Tampa Convention Center renovation will open up the facade to waterfront views
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Oct 6, 2021

A renovation that will replace the Tampa Convention Center's boxy, riverfront facades with soaring windows for waterfront meeting rooms will begin next week.

The city of Tampa on Wednesday said that the construction, which begins Oct. 13, will mean 400 feet of the Tampa Riverwalk will be rerouted for nearly a year. The detour around the convention center is expected to be in place through November 2022, the city said.

The Cross Bay Ferry stop at the convention center will be operational in November, within weeks of beginning construction, the city said. The schedule has been planned with Gasparilla 2022 festivities in mind, the city said, and the annual pirate festival will be unaffected by the construction.

The renovations are part of an ongoing $38 million capital improvement plan that kicked off in October 2020. In this phase, 18 new waterfront meeting rooms spanning two stories and 18,000 square feet will be added to the convention center. The new meeting rooms are expected to open in June 2023.

"This addition will feature air walls for increased flexibility, a terrace for increased outdoor space, floor to ceiling windows with spectacular views, a set of new restrooms, and a second service elevator that will advance facility operations and event needs," the city said.

The first floor of the convention center will also be fully modernized, the city said, with several technology improvements.

The investments are a bet on the return of group and corporate travel, which has been decimated by the novel coronavirus pandemic. But the private sector is bullish on Tampa Bay tourism as well, as several large hotels in and around downtown Tampa have sold in recent weeks. A new boutique hotel is in the works on Harbour Island.

The Sail Bar and Big Ray's Fish Camp on the Riverwalk will remain open for visitors, and the convention center's marina will also remain operational, the city said.

The convention center's stairs are a popular fitness destination, and that won't change, the city said: "Athletes can continue to enjoy the portion of the property that includes the large staircase to the flag deck, and bicyclists will still find a safe pathway around the facility."