TAMPA, Fla.-- It's out with the old and in with the new in the Channelside area of Downtown Tampa.
- 'Sparkman Wharf' to replace Channelside Bay Plaza
- Designed to be dynamic park like environment
- Expected to open this october.
After much anticipation, developers of the $3 billion Water Street Tampa project unveiled plans for 'Sparkman Wharf'. It will replace the struggling Channelside Bay Plaza.
"It had an unfortunate opening time just after Sept. 11, in the middle of a recession, so we really reimagined the space -- we've opened it up to the water we're going to provide a really dynamic park like environment," Ali Glisson with Strategic Property Partners said.
Sparkman Wharf features approximately 180,000 square feet of reimagined, spacious loft-style office space, 65,000 square feet of ground-level retail, and a one-acre dynamic park-like environment, which will feature an intimate dining garden, biergarten, and lawn for recreation. It will all be situated in a relaxed, outdoor setting along the Garrison Channel in downtown Tampa.
The dining garden will feature ten of Tampa's best restaurateurs and chefs experimenting with new culinary concepts.
Situated adjacent to the lawn and dining garden, a 3,000-square foot covered bar will provide an intimate space to sit in the shade and enjoy a drink with flexible seating, outdoor televisions, and a cooling mister system.
Visitors said they're excited for the future.
"I've been to Tampa a couple of times before and I'm excited to see what they're doing because it's been empty previous times I've been," visitor Heather Hull said.
Sparkman Wharf is named after Stephen Sparkman, one of Tampa’s original movers and shakers. A true disruptor in every sense of the word, he brought innovation and transformation that pushed the boundaries of what was being done in the city at the time.
As the region's first congressman, Sparkman secured the federal funding to dig the deep-water channels to downtown, creating Port Tampa Bay and allowing larger ships to come closer to downtown and historic Ybor City.
Sparkman Wharf is owned and operated by Strategic Property Partners, LLC, the partnership between Cascade Investment LLC, and Jeff Vinik. SPP is a full-service commercial real estate development firm based in Tampa, Florida.
Sparkman Wharf is expected to open in October. To learn more, click here.