Former DoubleTree Hotel in Tampa imploded ahead of Westshore Interchange project
TAMPA, Fla. - It was out with the old and in the with the new as crews imploded a Tampa hotel early Wednesday morning to make room for a billion-dollar project to reconstruct the Westshore district.
Those living near the former DoubleTree Hotel on Cypress Street may have woken up to a loud boom when the building came down around 1 a.m.
The 10-story building with more than 400 rooms fell to the ground in seconds, vanishing into a pile of rubble.
The former DoubleTree hotel was imploded early Wednesday morning.
The Florida Department of Transportation has owned the 50-year-old hotel since 2015.
The project, which is in the early design phase, includes plans for direct express lane connections to Tampa International Airport, the Courtney Campbell Causeway, Independence Parkway, and the Veteran’s Expressway toward downtown.
Map of Westshore Interchange Project. Courtesy: FDOT.
A two-lane flyover from the Howard Frankland Bridge to westbound State Road 60 is also a part of the project, as is a new on-ramp from Reo Street to I-275.
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A plan to reconnect three roads under I-275, Reo, Occident and Trask Streets is in the works to help improve local traffic.
Rendering of the Westshore Interchange Project. Image is courtesy of FDOT.
Construction should begin in 2024 and the project will take about 10 years to complete.