Tampa’s North Downtown Ready for Makeover: Could House 100,000-Plus by 2050
City officials project this 330-acre space will welcome over 100,000 residents within the next 27 years.
The old Army Navy Surplus Market building on N. Tampa St. was purchased by the city in 2020. The area is now part of a prime development target for city leaders.
Image Courtesy City of TampaEmpty lots and parking spaces will transform into a bustling district between Tampa's core and historic Ybor City. City officials project this 330-acre space will welcome over 100,000 residents within the next 27 years.
Public groups control most of the land: about 68% according to Tampa Downtown Partnership studies. Streets and walkways take up much of this space, but the city sees this as a chance to build something new.
"There's an incredible amount of opportunity down in the north end of our downtown, and a lot of those buildings are government-owned, either by the state, Hillsborough County, or the city of Tampa," said Mayor Jane Castor, according to Tampa Bay 28.
Some businesses aren't waiting for the changes. Jordan Copher jumped in early, starting Late Start on East Cass Street: a mix of coffee shop and brewery. "We don't feel like that. No, I think there's so much promise for development here, at least in Encore. You know, we've got a couple of 20-plus story buildings going up," Copher said.
The numbers back Tampa's push forward. Among mid-sized U.S. cities, Tampa ranks second in economic growth, says CoworkingCafe. New business starts jumped 71% from 2019 to 2023.
James Lima, who studies city growth, points to Tampa's rising status. "Tampa is definitely becoming a more competitive place for talent. It's winning on the tech front, on the Eastern seaboard, this is a very attractive place for new innovation economy businesses to land," Lima said.
The spot sits in a sweet spot for growth. "Just the location. It's the corridor between downtown and Ybor," Copher said. "All those people are coming out of the shadows of the buildings to come here. So it's been great."
Looking ahead, Mayor Castor sees quick progress. "Well, in five years, I think there are a couple of areas within Tampa that are really going to pop and they're going to do it very, very quickly. One of those is the North downtown region. It right now is almost a clear landscape, and there's so much that can be done," she said.
