled come this summer

I've known about this project for sometime now but didn't have any concrete evidence to post so I never mentioned it.... but I've heard from the owner of the block that includes Fuel/Diesel/XS (whatever the name of the club is at this current time)... that entire block will be leveled come this summer

Where did you get your information on this?

I've known about this project for sometime now but didn't have any concrete evidence to post so I never mentioned it.... but I've heard from the owner of the block that includes Fuel/Diesel/XS (whatever the name of the club is at this current time)... that entire block will be leveled come this summer
Just got a email back from them and they said that they are still talking with the city at the moment,

I asked him a few more questions, since I just didn't want to shot him a email with 50 questions and forcing him to answer them all.

Hi fellow forumers!:cheers:

double post

Where did you get your information on this?

I know a few club/concert promoters in Tampa and one of the venues they have used is Club Diesel right across from the convention center. The club used to be a very active club but right now it isn't. There was an interest by these promoters to take over the club on certain nights of the week to get the club active again. "Jay", whose supposedly the owner of not only the club, but the entire block, gave the news that the entire block will be torn down come summer time to make way for a condo tower.

I didn't know any specifics about the tower, only that one would eventually be built in that location

Tampa Reaching For New Heights
Skip directly to the full story.
Published: Dec 30, 2006


TAMPA HEIGHTS - Ten-plus years of neighborhood redevelopment began in 2006 when the city council approved plans for a $500 million project.

The developer, A Better Place Group, proposes 1,900 town houses and condominiums priced from $300,000 to $1 million.

The project, called The Heights, will include 260,000 square feet of offices and stores, the redevelopment of the historical Tampa Armature Works building and enhancement of the city's Waterworks Park.

A Better Place, which is working with Bank of America, hopes to start sewer, water and utility work in 2007, with construction of the three- to 16-story buildings starting in 2008, development manager Darren Booth said. The 48-acre project could be completed by 2018.

Plans also call for a river walk from North Boulevard to the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, boat slips and realigned streets.

The 48-acre project could be completed by 2018.

Wow that is a long way away...

Wow that is a long way away...

Damn it is, but as long as construction starts soon it will give the average resident of Tampa a positvie outlook for the communities and neighborhoods around downtown. Which is imnportant for improving the overall liveability of downtown itself. I find this as good news that the project is still alive. I was starting to worry because I hadn't heard anything about for a while.

Right, but who in their right mind voluntarily moves into a nieghborhood that will be a half-built, filthy, noisy mess for a decade?

Right, but who in their right mind voluntarily moves into a nieghborhood that will be a half-built, filthy, noisy mess for a decade?

Well I am sure they will do it in phases and by building. 45 Acres is a fairly large chunk for downtown. It is the same as anyone moving to Channelside will find it under construction for the next decade, or anyone moving to the North Franklin St. area will find it under construction for the next decade.

What I wonder is this - Both Tampa Heights and Central Park are being developed by Bank of America. I have wondered for some time if they will do both developments simultaneously - and if they do do one at a time which one will they do first. I think this blurb answers the later question. I don't see why they would compete with themselves as Tampa Heights and Central Park are going to have similarly priced units. So I am wondering now what this means for Central Park. Do you think they plan to begin AFTER 2018? Or ...Maybe they will stagger phases of each development and that uis part of why they will be so spaced out.

By the way, you ask what kind of person moves into that neighborhood... Any project that is waterfront downtown and has boat slips kicks ass in my mind... I personally will be interested in what type of inventory they have. Plus it will be right on the riverwalk.

Well I am sure they will do it in phases and by building. 45 Acres is a fairly large chunk for downtown. It is the same as anyone moving to Channelside will find it under construction for the next decade, or anyone moving to the North Franklin St. area will find it under construction for the next decade.

What I wonder is this - Both Tampa Heights and Central Park are being developed by Bank of America. I have wondered for some time if they will do both developments simultaneously - and if they do do one at a time which one will they do first. I think this blurb answers the later question. I don't see why they would compete with themselves as Tampa Heights and Central Park are going to have similarly priced units. So I am wondering now what this means for Central Park. Do you think they plan to begin AFTER 2018? Or ...Maybe they will stagger phases of each development and that uis part of why they will be so spaced out.

I highly doubt they will wait until 2018 for Central Park because I'm pretty sure they already cleared out the former residents of Central Park. Also I doubt they would go through the approval and design processes if they weren't going to break ground for 10 more years. I would think they will contstuct the projects at similar, but not the same times. Meaning they won't be working on the same thing at the same time. Why wouldn't you want to compete against yourself? It creates somewhat of a monopoly somewhat like Novare is trying to do. Also the article says that A Better Place Group is working with Bank of America. So I would guess Bank of America is more of the funding source then anything. :)

I don't think they are allowed to wait until 2018 for the Central Park project. The develpment is also associated with the housing authority and I am certain they gave reasonable deadlines for that project.

Ok, look, there are different components to the Central Park project - there is the replacement of public housing and there are the condos (as well asthe park, infrastructure, retail, etc). I believe the apartments will be the first phase (with maybe one condo tower)- but the condos have to be staggered to sell.

Who would live in an area under construciton for ten years - ask anyone who is moving to Channelside . . .

And ask people who get good housing at a low price.

As for the Heights - that is not public housing in any way - it may be affordable but it is not public. THere is a difference - so that will not really compete per se.

"Who would live in an area under construction for ten years?"

I've lived in the Channel District for a little more than three years now, and I can tell you that is does take a good deal of patience on a daily basis.

Some of the downsides:
- Lots of litter (food wrappers, etc.) from construction workers
- Early morning noise (trucks, equipment, car speakers)
- Closed off roads
- Scarce parking (again, due to the workers)
- Temporary overall ugliness (ripped up roads, clutter, more litter)
- Not much green space, or trees for that matter

Of course, the reason you put up with this is that you know it's going to get better eventually. Plus, I can walk to Lightning games, movies, bars and restaurants. I even walked to and from the cruise terminal last year for a Carribbean cruise. Not many people can enjoy that little luxury. :)

We are all looking forward to seeing more amenities move in, such as a grocery store, pharmacy, dry cleaner, sandwich shop, coffee house, etc. Hopefully those will be realities in the next year or two.

So there are plenty of positives and negatives, much like most areas, I'd suppose. The objective is to keep your eyes on the prize.

You would live in any of these areas on the speculation of the future. It takes pathfinders to go in and rough it out through the development phase to smooth the transition into revitalized, redeveloped area. If Laura and I move to channelside, we accept the current state of disarray as a necessary evil in investing for the future of the collective neighborhood.

Don't stress over your move, FLHawk. You've made a wise decision to move to channelside. The value of your neighborhood will only rise as time passes and I'm sure you are aware of this and that's probably one of the reasons you've decided to stick it out for now. Yeah, it's not paradise just yet, but a few years from now it will be the place to live in Tampa - rest assured. (sp) The biggest concern I have about channelside is that there seems to be a lack of greenspace.

I've seen dozens of pictures taken by members here at SSC and the one thing that stands out in my mind is that channelside resembles a concrete jungle instead of an environmentally friendly greenspace. A few trees and schrubs here and there just doesn't do it for me and I'd be willing to bet you're aware of this as well. Yes, the projects are very colorful -- but I'd press for more greenspace if I were fortunate enough to be a resident.

I have no doubt that this will improve. I suspect as the population increases, this will be an issue that all of you address.

Just my :2cents:

MetLife moves ahead in Westshore

Tampa Bay Business Journal
January 12, 2007
by Carl Cronan Real estate editor
http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/01/15/story3.html?page=2&b=1168837200^1401502


TAMPA -- MetLife Inc. is ready to start work transforming its long-held Westshore site into a mix of office, retail and multifamily residential space.

The financial services giant, which has had a Tampa presence dating back to the early 1970s, will raze its current 185,000-square-foot operations center to make way for three office buildings totaling 750,000 square feet, plus 80,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and 260 rental apartments.

Once the multimillion-dollar project is completed over the next two years, MetLife (NYSE: MET) envisions having a total of 1.5 million square feet on its 32-acre expanse on the northeast corner of Boy Scout Boulevard and Lois Avenue. That includes the current 11-story One MetroCenter office building, which will remain in place.

"We've contemplated this for a while," said Chuck Davis, regional director of MetLife Real Estate Investments in Tampa. Davis said the company would seek to rezone its 22-acre operations site during the first half of this year, then begin work to demolish and rebuild through the second half into 2008.

This is the right time to pursue new office development in the Westshore business district because of growing demand for premium office space, especially in the area surrounding upscale International Plaza mall, Davis said.
Strong belief in Westshore demand

MetLife's direct office competitor, Crescent Resources LLC, plans to build Corporate Center Four at International Plaza across from the MetLife site, along with two more buildings at nearby Cornerstone Plaza.

Besides being the Tampa Bay area's largest office market with 11.2 million total square feet, Westshore has one of the lowest vacancy rates with only 4 percent availability for Class A space at the end of 2006, according to Cushman & Wakefield of Florida Inc.

Land positions for additional office development are scarce within the market, which primarily extends west of Dale Mabry Highway to the shores of Old Tampa Bay.

Rather than simply cashing in on the sale of its well-located property in proximity to Tampa International Airport, MetLife believes it is more profitable long term to develop and lease it as an optimum site that combines three different commercial real estate sectors.

"We definitely feel there is demand out there for people to live in the same area where they work," said Bill Miller, director with MetLife Real Estate. The rental market in Westshore shrunk substantially over the past few years as numerous apartment complexes converted their units to for-sale condominiums, Miller said.

One MetroCenter, MetLife's multitenant office building next to the operations center, will benefit from restaurants and shops on the operations site. MetLife occupied roughly half the 240,325-square-foot building before moving its 1,300-employee operations to Highwoods Preserve, north of Tampa, starting in fall 2005.

MetLife has just two months remaining on a 23,432-square-foot lease in the eighth floor of One MetroCenter, which was built in 1988 and is widely recognized by a giant fountain in front.

"That building is performing very well," Miller said, adding that the company's other space in the building has been leased to new tenants.

Taylor & Mathis of Florida LLC, which manages One MetroCenter, also will serve as development manager for MetLife's as-yet-unnamed project, Davis said.

Real estate observers believe MetLife's proposed development will be successful, especially given its advantageous position along Boy Scout Boulevard. Various developments in the works locally are combining different facets within the same project instead of building purely for any one sector.

"It makes a lot of sense from a mixed-use standpoint," said Jeff Tolrud, director of Colliers Arnold, which has its brokerage offices in Westshore.

MetLife, originally known as Metropolitan Life Insurance Co., is known as one of Westshore's original inhabitants, having established its regional administrative and operations center in Tampa in 1972. Local operations serve institutional and individual business lines for the New York-based company, which posted sales of nearly $44.8 billion in 2005.

MetLife bought two buildings totaling 240,000 square feet at Highwoods Preserve for $24.5 million in June 2005, then leased another 60,000 square feet at there later that year. It broke ground last May on a four-story, 115,000-square-foot building to accommodate future growth, giving the company more than 400,000 square feet.

For some reason this was moved into the Australian Archives. I'm not sure where it belongs.