Encore, the seemingly blighted district that many believe did not live up to its hype, now begins to take on a second life. When the City of Tampa began structuring the master plan, the district was made out to be a mixed-use and mixed-income development positioned somewhat in the middle of Downtown Tampa.
Now, things are finally beginning to take shape with new developments breathing life into the slow-to-start district. Four out of the remaining five lots will soon be dedicated to high-rise construction that compliments the skylines of the central business district, Ybor’s Gas Worx redevelopment (which is finally breaking ground), and the Channelside District.
A developer with offices in Miami by the name of LD&D, formerly known as Lineaire Group, has released plans for their 2-acre parcel within Encore. Upon receiving approval, LD&D has plans for an impressive $200M mixed-use project. Spanning across 28 floors will be 369 luxury apartment units, a 178-key hotel, 32,500 square feet of retail at the pedestrian experience level and a 586-space parking podium.
“We were attracted to Tampa because of the strong economic and population growth it is experiencing. We believe Tampa offers an incredible quality of life that, combined with its business-friendly climate, will continue to propel the city’s growth,” says Diego Bonet, managing partner of LD&D. “What’s special about this project is that we will be at the intersection of all main Tampa neighborhoods — Ybor, Gas Worx, Downtown, Encore, and the Channelside District. As Tampa continues its accelerated growth, we believe all these neighborhoods will merge and create a beautiful walkable City of Tampa, with our project strategically located at the center.”
4,500 square feet of the project will be dedicated to a residential wellness area and 10,000 square feet will be designated as co-working space. A sky lounge will provide sweeping Downtown views on the 26th floor.
“We were also lucky to find a ~2-acre parcel, which allows us to offer an amenity deck unlike that of any other Tampa multifamily project,” Bonet adds.
The hotel portion will be separated from the apartment development by a pedestrian breezeway lined with shops and restaurants. The ambitious undertaking has already garnered positive reactions from neighbors.
“Tampa’s Encore District is a truly diverse community of mixed-use, mixed-income developments that help enrich a historically African American neighborhood,” says the Director of Real Estate Development for the Tampa Housing Authority, David Iloanya. “It has transformed the isolated former public housing development into healthy social, economic and cultural networks within the broader downtown district. The addition of the LD&D luxury market-rate rental product is a welcome spur to job creation, bound to vitalize the local economy and solidify the vision of a culturally inclusive and diverse community as well as economic buoyancy.”
With these developments enlivening the area, Tampa Bay will officially begin to note a transition as these 40 acres within Encore support the entire City and kick-start future projects in the Ybor City area.
Tampa Tomorrow is an expert growth and development spotter established on Instagram (@TampaTomorrow) in 2020. It breaks down permits, plans and real estate and development news.
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