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Editorial: A promising vision for Tampa's Channelside

 
Published Sept. 23, 2016

Channelside Bay Plaza has long outlived its appeal, both as an entertainment destination and as a magnet for growth in downtown Tampa. Owner Jeff Vinik has the right idea: Raze Channelside and replace the ugly behemoth with an open-air plaza surrounded by shops, offices and high-rise residences. The details are not fully fleshed-out and still matter, and the expectations and timetable for the build-out need to be reasonable. But this could bring new money, energy and public space to a key corner of downtown.

Vinik's land-development arm presented a new vision for the area this week, proposing to open up the downtown waterfront at Channelside and surround it with a new, mixed-use district. The work would unfold in phases over the next several years and eventually include a 1-acre park, an extension to the Riverwalk, three residential buildings and 100,000 square feet of office and retail space.

Representatives for Vinik, who owns the lease at Channelside, pitched the idea to the Tampa Port Authority governing board. That agency runs Port Tampa Bay and owns the land under Channelside, and it must sign off on any remake of the property. The board was right to largely withhold any reaction Tuesday. There still are many questions about the rollout, the scale of the surrounding buildings and how the plan will affect the port's development goals farther north. But the proposal takes better advantage of the waterfront location and responds to the changes in the market for both housing and the entertainment experience.

Channelside's poor design, with shops facing away from the water, and security restrictions that limited waterfront access near its cruise port terminals, creates a closed-in feel. Vinik's plan would make the area more appealing by opening the waterfront, giving full view to a working channel. The park would be a gathering place for residents and visitors. And replacing the centralized retail location of Channelside with a string of storefronts along the street will give visitors the free-flowing shopping experience that consumers are looking for in cities across the country.

Vinik is also remaking 45 acres west of Channelside, on land he owns or controls near Amalie Arena, where his hockey team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, plays. This proposal would give that project depth and continuity. Putting a larger footprint under a single developer could add to the quality of the build-out, and by having a single contact point, the city and the port would have a cleaner line of communication over the years the work would take.

The port's board needs to ensure the waterfront remains open and clear enough to become a true public attraction. Too many of the latest plans for downtown have crowded out the riverfront with vanity architecture that distracts from the water's natural appeal. The green space should be uncluttered, and the buildings need to be set back enough for the park to be a signature draw.

The port needs assurances the build-out would proceed in a timely fashion. The market also needs to be sustainable over the long term to avoid another lost era in the foreseeable future. And the port needs to think through how this project affects its own plans for a similar venture on 45 acres it owns to the north. But this is a more exciting vision for Channelside and the waterfront that deserves a serious look.