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The Ever-Changing Downtown Tampa

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A Tribune staff report

Published: December 25, 2007

It seems like something's always brewing in downtown. There are condo towers going up, projects being planned (and then scrapped) and a vision that is slowly coming into focus. Here's a wrap-up of the three big newsmakers in 2007.

The Riverwalk

The city started construction on a segment at the Platt Street Bridge in March. That piece connects the Tampa Convention Center with USF Park.

In 2008, the city expects to start construction on the Tampa Bay History Center segment as well as the piece at Curtis Hixon Park. Fundraising for the $40 million project will continue.

The Tampa Museum Of Art

The museum closed its old building in December and is preparing a move to its interim home at the Centro Espanol building. The Ashley Drive building is scheduled for demolition in February. A new building, at the northern edge of Curtis Hixon Park, should be completed by summer 2009.

The Skyline

Despite the slowdown in the real estate market, downtown's skyline changed dramatically in 2007. Seven condo buildings — with a total of 1,500 new units — were completed, but several developers canceled projects.

The project to get the most attention was Trump Tower Tampa, which is entangled in construction liens, lawsuits from buyers wanting their money back and from Donald Trump who wants out of the licensing agreement. The Tampa developer, SimDag LLC, hopes that in 2008 it can persuade buyers to sign new contracts. A New York hedge fund is said to be poised to finance the tower, and Trump may drop the lawsuit.

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