SkyscraperCity Forum banner

CHANNEL DISTRICT | Sparkman Wharf | retail/entertainment/office | U/C

69K views 348 replies 59 participants last post by  PJahdish 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
It's been seven years — why doesn't Channelside work?
By Susan Thurston, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, August 22, 2008

It's 9 p.m. on a Wednesday, and bartender Jason Lewis is alone at the bar reading a copy of I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.

Six hours into his shift, he's rung about $50 in sales and isn't expecting much more. He can't remember a slower night in the two years he has worked at Tinatapas in Channelside, but laments there have been many. Business is good on the weekends but slow the rest of the week, especially during the day, when many of the restaurants are closed.

"We get a lot of tourists who are in their hotels looking for something to do,'' Lewis said. "They come down here during the day and say, 'This is it?'''

Seven years after opening in Tampa's seaport on the edge of downtown, Channelside has struggled to gain the foothold as envisioned. Challenges that once loomed, from finding a vibrant tenant mix to developing a downtown customer base, remain. Throw in the 9/11 attacks that took place a few months after the opening and the recent real-estate bust, and it's a wonder the place has survived — and, in a handful of instances, thrived.

"There's nothing down there to draw you,'' said Denise Becknell, a Channel District resident who wants to move but can't find a buyer for her loft. "It's over-rated.''

A slow start

The $49 million entertainment complex opened in early 2001 with few tenants and strong competition from Centro Ybor and St. Petersburg's BayWalk, which opened about the same time. Channelside's original owner had taken over the 10-screen movie complex, the main anchor, in anticipation of Regal Cinemas declaring bankruptcy. A few restaurants pulled out at the last minute, leaving Pop City, a club and adult arcade, as the only major draw.

Within months, despite the addition of Stump's Supper Club, Howl at the Moon and a few other businesses, the situation wasn't much better. A representative for Channelside's owner at the time, Orix Real Estate Equities of Chicago, admitted: "It should not have been built at the time it was built because there is a complete lack of demand for this retail rental space.''

The 230,000-square-foot center persisted and, by mid 2003, was about three-quarters occupied. The next year, Hooters arrived, giving locals a taste of familiarity.

Since then, several businesses have come and gone. The Signature Room Grille, an outpost of the famed restaurant atop Chicago's John Hancock building, opened in 2006 but closed the next year. Grille 29, which had a decent following among locals, shuttered last fall.

In March, the company that owns some of the bars on the second level, including Margarita Mama's and Banana Joe's, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. A few weeks ago, Hook Rum Club, a large bar on the second level, closed.

Locals lacking

Drawing locals, the bread-and-butter of retail centers, has been difficult. Investors, not homeowners, bought many nearby condominiums, leaving a significant percentage vacant. The Towers of Channelside, the closest to Channelside, filed for bankruptcy.

Even those living in the Channel District don't frequent the businesses as often as expected. They might walk over for dinner or a movie every now and then but haven't made a habit of it.

"I really don't go over there,'' said Jill Lifsey, 36, who lives in the Victory Lofts and owns District Designs, a modern design center next door. "It's so young. It's all clubs.''

She and her husband, Stan, prefer downtown places, such as Zelda's Cafe & Deli on Kennedy Boulevard or Fly on Franklin Street, over Channelside's themed eateries.

"Personally, I don't think it's high quality,'' she said. "It's kind of cheesy.''

Luisa Meshekoff, owner of a longtime dance studio in the Channel District, said she's never liked the look or feel of Channelside. Rather than blend with the waterfront setting, like the Florida Aquarium, the complex blocks it.

"It's pretty plastic,'' she said. "My preferences are for smaller enclaves with something that's interesting. Something that's more the essence of the neighborhood.''

Pockets of positives

Amid the disappointments are signs of encouragement. After several years of tenant searching, Channelside is nearly full, thanks to the recent additions of Wet Willie's and Oishi Japanese restaurant. It's a prime destination for conventioneers and tourists, and becomes party central whenever a major event comes to town, such as next year's Super Bowl.

Despite poor economic times, some businesses are seeing modest growth. Sales at the Wine Design, one of the center's few longtime retail shops, has increased in the past five years, especially among regulars who like the new wine-tasting vending machines. Locals now account for half the business, up from 25 percent a few years ago.

"We're extremely pleased that our numbers keep going up,'' co-owner Heidi Nietzel said. "We've always been saying, 'It's going to take longer than expected.'''

At Stumps, after a few years of flat sales, receipts are up, due to the new Rock Star Fridays in which customers sing Karaoke to a live band. At Splitsville — an upscale bowling-alley concept that's expanding nationwide — corporate events, private parties and nighttime traffic have built business every year. (Cruise passengers don't spend much unless their ship is delayed.)

Even Bennigan's, which closed most of its locations, stayed open in Channelside and enjoys a jump in business during hockey games, concerts and popular movie openings.

"We've been doing great,'' said David Beringer, one of the managers. "We're real busy on the weekends and during the week we're up compared to last year.''

A driving force

Soldiering through the ups and down: Guy Revelle and his partner, Mark Gibson. The longtime tenants started with Stump's and Howl at the Moon, then added Splitsville and Tinatapas.

Going in, they knew it would take time to revitalize downtown Tampa and develop the Channel District. They also knew they had some absolutes in their favor. Within walking distance were major attractions — the Florida Aquarium, St. Pete Times Forum, Tampa Convention Center and streetcar to Ybor City.

Revelle immersed himself in everything downtown and Channelside. He joined boards and committees for the Tampa Downtown Partnership and Tampa Bay & Company, and started meeting with public officials. He also pleaded — to no avail — with Outback officials to bring in a restaurant.

"This is going to be a slow build, and we were ready for that,'' Revelle said in a recent interview. "I've never been the type of person to sit around and cry.''

Revelle successfully fought to add weekend evening hours to the yellow In-Town Trolley that circulates through downtown. He pushed to attract national sporting events, such as the 2008 Women's Final Four, and he wants to create a frequent customer card for locals.

Persistent problems

Business owners admit some problems — such as parking — are unlikely to go away. The Tampa Port Authority garage across the street fills up quickly on weekends. The west-side parking lot is free at lunchtime but costs $5 any time after 1:30 p.m., deterring many people who can park for free at competing venues, such as International Plaza.

Once inside, access to the waterfront is limited due to port security. Only a few places offer waterfront views.

Even the name creates confusion. First it was the Channelside at Garrison Seaport, then the Shoppes at Channelside. Channelside stuck, but became the catchall name for the Channel District neighborhood.

So the complex added Bay Plaza to the name in 2006. Banners and signs advertise as such, although it's still known locally as Channelside. Its Web site, ChannelsideBayPlaza.com, is often confused for Channelside.com, which is unrelated.

Efforts to build a local following have met with mixed results. Hooters offered a free lunchtime trolley from the downtown business district but ended it late last year because the cost didn't justify it.

This summer, plans to revive Friday night fireworks fizzled when businesses couldn't raise the money.

Customers from neighboring hotels and attractions continue to help keep the center afloat. The convention center mentions Channelside prominently when soliciting large groups. And the Florida Aquarium has discussed launching a summer "date night" with extended hours on Thursdays, so patrons can walk directly from there to dinner at Channelside.

Most weekday nights, it's not unusual for out-of-towners and conventioneers to make up most of the clientele. Business people walk over from their hotels only to find the complex half-closed.

"I had a great meal at the Thai place, but it was empty,'' said Al Masucci, a medical sales manager from New Jersey. Channelside is "a beautiful place, but I thought it would be a lot busier.''

— Will Channelside ever become a top destination? Tell us what you think at tbteditors@tampabay.com.



Check out the Channel

If you're looking for a reason to visit Channelside, try one of these upcoming events.

Sept. 5: Tampa Bay Buccaneers kickoff party with players, coaches and cheerleaders.

Christmas tree lighting ceremony, date to be announced. Continues through the holidays with snowmaking machines going off every 15 minutes.

Dec. 6: Channelside's Toast to the Atlantic Coast Conference pep rally.

Dec. 31: New Year's Eve fireworks

Source: Performix Marketing


[Last modified: Aug 23, 2008 11:51 AM

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/article777925.ece
 
See less See more
#5 ·
Depends on the time of the weekend too. I was there last Friday and it was pretty dead until 9:00pm. Red Brick Pizza was closed and locked the doors before 9:00pm rather than 10:00pm per their sign, Joffry's closed at 6:00pm, and most of the shops were closed too. The clubs looked pretty busy though and the parking garage was filling up after 9pm.

Steve
 
#8 ·
It is too bad that the access to the water is not there. This would be a great boardwalk area like the Jacksonville Landing if it weren't for the blocked access. In fact for the rest of the riverwalk to be successful, they're going to need some destinations along the way...specifically several places to shop and dine. Maybe someday, after reliance on cruise traffic is not needed so much, the cruise ships can relocate farther in the Ybor Channel or something.
 
#11 ·
Access to the water is restricted by law here, for safety reasons.

Other than that, I think city planning as well as project planning severely flunked here.

The buildings of Channelside Plaza should have been built closer to the Florida Aquarium, in the place where the cruise terminal is now. There should be a nice, shared square with an open waterview between the buildings. The buildings should have been planned to be more open to the water an have another main entrance to Channlside drive and the the Cruise terminal.

The cruise terminal should have been built on the right side of the Plaza where the little road exists now.
 
#12 ·
Hey this is just my opinion.

I think that the Cruise ship terminal should have been built where POK is now. They should have closed that stupid airport and opened it as a "Gateway to the Bay." I think that our cruiseship port would have been a lot bigger and more people coming to the area for play, and other things.
 
#14 ·
Why not the Ybor Channel? I know the city wants to minimize industrial use there anyway. The current cruise terminal can be redeveloped by the Aquarium and the waterfront opened to the public riverwalk. A big wall of cruise ships blocking the industrial view on the other side of the Ybor channel is not a bad thing. Eventually they could dock on both sides of the Ybor channel if need be.
 
#19 ·
^Right, because people are expected to drive from afar, spending time, gas and parking fees just to get in the door. Didn't they learn their lesson with the persistent failure of HPV?

Why the city allowed the project to even be built without a sizable hotel or office tower (or two) atop it has baffled me ever since the place opened. Why wasn't the neighboring lot pushed to be developed at nearly the same time? It's Port Authority land. If the developer won't develop, then lease it for a price that will get the ball rolling, and GET ON WITH IT... How in the hell does the city's planning staff expect 230k sqft of retail space to thrive in what is largely a no-man's land? The only venues feeding the complex are the other attractions, which are also 'islands' unto themselves. The only integration comes in the form of a vastly underfunded trolley line.

Most importantly, WHEN are we going to get the competent leadership needed in the planning department and on the City Council to actualize these glaring deficiencies?
 
#23 ·
I guess I'll add my imput on this matter. I'll just break it down though.

Cruise Terminal- It divides the place in two. It's not much, but it affects a lot on what could happen/should happen. It made had sounded like a great plan at first due to Channelside being pretty much empty and near the city, but with the growth and future growth of Channelside, it's hard to have a fuctional downtown with the cruise terminal in its current location. Ybor Channel has beeen my idea of where a new cruise terminal and port should be located. It would be great if Tampa could get funding from state or federal, but I don't know if this would falls into transportation.

Poor Planning- The city believed that adding a retail square would be the thing to bring Channelside to its feet. I'm sorry, but that only happens in Pasco. A hotel connected to it would had helped lure visitors to the shops and resaurants and increased interest to it. Instead, poor planning occured and we continue to watch businesses come and go.

Closing Times- Like tampasteve said, you have shops and restaurants closing at 6-9pm. It's obvious, you close stores there, you have no one after that time to check out Channelside. Who wants to go somewhere where everything is close, thats just idiotic. If stores were allowed to stay open until 12 am, that would help. You need life to interest people, can't have the place dead after 9 pm with only bars and clubs keeping the place up after 9.

Trolley System- I think it's been said and said before, extend the trolley. You have a large business district and don't have any type of transportation to bring them to Channelside. You give the men and women in suits some way to come to Channelside and grab lunch, you have more interest. Instead, they're stuck going places walking distance.
 
#24 ·
The cruise terminal is fine where it is. The security budget is what keeps things fenced off because it is cheaper to pay one guy to watch a fenceline, than to pay three to bring the fenceline in closer and put two guys on the otherside to patrol and keep an eye on things. Its the lazy/inefficient way to do security because I know that determined 8th grader could penetrate security and do some evil doer deeds. So its a combination of an over reaction and a crap ass job implimenting the over reaction. Imagine coming home late when the wife has PMS, same thing, irrational hysteria and draconian punishments done on the cheap.
 
#25 ·
Port authority: Channelside behind on its bills
Wednesday, October 21, 2009

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The owners of a popular downtown Tampa entertainment district may be behind on their bills.


According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper the St. Petersburg Times, Channelside's owners owe the Port Authority almost $200,000.

Port officials said the mall has not reimbursed them for parking at port garages.

According to the Times, Channelside is supposed to pay the port authority $252,000 a year to provide the discount.

But the company, which leases land under the complex, has some unpaid bills that go back one year, said Charles Klug, the port authority's legal counsel.

There also has been complaints about maintenance at the complex and safety issues.


http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/...+authority:+Channelside+behind+on+its+bills+#
 
#27 ·
Tampa Port Authority sues Channelside Bay Mall owner
By Steve Huettel, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Feb 09, 2010 01:56 PM

The Tampa Port Authority sued the owner of the struggling Channelside Bay Mall on Tuesday, accusing the owner of failing to pay rent, allowing the mall to fall into disrepair and violating Tampa fire codes.

The public agency, which owns the land under the entertainment and shopping center, is asking a judge to terminate its lease with Channelside Bay Mall.

The port authority board voted in December to authorize a suit after hearing that the mall's owner owed more than $300,000 in fees, rent and interest. Most of the debt was from a $252,000 annual fee Channelside Bay Mall agreed to so shoppers could park in the authority's parking garage at a discounted fee.

An attorney for the center's owner, Ashkenazy Acquisition Corp., said his client might sue the port authority. Ashkenazy says the port authority has mismanaged parking around the center, causing declining sales and tenants to shut their doors.

The two sides agreed in December to work toward an agreement. But the port authority said in the suit filed Tuesday that the mall owners "rather only insisted on lease concessions that it is not entitled to and inventing rights and claims that do not exist.''

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/tampa-port-authority-sues-channelside-bay-mall-owner/1071908

Again, thanks Port Authority!
 
#28 ·
Lets bump this post back tot he land of the living, just about 2 years after HART's last post:

Everyone here is aware of Jeffrey Vinik, the owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, right? There have been reports about Vinik being approached to buy into the Channelside Bay Plaza development.

It may seem foolhardy to do something like that - why would a sport team owner do such a purchase? -- before looking at Los Angeles and the AEG's LA Live development around the Staples Center.

There's an article in Canada today that suggested Vinik is also interested in buying the Rays. That's denied in earnest by a spokesman. It's hearsay to speculate... But the Channelside development being purchased -- even a small percentage -- by the Lightning would be intriguing.
 
#29 ·
^^
Hmmmmmm....Haven't heard of this...and don't think it will happen. Why in heck's name would an owner of a sports team want to purchase Channelside? Let alone (just to put it out there) Centro Ybor? I can't see any sports tycoon wanting to buy up any of our flawed "mega" entertainment complexes.

If anything happens to the Channelside complex, it will just be left to rot like its counterpart across the bay...Baywalk.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top