25 People to Watch: Chas Bruck, principal, SoHo Capital
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 4, 2020

Chas Bruck is the visionary behind one of Tampa’s most significant downtown developments: The Heights, a mixed-use district anchored by the massively popular Armature Works, home to Heights Public Market.

The year ahead will be transformative for Bruck and The Heights. Sprouts Farmers Market is set to open a store there in 2021, which will be a watershed moment for not just the district but the surrounding neighborhoods of Tampa Heights and Riverside Heights. The opening of a publicly traded specialty grocer is a major endorsement of the area and will likely be a catalyst for additional development and rising home values.

Bruck is also staring down a conflict with St. Petersburg developer Bill Edwards, who has sued two corporate entities linked to Bruck over an allegedly halted food hall in the Sundial. The resolution of those lawsuits — and whether the St. Petersburg food hall moves forward — will be defining moments for Bruck’s development legacy in Tampa Bay.