Downtown Tampa

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Downtown Tampa, as seen from the mouth of the Hillsborough River in 2006

Downtown Tampa, is the central business district of Tampa, Florida and the chief financial district of the Tampa Bay Area. It is second only to Westshore regarding employment in the area. Companies with a major presence downtown include but are not limited to: Bank of America, Suntrust, and Verizon. The Tampa Convention Center is located downtown right on the river.

1 Description
2 Municipal services
3 Arts and Culture
4 Future developments
5 Tallest buildings
6 Entertainment
7 Channel District
8 Riverwalk
9 Subdistricts
10 See also
11 References
12 External links

[edit] Description

Downtown Tampa, as seen from Davis Islands in 2002

Downtown Tampa is bounded by the Hillsborough River to the west, Channelside to the east, Interstate 275 to the north, Davis Islands and Harbour Island to the south. The total area for the area is 521 acres.[1] Historical Fort Brooke was located at the southern end of downtown Tampa, near the mouth of the Hillsborough River.

[edit] Municipal services

Old Tampa City Hall, the core of Tampa's daily operations

[edit] Arts and Culture

Although small, downtown is an important cultural landmark. The prominent Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center is located there. Other points of interest relating to arts are: Tampa Theatre, Tampa Museum of Art, Jobsite Theater and the Henry B. Plant Museum on the University of Tampa campus. The UT campus itself has been recognized as a local wonder.^[1]

[edit] Future developments

The downtown area is also undergoing a large transformation to be mostly completed in time for the hosting of the Super Bowl in 2009 with over 43 condo, hotel, and mixed-use developments proposed/approved/under construction as of October 2005. An earlier list by the city of Tampa includes large developments that have been approved and/or are under construction. A large portion of these projects have multiple towers to compensate for the high land values in Downtown Tampa. The next tower currently under construction in the central business district is the Trump Tower Tampa, the largest residential tower on the Gulf Coast according to The Tampa Bay Business Journal.

[edit] Tallest buildings

The 42-story tall Bank of America tower is Tampa's 2nd tallest skyscraper

The following are the 15 (completed) tallest buildings in Downtown Tampa.^[2]

Building	Height (meters)	Height (feet)	Stories	Year Completed
Regions Building^[3]	176	577.4	42	1992
Bank of America Tower^[4]	176	577.4	42	1986
One Tampa City Center^[5]	164	538	38	1981
SunTrust Financial Centre^[6]	160	525	36	1992
Park Tower^[7]	140	459	36	1973
Rivergate Tower^[8]	138	452	32	1988
Hillsborough County Center^[9]	114	374	28	1993
Sam Gibbions Federal Courthouse^[10]	114	374	17	1997
SkyPoint Condominiums^[11]	110	360	32	2007
Towers at Channelside East^[12]	100	328	30	2007
Towers at Channelside West^[13]	100	328	30	2007
Tampa Marriott Waterside West^[14]	99	324	27	2000
Wachovia Center West^[15]	95	312	22	1985
Franklin Exchange Building West^[16]	85	279	22	1966
Fifth-Third Center^[17]	85	279	19	1981

[edit] Entertainment

Currently, Downtown's primary role is as a financial district and CBD. However, there are several nightclubs, bars, and restaurants that wield local prominence. Some examples of restaurants are: Eddie and Sam's NY Pizza, Jerk Hut, Ashley Street Grille, and AAA Four-Diamond coffee shop Cafe Hey. ^[18] Nightspots include the Hub bar, Club 112, Jackson's, and the Fly Bar.^[19] The Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL play at the St. Pete Times Forum. In recent years, downtown has undergone a construction boom which has included residential condo high-rises. As a result, the downtown corridor is making strides to become a 24-hour neighborhood as opposed to simply the CBD. ^[20]

[edit] Channel District

Although technically downtown, Channelside is often thought to be adjacent to the main CBD. This district is the location for many prominent downtown venues. The Tampa Convention Center, St. Pete Times Forum, and the Florida Aquarium are located in the Channel District. Twin 30 story condos were completed in 2007, called the Towers at Channelside.^[21] Many locals know the Channel District (often abbreviated to Channelside in local parlance) for its nightlife. The Channelside Entertainment Complex, which has views of the downtown skyline, is located in the middle of the district.^[22]

[edit] Riverwalk

Mayor Pam Iorio has firm plans to build a riverwalk downtown. This would act as a park to gather next to the river, as well as provide aesthetic appeal. There is also potential for the riverwalk to act as a media park.^[23] It is slated for completion around 2010.

[edit] Subdistricts

[edit] See also

Westshore, a business district located near Tampa International Airport. This area actually eclipses downtown itself for most jobs in the region.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Downtown Tampa is at coordinates 27°56′59″N 82°27′23″W / 27.9497528, -82.4562836 (Downtown Tampa)Coordinates: 27°56′59″N 82°27′23″W / 27.9497528, -82.4562836 (Downtown Tampa)

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