The opening of the new Channel District PUBLIX has been rescheduled for mid-third quarter, according to the company. Located on the first floor of the Channel Club apartment building, this will be Downtown Tampa’s first full-size grocery store
Ridership on the TECO LINE STREETCAR has increased 167 percent since rides became free in the fall. The trolley between downtown and Ybor City runs from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Fridays, 8:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Sundays, with extended service on Amalie Arena event nights. Riders can also get real-time street- car arrival information on TECOLineStreetcar.org, which shows the trolley’s exact location on a live map.
Orlando vegan eatery DIXIE DHARMA opened a Tampa location in April. Placed inside of the Heights Public Market at Armature Works, this spot offers a fully plant- based menu of Southern comfort food, including barbecue pulled jackfruit, fried green tomatoes, vegan chili dogs and tacos.
The Seminole Heights based FLORIDA AVENUE BREWING CO. was named the Best Large Brewery at the 2019 Best Florida Beer Championship during Tampa Bay Beer Week in March. Florida Avenue Brewing also took home medals for its Passion of the Heights, Florida Avenue Lager and Never Too Late for Summer brews.
Tampa has added electric scooter vendor LIME to its plans for a Shared Motorized Scooter Pilot Program, increasing the total number of scooters from 1,800 to 2,400 and delaying the program launch to later in the spring. According to city documents, scooters will be available throughout downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods, but they cannot be used on the Tampa Riverwalk or on Ybor’s Seventh Avenue.
West Tampa’s first craft beer brewery, BAY CANNON BEER COMPANY, will open in the coming months. This will be the neighborhood’s first brewery since DeSoto Brewing closed in 1936. Bay Cannon’s signature brews are the Hazy Brut IPA, Brut Belgian Single and the Cranberry Beet Saison.
BUSCH GARDENS announced its new roller coaster Tigris, set to be the tallest launch coaster in Florida, is scheduled to open April 19. The ride will feature more than 1,800 feet of steel track, propelling itself at speeds of 60 miles per hour as it twists over 150 feet upward.
The indoor cycle and yoga studio UNION THREE is planning to open in the Channel District this fall. Over 40 bikes will be available for use within the studio, as well as unlimited yoga memberships. The studio, which will be on the first floor of the Towers of Channelside, says “class packs” will likely be sold instead of unlimited cycling memberships.
WEWORK has signed a lease to take over three whole floors of downtown’s 501 East Kennedy Boulevard, which will be renamed WeWork Place. The space will encompass 60,000 square feet and more than 1,000 desks. WeWork members will also have access to the building’s conference and fitness centers.
Real estate database Zillow recently ranked Tampa as the number 1 city in the U.S. for FIRST-TIME HOMEBUYERS. The site estimated that Tampa has a median home value of $213,600, with cities such as Las Vegas, Phoenix and Atlanta trailing behind in the number two, three and four spots respectively.
The annual TAMPA RIVERFEST returns to the Riverwalk May 3 and 4. This year’s events include concerts, a Wiener Dog Derby, Gasparilla Stand-up Paddleboard Invasion, Tam- pa Bay Pride Band, TacoFest, beer bars, margarita bar and Taste of the Riverwalk food fest at Curtis Hixon Park. A full schedule of events will be announced closer to the event dates.
Tickets are on sale now for the JURASSIC WORLD TOUR’s 2020 appearance at Amalie Arena. The tour features a stage show of more than 24 life-sized dinosaurs, all built with the latest input from the scientific community. Chief Operating Officer of Feld Entertainment Juliette Feld Grossman said the show aims to “… [push] the boundaries of technology and innovation to ensure audiences have an authentic, awe-inspiring experience.”
Similar to the likes of Armature Works and Sparkman Wharf, a new food hall named NOHO JUNCTION is set to open in North Hyde Park toward the end of April. The 4,000-square-foot-food court will feature eight different options, including barbecue, pizza, ice cream and tacos.
SPARKMAN WHARF is now open every Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. The park’s new regular operating hours are Tuesday through Sunday from 11 to 11 (though some restaurant concepts have longer hours) and Mondays from 4 to 11:30 p.m. when there is an event at Amalie Arena.
