City of Tampa breaks ground on $57M Riverwalk expansion

After nearly 40 years of planning and politicking, construction has begun on the final stretch of downtown Tampa’s iconic Riverwalk — a roughly 2-mile expansion along the west side of the Hillsborough River that’s expected to cost $56.8 million once completed.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor joined city council members and community leaders Tuesday morning for a groundbreaking ceremony celebrating the final leg of a project that has been in the works since 1976, when the first wooden planks for a waterfront walkway were installed in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. 

Once finished, likely in early 2027, the West River BUILD project will close the final remaining gaps in the city’s award-winning Tampa Riverwalk, creating a continuous, 12.2-mile multiuse pathway along both the eastern and western banks of the Hillsborough River that extends to Ballast Point Park. 

"What begins today as the turning of soil will soon become the turning point for West Tampa," Mayor Jane Castor says in an announcement from the city. "This isn’t just a path by the water; it’s a bridge to the future — one that will activate the heart of this neighborhood in ways we can only begin to imagine."

According to the city, the new stretch of the Riverwalk will span the 2 miles between Platt Street and Rome Avenue along the west bank of the river. Designs for the expansion include 1,500 feet of “living shorelines,” as well as scenic overlooks, pedestrian bridge underpasses and a safe connector for pedestrians between the existing Riverwalk and Tampa’s bustling downtown. 

The West River BUILD project also includes more than five miles of roadway safety improvements and connections throughout West Tampa, mainly along Platt Street, Rome Avenue and Columbus Drive as well as throughout Ridgewood Park. Among the “complete street” enhancements built into the project are upgraded lighting, “low-stress” bicycle lanes, traffic signal modifications and improved sidewalks and crosswalks, the announcement says.

The end result will be a “game changer” for West Tampa, Community Redevelopment Agency Board Chair Luis Viera says in the announcement, safely connecting more than a dozen neighborhoods to Tampa’s urban core.

"For too long, this historic community has waited for the kind of investment that not only honors its past but builds a stronger future,” Viera says in the announcement. “The West Riverwalk will bring real, tangible benefits, from safer streets and better transportation options to economic opportunities that uplift families and local businesses.”

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In the announcement for Tuesday’s groundbreaking, the city stressed that the project has received bi-partisan support from citizens, business leaders and elected officials on the local, state and federal levels.

About $24 million of the $56.8 million budget comes from a federal BUILD grant, and $10 million from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, the announcement says. The city will invest $8 million in funding from its Community Investment Tax and approximately $15.6 million will come from future non-ad valorem bonds.

Investing in the Tampa Riverwalk has already proved to pay off. According to a release from The Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk, the scenic path through the heart of downtown attracts more than two million visitors each year.

City officials anticipate construction on the West River BUILD project will create about 500 short-term jobs, the announcement says. Long term, the hope is it will expand Tampa’s job market by at least 1,000 direct and indirect jobs annually. According to the city, the project has the potential to stimulate more than $1 billion in new economic development.

“I'm proud to support a project that connects communities and celebrates the vibrant spirit of West Tampa,” Viera says.