Channel District

Channel District
Neighborhood
Overlooking Channelside Drive from the parking garage. Foreground: Channelside Bay Plaza Background: Harbour Island skyline
Country United States
State Florida
City Tampa
Coordinates 27°56′51″N 82°26′38″W / 27.9476089°N 82.4438019°WCoordinates: 27°56′51″N 82°26′38″W / 27.9476089°N 82.4438019°W

Channel District is a residential neighborhood in the City of Tampa that includes an entertainment complex, just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida. It is bordered by Ybor Channel on the east and Garrison Channel on the south. Channelside is a nickname for the entertainment complex Channelside Bay Plaza, within the neighborhood that includes shops, restaurants, and bars. It is located next to the Florida Aquarium, American Victory Museum, Tampa Port Authority (the launching point for cruise lines) and a short stretch on the Tampa Riverwalk to the Tampa Bay History Center. Also located in the district is the Amalie Arena (formerly the Tampa Bay Times Forum) where the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning play their home games. The Forum also hosts concerts and other events.[1] The center of the Bay Plaza has a large open court for live music, with views of the downtown skyline, cruise ships and the Port of Tampa. It also houses a Sony Giant Screen theater. The TECO Streetcar has several stops in the district.[2] Also, NEVs are being utilized by startups to link Tampa's core neighborhoods including Channelside.[3][4][5][6] The Tampa Convention Center is located adjacent to the district to the west.

Twin 30-story upscale condos Towers of Channelside were completed in 2007, with many other mid and high-rises completed since. Saint Leo University opened an adult continuing education center, called the Tampa Education Center, in the Channel District in July 2011.[7] More shopping and entertainment is planned for the area along with an urban sports park, to be named Madison Park. The side streets away from the bay plaza are becoming the focal points of the neighborhood, featuring many new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops.[8][9][10][11][12] The Channel District also includes the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida.

Starting in 2010 the Tampa Attractions Association formed a tradition of coloring the Garrison Channel green for Saint Patrick's Day.[13]

Several official Super Bowl XLIII parties featuring celebrity appearances were held in the district.[14][15][16][17]

A Crowd at the Channelside Complex

Channelside has been floundering as a bank and the Tampa Port Authority tussle over ownership. The Port, led by Mayor Bob Buckhorn, vetoed a buyer and then stepped in with its own offer to buy the property. This arrangement was rejected by a bankruptcy court judge in a Delaware bankruptcy court.[18]

References

  1. ↑ "Rain Doesn't Dim Final Four Hoopla".
  2. ↑ "Streetcar Maps". Tecolinestreetcar.org. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Hop Tampa ready to give folks a ride downtown – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  4. ↑
  5. ↑ http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/article989786.ece
  6. ↑ "Residents sketch plans for park | TBO.com". Centraltampa2.tbo.com. October 21, 2009. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  7. ↑ PRWeb – Thu, Aug 25, 2011 (August 25, 2011). "Saint Leo Only One of the Universities in Tampa in Channelside District – Yahoo! News". News.yahoo.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  8. ↑
  9. ↑ "Towers of Channelside, Tampa / Emporis.com".
  10. ↑ Walt Belcher (June 23, 2009). "Downtown barber shop inspired by 'Big Lebowski'". TBO.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  11. ↑ "Tbt: Twist on steel". Sptimes.com. September 17, 2004. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Tampa's Grand Central at Kennedy adds two retail tenants – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  13. ↑ "For St. Patrick's Day, Channelside's waters go green – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  14. ↑
  15. ↑
  16. ↑ "Citytimes: Nightlife has a new spin".
  17. ↑ "What is Kim Kardashian doing in Tampa? – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  18. ↑ After courtroom loss Tampa Port Authority readies for Channelside fight Tampa Bay Business Journal

External links