A Genteel Space

The Oxford Exchange, a rehabbed brick structure near downtown Tampa, wasn't supposed to be a money-maker. It was intended as a community gathering place, a setting for the exchange of ideas, and a way for Blake Casper and his sister, Allison Casper Adams, to give back to the community.

Barely 5 months old, the Exchange has indeed become a gathering place, an upscale hangout that draws CEOs and university students alike. Its soaring interior houses a restaurant, coffee and tea bars, lounge chairs, shops and a club where members can rent conference space by the hour or sit quietly with a laptop. The Oxford Exchange is Tampa's new go-to place for lunch or conversation, and patrons say it fills a void by providing Tampa with an elegant gathering space that could easily fit in New York or London.