Goodbye, Winter Village
After a wonderful seven week run and so many wonderful memories, we would like to thank you for making Winter Village a success! We’re so honored to have the opportunity to bring an event to Tampa’s Downtown that brings so much joy to the people who have skated, shopped, snacked and snapped photos at the installment. Winter Village and the Winter Village Express could not have happened without the generous support of our sponsors; USAmeriBank, the City of Tampa, Bucs Care Foundation , TECO Energy, Tampa General Hospital, Tampa Bay Lightning, Water Street, Tampa Bay Rays, PODS® Moving & Storage, Sykes, JJ Taylor Distributing Florida Inc., Power Design Inc., Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), Courtyard Marriott, 813Area, and Tampa Bay Times. We will see you next year!
Save the Date! Downtown Debriefing Jan. 23
Join us on Tuesday, January 23 at the Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk Hotel for a conversation on Attainable and Micro Housing. Representatives from the City of Tampa, Urban Core Holdings, and Carlton Fields Jorden Burt will discuss the importance and impact of attainable and micro housing in Downtown and the Tampa Bay area. The panel of experts will be moderated by Mickey Jacob, FAIA, NCARB, Board Chair of the Tampa Downtown Partnership and Chief Marketing Officer for BDG Architects. Networking and registration begins at 7:30am with the program and continental breakfast beginning at 8am.
Tampa Ranked Wallet-Friendly Vacation
Travel site Kayak has put together a list of the 10 most wallet-friendly destinations for 2018—looking at the 100 most-searched vacation spots and identifying those with the lowest overall median trip cost (about $900 for a flight and a three-night hotel stay, Kayak notes). Tampa ranked number 7 for having it all—great beaches, hopping nightlife and cool activities—for a low price. Travelers to Tampa pay 26% less than the median vacation. “The beaches alone are worth the trip, whether you’re headed for family-friendly Fort De Soto Park or the renowned Clearwater Beach. Once you’ve had enough of the sun and sand, grab a bite to eat or do a little shopping at the revitalized Riverwalk, which stretches almost 3 miles along the shores of Tampa Bay.” See the full list here.
Need Help, Ask a Guide
The Partnership’s Downtown Guides mission is to provide a safer, more accessible environment for people in downtown. The Guides provide for additional safety downtown by serving as the eyes and ears for the downtown community. Their “good-will ambassador” role is a vital part of the Downtown Security Network, working closely with the Tampa Police Department to observe and report suspicious activity. They also offer directions, bicycle repair, assist stranded motorists with flat tires and dead car batteries, provide restaurant suggestions and even suggest parking options. Their services are free. Call a Guide at 813.267.2220 for assistance.
The following is just a sample of upcoming events in Downtown Tampa. Visit the Downtown Tampa Events Calendar for a more comprehensive list. Going to one of the events? Snap a photo and tag #UrbanInsiderTPA
Tampa Bay Black Heritage Music Fest
Saturday, January 13 to Sunday, January 14 Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park This ten-day celebration includes live entertainment, exciting cultural events, business advising seminars, renowned speakers, food vendors, craft vendors, a music fest with national recording artists, and more. Tampa Bay’s annual family-friendly festival commemorates the many contributions African Americans have made in society. For more information, go to Tampa Bay Black Heritage Music Fest.
Gasparilla Ball
Saturday, January 13, begins 6pm American Victory Ship Calling all pirates! Kick off the Gasparilla season in style at this costume gala that is open to all. Dress in your finest pirate gear and dance the night away with the popular local R&B rockers The Black Honkeys. Live music, grog, and merriment await you. Krewes, groups, and individuals are welcome to this community celebration. For more information, go to Gasparilla Ball.
Florida Wedding Expo
Sunday, January 14, 1pm to 6pm Tampa Convention Center This bridal expo will feature over 100 of Tampa Bay’s top wedding professionals, reception sites, wedding gowns, bridal party attire, honeymoon giveaways and thousands of dollars in prizes. This is a terrific opportunity to find what you need for the wedding of your dreams! For more information, go to Florida Wedding Expo.
Taking the Stage at the Straz Center
Forever Plaid – Friday, January 12 to Sunday, March 11 The Florida Orchestra – Rodgers & Hammerstein – Friday, January 12, begins 8pm Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Youth America Grand Prix Gala – Saturday, January 13, begins 8pm
Now Showing at Tampa Theatre
The Shape of Water – Through Thursday, January 11 Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – Friday, January 12, 4pm to 5:45pm Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) – Sunday, January 14, 3pm to 4:30pm
This Week at Amalie Arena
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes – Tuesday, January 9, begins 7:30pm Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Calgary Flames – Thursday, January 11, begins 7:30pm Winter Jam 2018 – Saturday, January 13, begins 6pm
Open and serving stylish men since October of 1981, Greiner’s Clothing offers the Tampa Bay community some of the finest quality updated classic-style clothing along with personalized service. Housed in a rustic, exposed brick building with hardwood floors, locally owned Greiner’s specializes in the finest menswear, including customized garments, plus shoes, and impeccable accessories such as ascots, fedoras, and all-natural pashmina scarves. With an in-house master tailor, you’ll be looking your dandiest. Individual appointments are available. They are located at 117 E Whiting St near the Streetcar terminal, or online at greinersclothing.com.
Marketplace News
The Earl of Sandwich is now serving their new French Dip sandwich for a limited time. Be sure to stop by their downtown location in the Element building at 811 N. Tampa Street.
Undici 11 Hair Studio is now open in the Slade building in the Channel District. Stop by for a cut, color, makeup or style.
Don Me Now is being sued by Bartique — a boutique that serves wine and craft beer in downtown St. Petersburg. In a lawsuit filed Jan. 2 in Hillsborough County civil court, Bartique is seeking to stop the unauthorized use of its trademarked name by Don Me Now, which owner Danielle Evans was using to describe her business — a “bubbly bartique,” which served champagne and sparkling wine alongside the clothing and accessories she sells.
Industrious welcomes the Tampa community to join them from 5pm to 8pm on January 11 as they officially launch their Downtown Tampa location. Located inside the SunTrust Financial Centre on 401 E Jackson St., Industrious has taken the entire 33rd floor totaling 19,702 square feet.
Tampa Bay Wave Names Director of Development
Tampa Bay Wave has officially announced Avril Stinson, a seasoned investor relations manager, as their new Director of Development. The addition of Mrs. Stinson to Tampa Bay Wave is yet another in a series of strategic additions to the Wave team and leadership. She will add powerful community support development in addition to strategic leadership to the organization as it continues to activate on the Start Here, Stay Here, and Grow Here objectives for attracting tech company talent and capital to Tampa Bay. To learn more about Tampa Bay Wave and its sponsors, visit http://www.tampabaywave.org/sponsors/
Local Investors Lay Plans to Meet Capital Needs
Entrepreneurs launching companies in Tampa Bay will have several new sources of capital from area investors in 2018. At least four local seed or early-stage funds are planning significant investments this year. They join Florida Funders, a Tampa-based investment organization with an investor network and online funding platform. One of these funds is coming from Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik. Vinik is planning a venture capital fund of $20 million or more to support startups that eventually will be housed at an innovation hub within Channelside Bay Plaza. He has hired Lakshmi Shenoy as CEO of the innovation hub. Shenoy, formerly at startup accelerator 1871 Chicago, will begin work in February, with a goal of opening the hub in late 2018. Local funding generally allows young firms to stay in the community where they can be close to their investors and draw on their expertise. “2018 Look Ahead: Startup Funding and Banks” – Tampa Bay Business Journal
Gasparilla Music Festival Tickets on Sale
The Gasparilla Music Festival is emerging as one of the nation’s top springtime music festivals. This two day celebration of music and food features top national bands on different stages in a truly unique setting held along downtown Tampa’s scenic riverfront Curtis Hixon Park. Tonight Show house band, the Roots and indie rock heroes Father John Misty and Spoon, headline this year’s festival. Also included in the lineup: Mondo Cozmo, Break Science, the Cave Singers, the War and Treaty, Kolars and the Eric Tessmer Band. Even more bands will be announced in January! There is even a children’s portion of the festival, which is headlined by Imagination Movers. Now in its 7th year, the festival is organized by The Gasparilla Music Foundation. As part of its mission to support and promote music and education, the organization is involved throughout the year in several initiatives including providing scholarships and instruments to music students. See your concierge for special ticket pricing or go to: www.gasparillamusic.com.
Tampa Bay’s Transportation Future
State transportation officials have big — and expensive — plans for Tampa Bay over the next decade: toll lanes, a new bridge, additional lanes to help ease congestion. But the shape and scope of those projects has changed, and so has the timeline. In 2014, the state announced an ambitious road project called Tampa Bay Express. Known as TBX, the Florida Department of Transportation planned to add toll lanes to 90 miles of interstates. That all changed in 2016 when public outcry forced the state to scrap its plans for the Howard Frankland Bridge, put the rest of the $6 billion plan in reset mode and come back with a new project name: Tampa Bay Next. In January, officials opened a federal study that will re-evaluate parts of the project, including a controversial segment around Downtown Tampa and its urban neighborhoods. The supplemental impact study, or SEIS, is expected to be completed in 2019. “What’s Next: Tampa Bay’s Transportation Future” – TBO.com
Lane Closure Update to Repaving Project in Downtown
On Wednesday, January 3 at 12:01am, both westbound travel lanes on Kennedy Boulevard between Ashley Drive and UT Poe Parkway closed for drainage work. All lanes are expected to reopen to traffic by 4pm, Thursday, January 11, weather permitting. Access to side streets and driveways will be maintained during the closure. Pedestrian access will be available on the south side of Kennedy Boulevard at all times. Both eastbound lanes will remain open during this work. Advanced warning signs, electronic message boards and barricades will be used to assist motorists traveling through the detour route. Motorists should anticipate heavier than normal volumes of traffic on all the roads during this closure. For more information on this project and to receive construction alerts, visit FDOT’s website.
AER to Break Ground Late 2018
Jason Robertson, vice president-development of American Land Ventures, said the company has received approvals from the city and plans to start construction late this year on both the St. Petersburg tower and AER Tampa, a 34-story, 272-unit apartment building on Cass Street near the David S. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts. Both project sites for AER — which stands for Arts and Entertainment Residences — have had their issues. The Tampa project was first announced in 2013, but concerns about its effect on traffic flow and the center’s performance schedule have delayed groundbreaking. AER’s St. Pete complex, which opened in May 2016, “is doing great,” Robertson said. “It’s outperforming our pro forma and it’s over 90 percent occupied. We think St. Petersburg is one of the hottest markets in all of Florida and we’re excited about playing off the success we’ve had at AER.” “New Year, New Towers: More Apartments to Rise In St. Petersburg, Tampa” – Tampa Bay Times
What to Expect in 2018
Expect Water Street Tampa to continue to dominate real estate news in 2018, as the first phase of vertical construction begins early in the year. Water Street is the $3 billion, mixed-use development in the works in downtown Tampa, between the Channel district waterfront and central business district. Strategic Property Partners, the developer of Water Street, has said that 18 buildings could begin construction in early 2018. Other major developments to watch include the Armature Works within The Heights project; the 53-story Riverwalk Place and the completion of several major multifamily projects, including the Channel Club, which includes a Publix Super Markets Inc. store in downtown Tampa. Heights Public Market, inside the Armature Works building, has signed several local concepts. The partners behind Franklin Manor are working on another concept in downtown Tampa — Osteria, an upscale Italian eatery and cocktail bar, which will open across North Franklin Street from the Manor. “2018 Look Ahead: Commercial Real Estate, Restaurants and Retail” – Tampa Bay Business Journal
Tindale Oliver Announces New Hire
Tindale Oliver is pleased to announce that Enisha Jamison has joined the firm’s Tampa office as an Accounting Clerk. Enisha will be responsible for Accounts Payable, Expense Report Processing, Corporate Credit Card Reconciliation, maintaining and administering company permits, licenses, annual reports; and a host of other accounting support functions. Enisha holds a A.S. Degree in Accounting and is just 18 credits away from completing her Bachelor’s Degree. Enisha brings experience and a proven track record of success in the Payables and Payroll area.
Stageworks Opens Online Auction
On Sunday at 5pm, Stageworks Theatre opened their Online Auction. This auction will help support Stageworks programs and the growth of the organization. There are assorted donated items to bid on for every budget. Trips, jewelry, local restaurant certificates, theatre tickets, concert tickets, magic, and so much more! Register now for the January 13 event or begin bidding on the silent auction.
Coast Bike Share’s 21-day Daily Ride Challenge
Today marks the beginning of Coast Bike Share’s 21-day #DailyRide Challenge! How would your life change if you rode a bike every day? Join Coast’s 21-day #DailyRide Challenge, starting January 8, and find out. Sign up for your Coast Bike Share account. $15 a month comes with 60 minutes of ride time every day. Come say hello on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram to let Coast know you’re taking the #DailyRide Challenge. Check back every day for new tips, mini assignments, advice, and motivation.
Plant Museum Opens New Exhibit
The Gasparilla invasion takes over the Henry B. Plant Museum! Join for an exhibit on the rich history of Tampa’s oldest and most fun-loving community festival. The new exhibit, Gasparilla: A Tampa Tradition explores Tampa’s premier party, attended by a motley crew of the famous and infamous, the beautiful people and bad dudes. Learn more about the early Gasparilla parades and enjoy vintage photographs from 1904 to the present. Gasparilla: A Tampa Tradition will run from January 19th to March 4th, 2018 and is underwritten by Steve and Janice Straske.
Fiesta Day Celebrates Ybor City’s History
This family-friendly, FREE “street festival” celebration commemorates Cuban, Italian, Spanish, Jewish and German immigrants that settled in Ybor City in the late 1800’s as the cigar factories thrived. On February 24, the 71st Annual Fiesta Day attracts families and people of all ages. Fiesta Day started out as a “verbena” or day of rest for the cigar workers who settled in Ybor City’s, “Cigar City Capital of the World” from Spain, Cuba, Germany and Italy and now attracts thousands of passionate people to the festival’s exquisite ethnic food and entertainment. Ybor City’s famed “La Setima” or 7th Avenue is closed to traffic and the festival celebrates the “Best of Ybor” and includes ethnic food, arts & crafts, and ethnic music on our 7th Avenue Stage. View the Facebook page for more information.
PwC Adding 350 Jobs to Tampa
PricewaterhouseCoopers will be the anchor tenant and bring 350 new jobs to a 250,000-square-foot building to be erected next to the company’s existing offices in the MetWest complex on Boy Scout Boulevard in the West Shore business district. One of the Big Four auditors, PwC already has approximately 3,000 employees locally. The addition of 350 assurance and tax professionals “signals PwC’s plans for continued growth and its commitment to the future of the Tampa Bay area,” the company said in a statement Tuesday. “Pricewaterhousecoopers Adding 350 New Jobs in Tampa Bay” – Tampa Bay Times
HCC to Address Educational Challenges
Hillsborough Community College (HCC) has hired CTI to facilitate a visioning and strategic planning process to map out the college’s future. The process is set to launch in January 2018 in Tampa. Because of the ever-changing educational landscape, HCC and CTI hope to develop a long-term strategy to accomplish the following; identify trends and emerging educational methods and technologies, identify labor market needs versus current HCC offerings, and develop a bold new vision and define college and community goals to achieve that vision. “Hillsborough Community College and Partner to Address Future Educational Challenges” – Tampa Bay Newswire
Budget Battle Looms in Tallahassee
Florida legislators will kick off their annual session Tuesday with some simple math problems. More money is coming in, but a push for increased spending – coupled with years of tax cuts – means there just isn’t enough to go around. Money is needed for both hurricane recovery and preparation for later this year. Florida’s children’s health insurance program could run out in March if Congress doesn’t authorize additional federal funding. Senate President Joe Negron is optimistic, saying, “I think there’s a way for everyone to achieve success in the budget arena.” “Florida’s Tight Finances Could Spark Budget Battle This Year” – The Ledger
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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