Tampa Theatre restoration targets next century's growth
By Alexis Muellner
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Aug 28, 2026

Standing just off the Tampa Theatre stage last week, surrounded by scaffolding and the framework of a monthslong restoration, it was hard not to think about what nearly happened here 50 years ago.

The more than $24 million restoration, now nearing completion, exists because another generation of Tampa leaders decided the building was worth saving in the first place. That history was at the forefront during a hard-hat tour ahead of the theater's planned Sept. 30 reopening and Oct. 15 centennial celebration. The next $6 million phase includes an event space and further improvements.

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