Water Street Tampa is happening, lease by lease and grand opening by grand opening.
- Construction on the $ 3.5 billion eat-work-play-stay development that reshapes downtown Tampa began in 2018. Phase one will be completed by 2022.
Why is this important: The massive 56-acre contiguous development has nearly doubled downtown Tampa’s footprint and will be a centerpiece for the future of sustainable urban waterfront design.
What is happening: The project opens in phases and will eventually total 9 million square feet of commercial, residential, hospitality, entertainment, cultural and retail space, all connected by a street plan focused on pedestrians and public green belts.
- The developer of the project, Strategic Property Partners, is a joint venture between Tampa Bay owner Lightning Jeff Vinik and his partners and Cascade Investment, the investment firm funded by Bill Gates.
The last: A Publix Greenwise Market opened in August on the ground floor of Heron, the first apartment tower to open.
- Three commercial tenants recently signed leases – Orangetheory Fitness, Shortwave Coffee and Chill Bros. Scoop Shop.
- And cybersecurity firm ReliaQuest has announced a new headquarters on the top six floors of Thousand & One, the focal point of Water Street.
Background: The lot was mostly vacant lots and parking lots a few years ago when Vinik noticed the potential around the Lightning’s Amalie Arena and its connection to the waterfront.
In numbers :
- 1 million square feet of new office space (including Tampa’s first office towers in 25 years).
- 1 million square feet of commercial and cultural space.
- 3,500 residences, both for rent and for sale.
- 692 new hotel rooms and 727 renovated, including the city’s first five-star hotel, The Tampa EDITION.
How to get there: As construction is underway, circulation patterns remain a challenge. But there is plenty of parking in the cruise terminal parking lots or in the large paid parking lot at Sparkman Wharf.
- Water Street is also on the TECO streetcar line and a short walk from the Tampa termination of the Cross Bay ferry. Rental scooters and bikes abound.
What to eat
There are plenty of options for eating and drinking at Sparkman Wharf, the development restoration center.
Details: Built inside the former Channelside Plaza, Sparkman Wharf offers chef-led concepts in repurposed shipping containers on the waterfront, next to the cruise terminal.
- Other highlights include a covered beer garden, an outdoor stage, swings, and an expansive lawn with games.
Open:
- Jeni’s – A popular Columbus, Ohio based ice cream shop with unusual (but delicious) flavors.
- LightHaus beer garden – Flights of draft beer and 813 pizzas.
- Gallito Taqueria – Street tacos, antojitos and sangria.
- JoToro – Basic Mexican groceries and tequila.
- The main ingredient – Specialized grocery store with organic, vegan, keto, gluten-free and artisanal foods.
- Fit Bowl Co. – Acai whole food bowls, smoothies and soft-serve.
- Battery – Sit-down restaurant offering refined bourbon and elegant dishes.
- Herd and Stock – American favorites by the road.
- Murph’s barbecue – Delicious smoked meats and no-frills side dishes.
- Naked farmer – Create your own salads and bowls with fresh local ingredients. Naked Farmer is moving from Sparkman Wharf to a dedicated Thousand & One location in October.
- Splitsville – Bowling with casual dishes, cocktails and beer.
- Which one please – Salted salads and side dishes.
- Edison’s Swigamajig – A satellite of the popular Edison dining spot, Swigamajig offers fresh cocktails and thoughtful seafood platters.
- The corners – Pizza a la Detroit.
- No matter the pops – Gourmet popsicles, acai bowls and coffee.
- 7th + Grove South – Southern food and high soul, as well as cocktails.
- Anchor and brine – Refined seafood menu at the foot of Marriott Water Street.
Coming soon:
- SPP recently announced that Wagamama, an Asian-inspired global chain, will open its first location in Florida at 1050 Water Street in early 2022.
- Noble rice – A modern Japanese restaurant based in Tampa. The new spot will be an extension of what you love about Noble Rice, like ingredients from the Toyosu market in Japan and sushi, with a stronger focus on Japanese whiskeys, sake and cocktails.
- BurgerFi – Burgers, fries and custards prepared by the chef.
Living on Water Street
Apartments: There are four residential buildings planned for Water Street, with a total of 3,500 apartments / condos. All are expected to start renting in 2021.
- Heron has 420 apartments currently rented. One-bedroom rooms start at around $ 2,000 per month, with two beds starting at around $ 3,000. There are also triple bed and penthouse suites.
- Residences at EDITION Tampa is an exclusive condo building atop a 5 star hotel with only 37 units. From $ 2,000,000, there are still a few left.
- 1050 Water Street will have 511 apartments, with rental expected to begin later this year.
- Cora, at 1011 E. Cumberland Avenue, will have 388 new dwellings, from studio to triple. The rental has started and the first residents have moved in.
Hotels: There are three Water Street hotels, including The Tampa EDITION, slated to open later this year.
Work at Water Street
Desks: Thousand & One is the city’s first WELL Core and Shell certified office building and its first trophy office tower in nearly 30 years.
- The developers hope wellness – like actual physical and mental health – will be a huge draw in a post-COVID work culture. Go further.
The building is everything on well-being and sustainability, with water features, landscaped awnings and decks, natural light, water views, and indoor-outdoor spaces – all aimed at promoting health, happiness and increased productivity.
In numbers : The 20-story tower has 375,000 square feet of office space with 12,000 square feet of retail space on the ground floor.
- RSM, a global accounting firm, already leases premises, Suffolk Construction, one of the nation’s leading construction companies, and Sila Realty Trust Inc., a Tampa-based real estate investment trust.
Disk 400 at the edge of the canal: This office tower will have an area of 500,000 square feet over 19 floors.
USF Health Morsani College of Medicine and Heart Institute is a 395,000 square foot Water Street anchor.
To note : The lineup of Water Street and Sparkman Wharf is changing. We’ll keep this guide up to date, so check back often.
