Property to Watch: WestShore Plaza
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 4, 2020

WestShore Plaza’s big redevelopment plan — building office space, apartments, restaurants and small shop space on the former site of Sears and its surrounding surface parking — will be one to watch in 2021.

If not for the novel coronavirus pandemic, we would definitely expect to see cranes on the site this year after winning city council approval in November. But the pandemic has sent enclosed mall owners like Washington Prime Group, the owner of WestShore Plaza, into a financial tailspin.

It’s tough to say whether the redevelopment will begin construction in 2021. But we will be watching closely to see if Washington Prime Group progresses toward groundbreaking — especially bringing on a development partner with the financial wherewithal to pull off a major project. Enclosed malls and other types of retail may be severely challenged, but the pandemic hasn’t changed the fact that WestShore Plaza is sitting on some of the best real estate in Tampa.