New high rise apartment building coming soon to downtown Tampa

A new apartment building towering over Tampa will soon open its doors to families who want to live the downtown lifestyle, with special amenities and retail. It’s the tallest new apartment building in the city until at least 2026 – at 31 stories high. 

AER Tampa towers is over the Riverwalk between the Straz Performing Arts Center and the Tampa Museum of Art. Coastal Construction said the location and the amenities are a big draw for potential residents.

"To see this near completion is super exciting to know we have core resident, 300 units, right here on riverwalk by cultural institutions, another piece of the growing density we are seeing all throughout downtown Tampa," said Shawn Drinkard, the interim president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership. 

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One concern is the affordability factor; these apartments will be a pricey lease. FOX 13 has previously reported on Tampa’s affordable housing crunch, with 13,000 families on the Tampa Housing Authorities' waiting list. 

In that aspect, help is on the way with two residential towers being built as part of the West River development.

But for those that can afford the new views: 

"My favorite amenity, of course, is the pool. The pool deck is incredible, with awesome relaxation spaces, a hot-tub, seating, a bar and cabanas with the TVs in them," Kelsey Harbin, the property manager of AER Tampa, said. "We’ve had a lot of buzz and a lot of excitement for the community. We are pre-leasing, so we are very excited to open soon and welcome people into the community."

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The bottom will have retail, but no word on which stores yet. Amenities include office spaces, gyms, the SkyDeck and the rooftop pool.

A change in the area also affects nearby neighbors, with one-way streets currently on either side of the building now becoming two-way roads. The developer said it will be a big plus for traffic in the area.

There’s no set date on the opening of AER Tampa, but they hope it will be early this summer.

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