Port Tampa Bay leaders lament the development of downtown Tampa
By Henry Queen
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 12, 2023

Port Tampa Bay leaders on Tuesday lamented the future of deepwater access amid plans to redevelop a portion of land north of Ybor Channel.

Ybor City landowner and developer Darryl Shaw, who is behind the Ybor Harbor proposal, joined port executives for a roundtable hosted by the Tampa Propeller Club and the Maritime Alliance to address their apprehension.

Port Principal Counsel Charles Klug said the public needs to better understand the port's long history of relocating operations as Tampa has grown. Few other properties exist within Hillsborough County that combine the access to deepwater, rail and highways that Ybor Channel offers, Klug said.

But Shaw is already under contract to acquire roughly 25 acres owned by International Ship Repair & Marine Services Inc. He plans to transform the site into a waterfront neighborhood — part of a larger urban revitalization trend in and around the Channel district. The sale could take up to five years to close, as the transaction is contingent on finding a new location for the ship repair business. Port staff is helping in that effort, Klug said.

Port leaders have other concerns, too. Urban revitalization advocates have pushed for Cruise Terminal 2 to be open to the public on non-sailing days, but that effort looks increasingly unlikely. Mayor Jane Castor, who sits on the port authority's board of directors, has said the Tampa Riverwalk will eventually extend from its current end at Beneficial Drive all the way to Shaw's proposed development.

Topics discussed on Tuesday include:

Tampa Bay Rays stadium

Shaw expects the Ybor Harbor proposal to go in front Tampa City Council for rezoning in November. The rezoning request does not include a stadium, though Shaw has said he's open to changing the plans to accommodate one.

Rays owner Stu Sternberg told the Tampa Bay Times last week that the team is willing to pay $600 million for a new stadium in St. Petersburg. Renderings from last year showed a Rays stadium on Shaw's assemblage.

"We're watching to see what's happening with baseball," Shaw said. "Still don't know 100%, but it's looking more and more like they're going to stay in St. Pete. Could that pivot? Possibly, but probably unlikely. Knowing what's happening there will help formulate our thoughts and vision for the project."

Collaboration between developers and the port

Klug showed old photos of a phosphate terminal on what is now Harbour Island, which is filled with luxury homes. The port worked with the business community to relocate the phosphate operations, Klug said.

"When it comes to development, we have to make sure it's harmonized, it's compatible and that there's not a development that's going to prevent us from doing those type of [deepwater] activities," Klug said.

The port, however, does have room to expand. It is the largest port in Florida by land size, with close to 200 acres of waterfront land. Eastport, where construction first began in 2012, has deepwater access and is meant to accommodate additional cargo berthing activity. Port EVP and Chief Operating Officer Raul Alfonso said the port could expand south with hundreds of new acres in the long term, but he warned it wouldn't be easy.

Arthur Savage, president and CEO of Tampa-based shipping agency A.R. Savage & Son, expressed concerns about how development could affect bulk aggregate customers in a business where every penny counts.

"Allowing new private and politically driven projects to threaten our ports, economy and the other many benefits that the ports bring to our community and the wonderful town of Tampa should not be allowed," he said.

Preserving maritime jobs

Shaw pointed out that he's buying the ship repair company's land, not its business.

"We are extremely cognizant of the importance of International Ship and the 400-plus good jobs that they represent," Shaw said. "We are going to make sure that they have a home at the port. I don't know what that looks like because I'm not dealing with it myself. But we're not going to create a scenario where they don't have a home to operate. So we're partnering with the trustees. And in that process, they have options to lease back the property after we acquire it and allow them time to find a solution."

Bill Carlson, Tampa city councilman, said Tuesday he wants to create a maritime designation to protect the maritime land more permanently from development. Shaw's property wouldn't be affected, he said.