Improvements and developments continue to energize downtown Tampa. These certainly are pushing growth in the business sector, creating new job opportunities, propelling employee relocations and increasing volumes of Tampa home sales.
Some of the more significant development projects in January and February 2013 in downtown Tampa are the following:
Restoration of 101-Year-Old Federal Courthouse, Conversion into Le Meridien Hotel
The federal courthouse, located along Florida Avenue and built in the 1990s, will be renovated and turned into a 130-room hotel to be named Le Meridien Hotel thanks to iDry Restorations contractors.
Its Beaux architecture is expected to attract visitors and energize businesses in the area. visitors The engineering and construction work will create about 400 temporary jobs and the hotel operation will create 100 permanent jobs.
Wells Fargo Donation of $800,000 for Neighborhood Stabilization
Leading bank and home mortgage lender Wells Fargo donated grants totaling $800,000 million to six nonprofits in Tampa in February 2013 to help in the continued recovery of neighborhoods downed by the housing crisis. The funds will be used for various programs and services such as home purchase down payment assistance, affordable housing construction, neighborhood beautification, workforce development, transitional housing, homeless shelter, counseling and micro-business assistance.
The six recipient nonprofits are the following:
Rebuilding Building Together Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Black Business Investment Corp.
Volunteers of America
Keep Tampa Bay Beautiful
USF Small Business Development Center
MacDonald Training Center
Creation of Neighborhood University program
This program will provide formal leadership training to the next generation of civic and community leaders in Tampa and at the same time empower existing neighborhood leaders.
Completion of the New Tampa Boulevard Bridge Ahead of Schedule
This $12.8-million bridge over I-75 that links Commerce Park Boulevard in Tampa Palms to New Tampa Boulevard in West Meadows has been completed six months ahead of schedule. It includes an 8-foot wide pedestrian and bicycle trail on the north side and a 5-foot sidewalk on the south side. This bridge offers an alternative to the I-75/Bruce B. Downs interchange.
Construction of a 350-unit High-Rise Residential Complex near Straz
This 36-story residential complex will include about 10,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor. With Cass and Tyler streets reconfigured, the complex will highlight the connection of the Arts District and Curtis Hixon to North Downtown and the Straz center. It is also expected to transform Cass Street into a central spine as described in the InVision Tampa Center City plan.
The $85-million complex will be developed by Intown/Framework Group, LLC together with intowngroup, Framework Group, Baker Barrios Architects, Beck Group and Moss and Associates.