Water Street Tampa developer unveils new details on Heron, the first apartment tower set to open in the district
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 1, 2020

The Water Street Tampa apartment towers quickly taking shape near the Tampa Bay History Center will be the first rental property to open in the mixed-use district.

Known as 815 Water Street since breaking ground in late 2018, the twin towers have been named Heron, Strategic Property Partners said Thursday. Heron includes 420 apartments in the two towers — 21 and 26 stories — and 40,000 square feet of street-level retail space, the majority of which has already been leased to GreenWise Market, the specialty banner of Publix Super Markets Inc.

The two towers are connected by the street-level retail as well as a rooftop garden. Both towers at Heron offer rooftop amenities, including a landscaped rooftop pool with cabanas, outdoor kitchen and barbecue areas, a full fitness center and bar and lounge spaces.

It will be the first of three apartment buildings to open in the first phase of Water Street, SPP said. Preleasing will begin before year's end, and the first move-ins will be in March 2021. SPP did not disclose floor plans or pricing for the apartments.

An engaging streetscape that's safe for pedestrians and cyclists has long been a major part of the vision for Water Street, and Heron will include several major improvements to the existing streets and sidewalks. Heron sits at the intersection of Beneficial and Channelside drives — a high-traffic area for both pedestrians and motorists, as it's the entryway to both the Tampa Riverwalk and a main thoroughfare for access to Harbour Island.

A shaded sidewalk, 45 feet wide, and an outdoor seating area will be built along Water Street; along Channelside Drive, SPP is planning an expanded sidewalk lined with new trees and landscaping, and there will be a new entry to the Riverwalk off of Beneficial Drive, with new landscaping and a public plaza anchored by a "sculptural six-story tree column," SPP said.

“With Heron, we set out to create a building that celebrated the elements that make Tampa so special," SPP CEO James Nozar said in a statement. "Heron offers a wide range of homes, each thoughtfully designed to allow direct access to the Florida sunshine and weather through expansive glass openings leading out to extensive private and communal terraces."