Monday Morning Memo

Monday, February 25, 2019

Member Spotlight: DPR Construction

DPR Construction is a national technical builder specializing in complex, sustainable projects that utilize our in-house expertise and passion for measurable results.

The DPR story begins in July of 1990. Doug Woods, Peter Nosler and Ron Davidowski, the D, the P and the R, made one of the best business decisions of their lives and started their own company. Armed with $750,000 of pooled resources and a steadfast determination, the three construction veterans set out to do something different in an industry traditionally resistant to change.

DPR started its first year with a total of 11 professionals. In addition to “D, P and R,” the original crew included Sandy Grayson, Michele Leiva, Eric Lamb, Peter Salvati, Jim Washburn, Mark Bartley, Brad Des Jardin and Jim Dolen—seven of whom are still with the company today. Much like the hundreds of projects DPR has completed over the years, the company has grown at a breakneck pace, with regional offices established in nearly every major technology center in the U.S. that serve customers throughout the nation. DPR also reached the $1 billion mark in less than 10 years since its founding. Since 1997, it has continued to rank in the top 50 general contractors in the country. In 2013, it reached $2.5 billion.

DPR has 28 locations in the United States and three international offices. Their Tampa office has completed more than 200 projects throughout Tampa Bay. The Tampa office is frequently recognized for award-winning projects and is staffed with a strong team of technical builders. Featuring a Gasparilla theme and boat wine bar, the office has been recognized by Tampa Bay Business Journal as one of the Coolest Offices in Tampa Bay and one of the Best Places to Work.

Learn more.

Tampa Bay Commuters - Try Transit - Go HART

One advantage of working downtown is the potential to relax and let someone else drive you to work. Check out HART’s Trip Planner to see which route is most convenient for you.

http://gohart.org/Pages/maps-trip-planner.aspx. Then register for the free Emergency Ride Home program to take the fear out of not having a car with you. http://gohart.org/Pages/services-alter-trans.aspx

Take the Tampa Bay Commuters Pledge: Between February and June 2019, commuters around Tampa Bay will pledge to commute to work through public transit, biking, carpooling, walking, and teleworking. Share it on social media!

Click here for more information on the challenge, eligibility and weekly prize options.

Check Out These Upcoming Partnership Events

The Tampa Downtown Partnership has several upcoming events offering opportunities to learn, network, experience a traveling biergarten and to watch the Hillsborough River turn green for St. Patrick’s Day. Join us!

Downtown Debriefing Series: West River Development

Join the Tampa Downtown Partnership as we welcome City officials and developers of the West River Development Plan to discuss how they plan to create a genuinely diverse and economically integrated community with over 1,600 new residential units. The West River Redevelopment Plan focuses on a 120-acre area bounded by Rome Avenue, Columbus Avenue, the Hillsborough River and Interstate-275.

MODERATOR

Mickey Jacob
Chairman, Tampa Downtown Partnership
Principal – Design Studio, BDG Architects

PANELISTS

Leroy Moore
Sr. Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Tampa Housing Authority

Keith Greminger, AIA, NCARB
Sr. Planning and Urban Design Manager
Kimley-Horn

Brett Moore
Director of Acquisitions
Related Group

Randy Goers
Project Manager
City of Tampa

February 26, 2019
7:30am – 9am
The Straz Center

Register today!

Gold Sponsor: DPR Construction

Sponsor this event and get your company’s name in front of Tampa’s most engaged business leaders and decision makers. View sponsorship opportunities.

 

Tampa’s Downtown Welcomes Traveling Oktoberfest Experience

The Tampa Downtown Partnership is excited to partner with the Goethe-Institut USA (German Cultural Center), in cooperation and collaboration with Hofbrahaus America, presenting “Wiesn in a Box”. This traveling Oktoberfest experience is touring throughout 2019 and will bring an authentic Biergarten experience to three different downtown neighborhoods in the month of February. This pop-up German biergarten experience will bring a creative mix of fresh baked pretzels, Hofbrahaus products, authentic biergarten seating along with fun games and music.

Wiesn in a Box premiered at MacDill Park on the Riverwalk Feb. 15-17. This week it will be  at Grand Central courtyard March 1-3.

Get social with it! #wiesninabox #wunderbartogether @wiesninabox

Read this Creative Loafing article about Wiesn in a Box.

 

 

Save the Date: Downtown Development Forum

This half-day event focuses on the exploration of innovative ideas in urban development and serves as a catalyst for discussion and problem solving for major urban issues. Each year, hundreds of downtown stakeholders, urban planners, developers, real estate professionals, property owners, public officials, non-profit organizations, and arts and entertainment professionals and those interested in improving downtown are in attendance. This year we welcome David Downey, President and CEO of the International Downtown Association (IDA), as our keynote speaker as well as HCP who will present the results of our 2018 Biennial Survey of Workers and Residents. More speakers, panelists and program details will be shared leading up to the event.

April 12, 2019
8am – noon
Armature Works

Save the date, register, and tell your colleagues to join. We look forward to seeing you at this signature Tampa Downtown Partnership event!

Registration is open!

 

Register Today for the Mayor’s River O’Green Gallop

Walk, run, jump, or jig your way through the River O’Green Gallop as you kick off the day of celebration with a healthy start. This Fun Run will take you 1 mile south along the Tampa Riverwalk, to the History Center, and back with enough time to snag a great viewing spot for the dying of the river, which commences at 11:00am. Be sure to register early, space is limited.

All participants receive a Mayor’s River O’Green tee-shirt as well as a race packet that would rival a pot of gold.

Race Details

Saturday, March 16, 2019
Location: The southwest corner of Curtis Hixon Park
600 N. Ashley Dr.
Walk-up Registration: 8:30am
Pre-registered Registration: 9:00am
Race Begins: 10:00am

Registration

Click here to register
Pre-registration: $25
Day of registration: $30

Participate in our Bike to Work Ride and Rally

Celebrate Florida Bike Month in Tampa’s Downtown on March 8, 2019. After your ride, meet in Lykes Gaslight Park for the Rally with exhibitors, coffee and healthy nibbles! There are 8 different neighborhood meet-up locations to choose from. All rides are led by experienced cyclists. Helmets are strongly encouraged. Get more information here.

Check Out These Upcoming Partnership Events

Downtown Debriefing Series: West River Development

Join the Tampa Downtown Partnership as we welcome City officials and developers of the West River Development Plan to discuss how they plan to create a genuinely diverse and economically integrated community with over 1,600 new residential units. The West River Redevelopment Plan focuses on a 120-acre area bounded by Rome Avenue, Columbus Avenue, the Hillsborough River and Interstate-275.

MODERATOR

Mickey Jacob
Chairman, Tampa Downtown Partnership
Principal – Design Studio, BDG Architects

PANELISTS

Leroy Moore
Sr. Vice President, Chief Operating Officer
Tampa Housing Authority

Keith Greminger, AIA, NCARB
Sr. Planning and Urban Design Manager
Kimley-Horn

Brett Moore
Director of Acquisitions
Related Group

Randy Goers
Project Manager
City of Tampa

February 26, 2019
7:30am – 9am
The Straz Center

Register today!

Gold Sponsor: DPR Construction

Sponsor this event and get your company’s name in front of Tampa’s most engaged business leaders and decision makers. View sponsorship opportunities.

 

 

Tampa’s Downtown Welcomes Traveling Oktoberfest Experience

The Tampa Downtown Partnership is excited to partner with the Goethe-Institut USA (German Cultural Center), in cooperation and collaboration with Hofbrahaus America, presenting “Wiesn in a Box”. This traveling Oktoberfest experience is touring throughout 2019 and will bring an authentic Biergarten experience to three different downtown neighborhoods in the month of February. This pop-up German biergarten experience will bring a creative mix of fresh baked pretzels, Hofbrahaus products, authentic biergarten seating along with fun games and music.

Wiesn in a Box premiered at MacDill Park on the Riverwalk Feb. 15-17. This week it will be at the Barrymore along the Riverwalk Feb. 25-27 and finish up at Grand Central courtyard March 1-3.

Get social with it! #wiesninabox #wunderbartogether @wiesninabox

Read this Creative Loafing article about Wiesn in a Box

 

 

 Bike to Work Ride and Rally

Celebrate Florida Bike Month in Tampa’s Downtown on March 8, 2019. After your ride, meet in Lykes Gaslight Park for the Rally with exhibitors, coffee and healthy nibbles! There are 8 different neighborhood meet-up locations to choose from. All rides are led by experienced cyclists. Helmets are strongly encouraged. Get more information here.

 

 

Save the Date: Downtown Development Forum

This half-day event focuses on the exploration of innovative ideas in urban development and serves as a catalyst for discussion and problem solving for major urban issues. Each year, hundreds of downtown stakeholders, urban planners, developers, real estate professionals, property owners, public officials, non-profit organizations, and arts and entertainment professionals and those interested in improving downtown are in attendance. This year we welcome David Downey, President and CEO of the International Downtown Association (IDA), as our keynote speaker as well as HCP who will present the results of our 2018 Biennial Survey of Workers and Residents. More speakers, panelists and program details will be shared leading up to the event.

April 12, 2019
8am – noon
Armature Works

Save the date, register, and tell your colleagues to join. We look forward to seeing you at this signature Tampa Downtown Partnership event!

Registration is open!

 

 

Register Today for the Mayor’s River O’Green Gallop

Walk, run, jump, or jig your way through the River O’Green Gallop as you kick off the day of celebration with a healthy start. This Fun Run will take you 1 mile south along the Tampa Riverwalk, to the History Center, and back with enough time to snag a great viewing spot for the dying of the river, which commences at 11:00am. Be sure to register early, space is limited.

All participants receive a Mayor’s River O’Green tee-shirt as well as a race packet that would rival a pot of gold.

Race Details
Saturday, March 16, 2019
Location: The southwest corner of Curtis Hixon Park
600 N. Ashley Dr.
Walk-up Registration: 8:30am
Pre-registered Registration: 9:00am
Race Begins: 10:00am

Registration
Click here to register
Pre-registration: $25
Day of registration: $30

Port Tampa Bay to Welcome Biggest Ships to Date

Port Tampa Bay is pleased to welcome the announcement by the CMA CGM Group, a leading worldwide shipping group, that it will begin serving Port Tampa Bay in late May 2019 on its Pacific Express 3, or PEX3 service.  With a presence in 160 countries and a fleet of 506 vessels, CMA CGM serves over 420 ports across the globe and is a member of the Ocean Alliance.  The PEX3 port service rotation will be as follows: Singapore – Vung Tau – Hong Kong – Shekou – Ningbo – Shanghai – Busan – Panama Canal – Houston – Mobile – New Orleans – Tampa – Miami – Singapore.

“We are delighted with this announcement by CMA CGM,” said Paul Anderson, Port Tampa Bay President and CEO.  “This is a further testament to the growth of the US Gulf market and the significance of the Tampa Bay/I-4 Corridor region, home to the state’s largest concentration of distribution centers, which has become the heartbeat of Florida’s international trade. These days, it’s critically important that you get as close to the customer as you possibly can.   With this development, CMA CGM is doing exactly that.”

“The PEX3 offers an outstanding service to and from Asia, and now shippers in Central Florida will have enhanced access to it,” said Nick Fafoutis, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer at CMA CGM America. “With this new call to Port Tampa Bay, the CMA CGM Group  is pleased to provide an invaluable routing option between critical Asian markets and a growing population base in Central Florida and the greater Southeast region. With the recent addition of Vung Tau on PEX3, the Tampa call will also be the first ever direct connection between the booming Vietnam market and Central Florida. These changes to PEX3 exemplify the customer-centric strategy that has propelled the CMA CGM Group to be the number 1 carrier in the U.S.”

Port Tampa Bay is the closest port to Florida’s fastest growing region and its largest consumer market – the Tampa Bay/Orlando I-4 Corridor. As trucking costs have increased, Port Tampa Bay’s location is recognized as offering the lowest delivery cost solution for exporters and importers.  Home to almost half the state’s population of more than 21 million residents, and welcoming a majority of the 120 million tourists who visit Florida every year, the I-4 Corridor has the largest concentration of distribution centers in the state.  From this central location in the middle of the Florida peninsula, importers and exporters achieve significant savings in their truck delivery costs to serve the entire state, as well as reaching into markets throughout the Southeast and beyond.  For companies involved in retail distribution, e-commerce, food and beverage, and manufacturing, the demands for same-day service, tighter delivery windows and shorter lead times are driving this shift in supply chain strategy.  Ongoing pressures on trucking caused by driver shortages, hours of service, ELD mandate and rising fuel costs, continue to enhance Port Tampa Bay’s preferred location and proximity to Florida’s largest consumer market.

Port Tampa Bay’s position on the eastern Gulf coast complements the western and central Gulf ports of Houston and Mobile and the three ports, together with the Panama Canal, have been jointly promoting the advantages of the all-water Asia-Gulf route and the growing markets along the Gulf coast.

Together with container terminal operator partner Ports America, Port Tampa Bay is continuing to expand and upgrade facilities, having recently added two new post-Panamax cranes to complement its existing three gantry cranes and implementing a phased build-out plan to quadruple capacity over the next few years as business continues to grow. The Port is also investing in new facilities to continue to diversify its service offerings and cargo mix, which includes a new state of the art on-dock cold storage warehouse recently opened by Port Logistics Refrigerated Services.

“Ports America is proud to partner with the Port in welcoming CMA CGM,” said Mark Montgomery, President & CEO of Ports America, container terminal operator at Port Tampa Bay. “Together with the Port, we’re moving forward with expansion of the terminal, as well as adding cranes and equipment so we can continue to accommodate this growing market.”

About Port Tampa Bay

Port Tampa Bay is Florida’s largest port, supporting nearly 85,000 jobs and generating over $17 billion in annual economic impact. In addition to being a top 10 U.S. cruise port, the port handles a wide array of bulk, break bulk, containers and roll-on/roll-off cargoes, and is a major shipbuilding and repair center. For more information, visit www.portTB.com.

About CMA CGM

The CMA CGM Group, led by Rodolphe Saadé, is a world leader of maritime transport.

Its 506 ships serve more than 420 ports worldwide on the 5 continents. In 2017, they transported nearly 19 million of TEU (Twenty-feet Equivalent Units).

CMA CGM experiences a continuous growth and never stops innovating to propose new maritime, logistical and inland solutions to its clients.

The Group employs 37,000 collaborators in the world and 2,400 in Marseilles where is located its headquarters, and is present in 160 countries via its network of 755 agencies.

What’s Next for the Historic Jackson House

Safety concerns have kept the public out of downtown Tampa’s historic Jackson House for three decades.

With broken windows, a sagging roof and splintering wooden walls, it looks as though the slightest breeze could topple the century-old structure.

But on Saturday, researchers were given full access to the building that served as a 24-room boarding home for visiting African-Americans during the era of segregation — James Brown and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. among them.

Using laser scanning technology, a team from the Tampa Bay History Center and the University of South Florida recorded every inch inside and outside the two-story, 4,000-square-foot structure at 851 E Zack St.

Next, they will create a 3D digital replica.

The work will one day make the Jackson House accessible to the public through a virtual tour available at the downtown History Center.

But the scans might also help preservationists open the real Jackson House to the public once again.

“This data we collected is routinely used by people like architects and engineers that are doing analysis or restoration and preservation kind of work,” said Lori Collins who led the scanning work in her job with the USF Libraries Digital Heritage and Humanities Collections department.

The timing of the project couldn’t be better.

The historical value of the building, owned by the nonprofit Jackson House Foundation Inc., has been raised during ongoing candidate forums in the race for mayor of Tampa. So far, candidates have spoken only in generalities about whether it should be restored or demolished and rebuilt.

“This is the first step that is necessary for anything like that to happen,” Collins said.

Tampa’s mayoral candidates hit the road. Most of them, anyway.

The interior of the building “is certainly in need of repair,” said History Center chief executive C.J. Roberts, but he was surprised by what still remains intact — trim elements, for example, and a hearth in the community room.

Collins calls her team’s work “building forensics.” Data collected by USF and the History Center will provide details about the condition of the foundation and its load-bearing walls. They’ll have answers in a few weeks, once their work has been analyzed.

“We can get down to half a human hair type of accuracy,” USF’s Collins said. “Even very specific architectural features that are smaller, like hinges, are documented.”

A preservationist can use the data to recreate such features with 3D printing in restoration work

What’s more, if a building is demolished, either by nature or man, a new one can be erected that perfectly mimics the original.

“The digital map that will be created will be very useful for preservation endeavors,” Roberts said.

Still, the focus of the Jackson House recording is to recreate the building for a virtual tour, part of an ongoing History Center-USF partnership to scan the museum’s collection as well as local historic sites.

Using architectural schematics, old photos and oral histories, they will return the virtual Jackson House to its prime.

“We are in the storytelling business,” Roberts said, “and this is a vehicle that we can use to tell the story of what the Jackson House meant to the community.”

The boarding house was built at the turn of the 20th century by Moses Jackson. Jackson first built his family home on the site then came to realize the location might better serve as a place for African-American travelers to stay in downtown Tampa.

It was near the Union Station train depot and the African-American district of Central Avenue, known as the Harlem of the South for the top black musicians who performed at its night clubs.

James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald and Cab Calloway all stayed in the Jackson House. When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came to Tampa in 1961, he made a point to visit the Jackson House, too.

The house stopped taking boarders in 1989. Later, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places and Florida’s Black Heritage Trail.

Still, it fell into such disrepair that city code officials declared the structure unsafe and fenced it off.

The Jackson House Foundation, whose board members all are descendants of Moses Jackson, could not be reached for comment.

A year ago, the nonprofit group stabilized the building in hopes that one day it will become a museum.

Through the years, estimates of the cost have ranged from $1 million to $3 million.

Roberts of the History Center said he hopes someone will step up and save the Jackson House.

If they don’t, it will at least endure in a virtual sense.

“I want someone to someday walk into an area of our gallery,” he said, “and, with a little imagination, feel like they are in the Jackson House.”

Laser scanning may help preserve historic Jackson House, digitally at least, before it collapses”Tampa Bay Times (subscription required)

Coast Bike Share Launches New System, Upgraded Bikes

February 18 saw the launch of Coast powered by HOPR and the debut of a completely upgraded and expanded bike share system for the City of Tampa and USF.

The fleet of 500 GPS-enabled bikes include a new locking system, which allows riders to unlock and ride bikes by simply scanning a QR code. This is made possible by the introduction of the HOPR Transit App, available in iOS and Android, users will be able to quickly sign-up and easily find, reserve, and unlock a bike. Ride history and support also available with-in the app.

To complement the new fleet, and further improve urban mobility, Coast plans to add more bicycle parking hubs locations throughout Tampa. Users will have the flexibility to ride anywhere but are encouraged to return the bikes to parking hubs or a public bike rack.

Joe Freeman, Regional Operations Manager for Coast Bike Share says: “Since its launch in 2014, Coast Bike Share’s mission has been to connect communities. Introducing updated technology, and improved flexibility for riders, will really further that mission. Bike share stations will remain as preferred parking and in the coming months more parking hubs will be added making it easier for users to end their ride in locations convenient to them.”

Coast Powered by HOPR will offer a variety of passes. Quick trips are now more affordable, only $1 to unlock a bike and 15¢ per minute thereafter. For more frequent riders, a Monthly Pass will be available for $20 per month (less than 70 cents per day), while an Annual Pass will cost $99. Both passes come with 60 minutes of ride time every day. Additional ride time will be charged at 10¢ per minute. Students and faculty, meanwhile, will receive 60 minutes of ride time every day for $10 per month, $25 for 90-day pass, or $60 per year.

Joe concludes: “Coast riders have pedaled close to a million miles on the original bike fleet since it launched four years ago, it’s time to upgrade the fleet and pedal forward to the next million miles.”

The new fleet of bikes are not compatible with the current Social Bicycles app so to ride you will need to download the free HOPR Transit App available in the Apple and Google Play stores.

Water Street Unveils Plans for New Apartment Tower

The developer of Water Street Tampa on Wednesday released more details on a residential tower within the urban district — one that it says will appeal to “price-conscious” renters.

Strategic Property Partners, controlled by Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment LLC, said 1010 Water Street will include 481 apartments and 32,000 square feet of street-level retail space at the southwest corner of Water Street and Cumberland Avenue. The target demographic, SPP said, is “younger” and “more active.”

Water Street is the $3 billion, mixed-use development under construction between the Channel district and the central business district within downtown Tampa.

The units, which will include studios and one- and two-bedrooms, will likely be on the smaller side. SPP emphasized the shared amenities and surrounding neighborhood as part of the lifestyle at 1010 Water Street. Rental rates, a square footage range and a date for beginning construction were not revealed; SPP said previously that both 1010 Water Street and another forthcoming tower, 1077 Water Street, would begin construction in fall or winter 2019.

James Nozar, CEO of SPP, said the tower is a “truly unique opportunity to live in Water Street Tampa.” The building includes a rooftop terrace with “an indoor-outdoor bar, individual outdoor kitchens, a rooftop pool surrounded by enclosed cabanas and rooftop lawn for recreation and programmed movies and sport-watching,” SPP said.

The shared amenities, which are adjacent to and overlooking the terrace, include a fitness facility, private event rooms, a movie room and a coworking space with private conference rooms.

“1010 Water Street will set a new standard of living within the Water Street Tampa neighborhood in terms of design and how we incorporate and encourage the use of residential amenities to live a fuller life,” Nozar said in a statement. “These shared spaces are not only an extension of the home, but a place for interaction and socialization, a forum for building community. We believe this innovative living experience combined with all of the conveniences and perks of living in the neighborhood will offer a much more well-rounded lifestyle — something relatively unique to the Tampa area.”

SPP on Thursday issued an additional statement on 1010 Water Street.

“Water Street Tampa will be sharing details about how each of the spaces and amenities within 1010 Water Street will be programmed to facilitate that sense of community for all residents. The buildings – as well as the amenities and spaces for socialization within them — will appeal to people who are interested in being a part of social environment, of any age or demographic.”

Morris Adjmi Architects, in partnership with ODP Architects, designed the tower.

It will be the second residential tower to break ground within Water Street. In 2018, SPP began construction on 815 Water Street, near the Tampa Bay History Center, which will include two residential towers (one also includes a lower-priced units) and a street-level grocery store.

“Water Street unveils new apartment tower for ‘price-conscious’ renters (Rendering)” Tampa Bay Business Journal (subscription required) 

Tampa General Planning New Rehab Facility Near Downtown

The largest hospital in Tampa Bay is seeking to establish a medical rehabilitation hospital.

Florida Health Sciences Center, which does business as Tampa General Hospital, filed a letter of intent this week to the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration in its February batching cycle seeking approval to build a 59-bed hospital.

“We have begun planning a freestanding rehabilitation specialty hospital near our main campus,” a TGH spokeswoman told the Tampa Bay Business Journal in an emailed statement.

The new building will be adjacent the TGH Corporate Center at 606 W. Kennedy Blvd., which is near the University of Tampa and Oxford Exchange.

The 59-bed facility will replace TGH’s current rehab center located on the main campus.

The next step for TGH will be for it to apply for its Certificate of Need to reclassify the existing rehab center as a specialty hospital.

The hospital today has 1,010 licensed beds. Its net operating revenue in 2017 was $1.14 billion, according to TBBJ research.

Galencare Inc., also known as Brandon Regional Hospital, also filed a letter to AHCA to create a comprehensive medical rehabilitation unit of up to 30 beds.

Comprehensive medical rehabilitation units, which both businesses are seeking to build, are used for patients who are in need of a longer stay for care, typically for post-surgical care or enduring a serious illness.

Brandon Regional Hospital, which is owned by HCA Healthcare, currently has 422 licensed beds and had $378.57 million in net operating revenue last year.

Earlier this month, another HCA-owned hospital, Oak Hill Hospital in Brooksville and Encompass Health, formerly known as HealthSouth, also submitted a letter seeking approval to build a comprehensive medical rehabilitation hospital.

Tampa General wants to build new medical rehab facility near downtown Tampa”  – Tampa Bay Business Journal (subscription required) 

NCAA Women’s Basketball Final Four Returns To Tampa

The women’s college basketball season will culminate in a weekend-long celebration in Tampa this April.

NCAA Vice President Lynn Holzman announced the 2019 Women’s Final Four event schedule Wednesday at a news conference at Sparkman Wharf in Tampa’s Channel District.

“It still literally gives me chills to think back to last year in Columbus and the tremendous performance of our student athletes and we expect that there is going to be some awesome competitive games this year in Tampa Bay,” Holzman said.

Final Four weekend will begin with the semifinals on Friday, April 5. The championship game is Sunday, April 7. The teams will play at Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Holzman highlighted the free activities for families downtown as well as community outreach events that weekend.

This is the third time Tampa has been the host city of the women’s finals. The city last hosted in 2015 and 2008. Cities and organizing committees place bids to host the games.

While Tampa has held the event three times, no Florida school has ever participated in the Women’s Final Four.

Tampa’s Chief Financial Officer Sonya Little said she believes the tournament will bring economic growth to the Tampa Bay area through tourism and business.

“It’s very important to our community,” Little said. “We saw that in Columbus, there was a $22 million economic impact.”

Planning committee Executive Director Claire Lessinger said in addition to potential economic gains, the games will also enhance Tampa through volunteerism.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have this event returning to Tampa,” Lessinger said. “It has economic impact, it has social impact, but more than anything else it is the legacy it leaves behind; long after the games. We have continued to see programming that exists in our community as a direct result of women’s Final Four.”

Players will join volunteers to clean parks by Sparkman Wharf and the Tampa Riverwalk. Teams will also visit hospitals and interact with students at Tampa area schools, including the University of South Florida. USF is one of many community partners for the event.

Residents interested in purchasing tickets and learning more about the Final Four games can visit the NCAA’s website.

Downtown Calendar

Your Downtown Calendar

The following is just a sample of upcoming events in Downtown Tampa.  Visit the Downtown Tampa Events Calendar for a more comprehensive list.

Downtown Debriefing Series: West River Development

Tuesday, February 26, begins 7:30am
Straz Center for the Performing Arts
The West River Development Plan focuses on a 120-acre area bounded by Rome Avenue, Columbus Avenue, the Hillsborough River and Interstate-275. Attendees will hear how City officials and developers plan to create a genuinely diverse and economically integrated community with over 1,600 new residential units. The event will include a buffet breakfast and a panel discussion. For more information, go to Downtown Debriefing Series: West River Development.

2019 SMPS Transportation Forecast

Thursday, February 28, begins 8am
Maestro’s Restaurant
The Tampa Bay Chapter of Society for Marketing Professionals presents their annual breakfast event featuring a panel of local leaders who are shaping the future of transportation in the Tampa Bay area. The Society for Marketing Professional Services is an organization that advocates, educates, and connects marketing and business development leaders in the architecture, engineering, and construction industries. Enjoy a networking session, breakfast buffet, panel discussion, audience Q&A, and more. For more info, go to 2019 SMPS Transportation Forecast.

49th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts

Saturday, March 2 and Sunday, March 3
Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park
Every year, Downtown Tampa transforms into one giant outdoor museum when hundreds of artists gather for this event. Since 1970, the festival has flourished, attracting more than 250,000 people every year. From pottery and photography to glass, digital mediums, paintings, mixed media, wood, and water colors, it’s a wonderful shock to the senses. For more information, go to 49th Annual Raymond James Gasparilla Festival of the Arts.

Taking the Stage at the Straz Center

Hundred Days – Through Sunday, March 24
Hamilton – Through Sunday, March 10
mad Theatre presents Heathers The Musical – Through Sunday, March 3
Michael Glabicki and Dirk Miller – Monday, February 25, begins 7:30pm
Jeremy Douglass: Broadway Pre-Show – Tuesday, February 26, begins 7pm
Open Rehearsal – The Pearl Fishers – Tuesday, February 26 to Thursday, March 7
Wild Florida: Hidden in Plain Sight with Carlton Ward Jr. – Tuesday, February 26, begins 7pm
Havana Cuba All-Stars – Wednesday, February 27, begins 8pm
Arts Legacy REMIX: Asian Cultural Celebration – Friday, March 1, begins 6:30pm
Trae Crowder LIVE! with Drew Morgan and Corey Forrester – Friday, March 1, begins 7:30pm
Camp-A-Palooza – Saturday, March 2, begins 10am
The Gutfeld Monologues Live with special guest Tom Shillue – Saturday, March 2, begins 7pm

On the Marquee at Tampa Theatre

OSCAR®-Nominated Animated Short Films (2018) – Through Wednesday, February 27
OSCAR®-Nominated Documentary Short Films (2018) – Through Tuesday, February 26
OSCAR®-Nominated Live Action Short Films (2018) – Through Wednesday, February 27
Welcome To Night Vale – Thursday, February 28, begins 8pm
Bolts Family Game Night – Sunday, March 3, begins 5pm

This Week at Amalie Arena

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Los Angeles Kings – Monday, February 25, begins 7:30pm
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Ottawa Senators – Saturday, March 2, begins 7pm
P!nk – Beautiful Trauma World Tour 2019 – Sunday, March 3, begins 7:30pm

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Monday Morning Memo –Monday Morning Memo is a weekly update of “insider downtown information” regarding developments, transportation, special opportunities and other useful information to help you make the most of downtown. Subscribe to receive this weekly newsletter.

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