Plant Park, on University of Tampa's campus, becomes a sticking point to West Riverwalk expansion
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 12, 2024

A city park on the University of Tampa's waterfront campus has emerged as a potential sticking point to expanding the West Riverwalk.

Despite its location on UT's campus, Plant Park is owned by the city, which has leased the park to the university for more than 50 years. City staff presented a 25-year lease renewal to Tampa City Council on Sept. 5, when Abbye Feeley, interim director of economic development, told council that negotiations were more complex than they seemed on the surface with an expansion of the West Riverwalk in the works.

"Only a part of that [west] riverfront is in Plant Park, which is a historically designated park. The other part of that riverfront is on the University of Tampa's property," Feeley said. "So we needed an easement from them, an easement larger than the easement we have right now, in order to be able to move forward with the BUILD grant and the design for the West Riverwalk. So those were some of our priorities in the discussions."

In 2020, Tampa was awarded a $24 million federal grant via the U.S. Department of Transportation's Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development program to extend the West Riverwalk to the north. The project cost has ballooned since then, and city council approved an additional $27 million in funding for the expansion in July. The original Tampa Riverwalk, completed under Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, has long been heralded as the crown jewel of the city's urban revitalization.

Councilmember Lynn Hurtak said that in researching the city's lease with Plant Park, she learned of UT's plans to close down portions of the forthcoming West Riverwalk from midnight to 5 a.m. Hurtak said she also learned that Miami-based Related Group's forthcoming Riverwalk district also planned to close off the access to the West Riverwalk in front of its property at certain times.

"What I found out is that that is not the only parcel that's going to be closing down on the West Riverwalk," Hurtak said. "So, can you tell us the properties that are going to have their gates closed to the public on this new $54 million Riverwalk?"

Feeley said easement negotiations for the West Riverwalk aren't complete.

"The University has been working with the City of Tampa for the past two years to establish an easement that would allow the Riverwalk to pass through the University’s private property along the river edge," a spokesperson said in a statement. "The Riverwalk passes in close proximity to a freshman residence hall, and therefore the University has requested the closure of this section of the West Riverwalk between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m. for the safety of students."

Hurtak said she wanted public input on the park property and lease before she would be comfortable moving forward with a 25-year renewal of the lease with UT. Council voted to hold an informational session on the park and the plans "heard in the nature of a public hearing" on Jan. 30, 2025.

"The fact that we have this West Riverwalk coming, this park will become a lot more integral to the city as it goes forward," Hurtak said, "and I am not comfortable approving a 25-year lease that the public has only had the ability to hear about through reading it on a consent agenda item."