A Closer Look
West Tampa’s combination of the old and the new, residential, and commercial, and easy access to I-275 make it a prime location for investment. A portion of West Tampa is designated as a National Historic District, with many contributing structures including cigar factories, African-American churches, city parks, and ethnic clubs, as well as a stock of historic homes dating from the late 1900s and early 20th century. Specifically, this sub-district features the City’s oldest suburb, the Tampa Heights neighborhood, a historic, diverse, and vibrant community containing The Heights, a 50-acre modernized waterfront community and a national destination with plans to develop each piece of the riverfront property to offer an entertainment, workspace, shopping, and residential community.
The West River Multimodal Safety & Network Improvements Project is a 6-mile project which involves completing the remaining gaps in what will be a 12.2-mile multi-use pathway and installing enhanced, safe crossing features at major roadways. Several adjacent city streets will be enhanced to provide better sidewalks, bike facilities, and improved community safety. The project will expand connections and provide a variety of safe, accessible mobility options for pedestrians and bicyclists throughout the neighborhoods that make up the West River area.
Funding from local, state, and federal sources, along with grants and private donations have financed the majority of the multi-use trail network along the eastern and western sides of the Hillsborough River. Only a few gaps remain to be filled to complete the route.
The City of Tampa will construct ‘complete street’ enhancements on adjacent street routes through the surrounding neighborhoods in order to improve access to multimodal connections as well as provide additional, safe transportation alternatives. To support a low-stress network the City plans to include on-street bike facilities, enhanced crosswalks, and pedestrian walkways. Vertical deflection features to limit speeding are also planned, such as raised intersections or crosswalks.
- The Heights – A 50-acre modernized waterfront property, with plans to develop the entire property into an entertainment, work space, shopping, and residential community. Completed/proposed projects include:
- Armature Works – a re-purposed warehouse, home to 73,000 square feet of community space, innovative eateries, and the Heights Public Market.
- The Pearl – a 314 unit residential community, with 28, 873 square feet of ground floor retail and a health clinic.
- Heights Union – two proposed 150,000 square feet Class A office buildings.
- M.L. King Jr. Recreation Complex – A community complex offering recreational amenities, such as a gymnasium, playground, computer lab, pool, and art studio.
- Stetson Tampa Law Center – A public-private partnership between Florida’s Second District Court of Appeal and Stetson Law School, offering a campus for Tampa’s law students.