Historic building in downtown Tampa to be reborn as private club
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 9, 2024

A pair of Tampa investors wants to transform a historic downtown building into a private social club.

Jason and Courtney Kuhn of Kuhn Automotive Group plan to redevelop 500 E Kennedy Blvd. into The Elliott: a 40,000-square-foot club with several bars, a jazz lounge, a wellness center, a rooftop garden terrace, a cigar room and event space. The spa will also offer a sauna, cold room, and steam and treatment rooms.

The Kuhns did not reveal a total investment for the redevelopment. An entity linked to Jason Kuhn paid $9.6 million for the building in April 2023. Spencer Muratides, a partner in Alliant Partners Development, and Mia Jarrell, executive vice president at Colliers, represented the Kuhns in the transaction. Thomas Grandoff with TMC Mahr represented the seller.

The redevelopment will bring a luxury hospitality offering to Tampa’s central business district, which has lost momentum to downtown’s outlying neighborhoods in recent years.

The Elliott is named in homage to M. Leo Elliott, a famed Tampa architect whose designs include the 500 E Kennedy Blvd. property as well as Tampa City Hall, The Italian Club, The Cuban Club, Centro Asturiano de Tampa, the Masonic Temple No. 25 in downtown Tampa and Florida College’s Sutton Hall, which was originally the Temple Terrace Golf and Country Club.

“We’re delighted to unveil our vision for The Elliott, honoring Tampa’s rich history and the influential figure who shaped our city with his remarkable architectural talent,” the Kuhns, who are married, said in a statement. “We will release more exciting information in the near future, including details about our internationally acclaimed culinary and hospitality partners and about the extraordinarily talented, world-class design team with whom we have partnered.”

The Kuhns said they are targeting an opening date in summer 2026.