'The hidden gem': Convention center incorporating Tampa waterfront view in newest addition

TAMPA, Fla. - For a year and a half, people on part of the Tampa Riverwalk have had to make a detour around the Tampa Convention Center and through a tunnel to avoid construction.

"It's kind of like a mess with people going back and forth and bicycles too," said Susana Daria, a Tampa resident and regular user of the Riverwalk. 

The detour exists because of ongoing construction at the convention center, but they say the work will lead to something uniquely Tampa. 

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"Orlando can't do it. Vegas can't do it, but we can," said David Ingram, the executive director of the Tampa Convention Center. 

This building was built in the 1990s, but only now, with the new addition they're finishing, will its hidden gem be revealed. 

"The hidden gem is the view," said Ingram. 

The view is thanks to new floor-to-ceiling glass that will finally bring people who come to the venue for conventions to more than just meetings. 

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"You can watch a Florida sunset. You can watch a sunrise. You can see a beautiful day. That's priceless," said Ingram. 

The facelift at the convention center is costing around $38 million. It includes a new two-story, 18,000 square foot addition with built-in flexibility.

Portable wall and doors can be easily moved to create smaller rooms for breakout sessions or large rooms for banquets and receptions. Ingram said there won't be a party when construction ends, but he predicts that many users of the Riverwalk will be happy. 

He said the convention center will likely announce the end of the detour on social media, and Daria said she will be pleased when the time comes. 

"People will come out and see the water and have more fun," she said. 

Ingram said there will be a formal ribbon cutting in July to officially open the new addition with its new views. He said the Riverwalk near the Tampa Convention Center could be back to normal as soon as the end of June or early July.