Midtown East to add to Tampa’s first-of-its-kind, billion-dollar, self-contained community

TAMPA, Fla. - Four years after Tampa Mayor Jane Castor had her first groundbreaking as mayor on what would become the development known as Midtown, she was back, tossing more dirt for what’s being billed as Midtown’s phase 2 project. 

It is an 18-story, 430,000-square-foot office tower called Midtown East. 

"It just underscores the positive growth that Tampa and the Tampa Bay region are experiencing right now," Castor said. 

Set to become Midtown’s anchor building, Midtown East will be constructed with energy efficiency and sustainability in mind. 

That’s fitting, considering it’ll become the new headquarters for TECO and some 900 of its employees, which had been located downtown since 1981. 

Tampa leaders break ground on Midtown East. 

"Tampa’s a fantastic city with a diversity of industries, great talent and lots more to come with a building like this," said Helen Wesley, president and CEO of TECO People’s Gas. 

READ: Whole Foods opens larger location at Tampa's Midtown development

Midtown East will also have room for offices, retail and restaurants bringing even more life to Tampa’s first-of-its-kind, billion-dollar self-contained community; one that’s home to 600 residents and dozens of other businesses both big and small. 

Rendering of Midtown East. 

"Midtown really is the example of the future of having those 15-minute neighborhoods, where you're building the neighborhoods and all the services you need are right in that location," Castor said.

TECO will move into the new building in 2025.