At the October 2016 project kickoff meeting for Water Street Tampa, the architects, landscape architects, engineers, planners, and consultants gathered in that Florida Gulf Coast city to hear what the client imagined for 56 underutilized waterfront acres sandwiched between downtown and the Garrison Channel. The visionary behind this proposed development was Jeff Vinik, businessman and owner of the hockey team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, who had started acquiring property around the Amalie Arena, where the Lightning play, in 2010. Occupied primarily by surface parking lots, the land was to be developed by Strategic Property Partners (SPP)—a joint venture between Vinik and Cascade Investments. At that meeting, as Rick Cook, founding partner of COOKFOX Architects recounts, Vinik painted a picture of a mixed-used district that would depart from the typical car-centric planning of the region. The lively and densely built precinct would have tree-shaded boulevards with generous sidewalks, ground-floor retail shops and eateries, and inviting open spaces, all of which would be a draw for people who work or live there and for visitors.

Both buildings include ground-floor shops and eateries whose activity spills out into the public realm. Photo © Robin Hill, click to enlarge.