Tampa, Florida is a beautiful metropolitan city that is home to over 300,000 people. It’s also home to the MacDill Air Force Base, which is responsible for employing a large percentage of the people in the city.

There are big changes coming for Tampa, which can be found all across the city.

Seminole Heights

Seminole Heights is an older neighborhood located within central Tampa. It’s characterized by bungalow-style homes that were built throughout the 1920s and 1930s. It has been going through rapid change over the past several years and has become one of the more desirable places to live.

Older buildings that were once car dealerships and auto shops are now being transformed into farm-to-table restaurants and microbreweries. At the forefront of this surging neighborhood are local businesses like Jug & Bottle Dept., which features over 500 bottles of beer and six rotating taps.

Port Tampa Bay

The Port of Tampa has been getting bigger and better with each passing year. Many people get excited to see what cruise ship is in port, including ones from Carnival and Royal Caribbean. The entire Channelside area is being built up with a $1.7 billion development plan. This includes urban waterfront parks, two 75-story residential high rises, and a marina.

Port Tampa Bay Vision 2030 calls for a master plan with more cargo terminals and is constantly improving as various tenants are invited to planning sessions. It’s going to transform the entire Downtown area once all has been built.

Downtown Area

There’s also going to be changes within an area that spans from Downtown to Ybor on the east and to the Seminole Heights area to the west. This will be known as Center City Tampa. Plans currently call for a community of vibrant homes, a waterfront park, as well as places for residents and visitors to be highly active.

The Tampa Riverwalk has already been built, which is only one part of the vision. There’s also the restoration of the Federal Courthouse along with completing the construction of several Downtown residential towers. This will create opportunities for more people to enjoy the gems of Downtown, including the many local restaurants as well as the Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning and several concerts throughout the year.

Photo by Unsplash / CC0

Sustainable Neighborhoods

Plan Hillsborough has a full plan to build sustainable neighborhoods that will be scattered throughout the entire city of Tampa. The goal is to develop a higher level of community spirit and promote a city/neighborhood partnership so that neighborhoods can have better relations with city agencies. There’s also going to be more community buildings so residents can enjoy libraries, recreation centers, and small neighborhood retailers such as coffee shops, bakeries, and cafes.

The neighborhoods might require infilling homes as well as developing more commercial space. There is also the goal of creating more employment opportunities, supporting home-based businesses, and addressing environmental concerns within the neighborhoods so that residents have safe, clean places to live.

Photo by Wdwic Pictures / CC BY-SA

The Overall Vision

The future of Tampa is on the right track when it comes to providing a higher level of access and mobility. People won’t have to travel far in order to access employment opportunities, shops, and restaurants. Every neighborhood will be sustainable and have its own character.

Areas such as Downtown and Channelside will also be greatly enhanced with high rises, waterfront parks, and new schools, libraries, and recreation centers.