Westshore Plaza renovation gets green light from Tampa City Council

TAMPA - The comeback of Tampa's Westshore Plaza took a big step forward on Thursday. The City Council approved a plan that will allow the owner of the landmark shopping mall at Westshore and Kennedy to knock down most of what is there, and start fresh.

"Tampa is changing. Tampa is growing," said council chair Guido Maniscalco.

The Ohio-based developer, the Washington Prime Group, plans to knock down everything except the Macy's and the adjacent parking lot. In its place, they will build 900,000 sq. ft. of stores.

There will also be business offices, a medical center, a hotel, a HART bus station and 1,700 housing units.

"We've seen the introduction of places like Midtown. We've seen the revitalization of Hyde Park," said Maniscalco. "People are asking for outdoor spaces where it's walkable.

The Beach Park HOA did not address council today, instead saying in a statement that, "We are hopeful that (the project) will be a benefit to Tampa, yet we emphasize that the eventual developer should work closely with the community to ensure that the already overburdened roads are not further stressed by the added traffic."

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The HOA also says they are encouraged the developer has already added new lanes to the plan to help with the traffic on Kennedy Blvd.

The fate of the project is now up to the developer, which must secure financing.

"It's a big mixed-use development," said Maniscalco. "It's going to be a little bit of something for everybody, welcoming for families, welcoming for businesses."

They have not given a timeline on when demolition will start.

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