- May 21, 2026
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A live music and entertainment venue, new hotel and scores more dining, retail and hospitality space could be coming to Tampa’s urban Water Street district.
Strategic Property Partners, the developers behind the downtown Tampa neighborhood, revealed design plans Thursday for a new “entertainment district” under the Water Street umbrella. Once approved by city officials, SPP says it will submit plans for building permits and could begin construction on the new addition in early 2027.
No development costs have been disclosed for the project, a joint venture between general contractors Moss Construction and Barton Malow. Global design firm Gensler will serve as architect.
Anchored by a new 3,500-seat live music and entertainment venue, as well as a 250-key hotel, the new entertainment district will have its own name, to be announced at a later date, while echoing Water Street Tampa’s model of “mixed-use placemaking,” according to a release from SPP — similar to the adjacent Ford Thunder Alley by Benchmark International Arena. The area will blend approximately 80,000 square feet of entertainment-driven retail, dining and hospitality with 25,000 square feet of public gathering spaces into yet another walkable destination for downtown Tampa.
“We are creating a fully integrated entertainment district that expands the energy of Water Street Tampa and Benchmark International Arena while delivering unforgettable experiences for residents, visitors, sports fans and concertgoers alike,” Josh Taube, CEO of Strategic Property Partners, says in the release. “The vision is to create a destination that broadens what Water Street Tampa offers — one that delivers a diverse range of experiences and remains active whether driven by major events or everyday downtown life.”
The new entertainment venue will be operated in partnership with Vinik Sports Group, which operates Benchmark International Arena. The space will be designed in a flexible, “open room” model and serve as a “next-stage platform for artists who are ready to scale beyond smaller rooms, but not yet positioned for arena-scale performances,” the release says.
Inside will accommodate 2,800 people on the general admission floor with an additional 700-person mezzanine, a 6.000-square-foot VIP lounge and more than 8,000 square feet of exterior terrace space overlooking Channelside Drive. The adjacent hotel will be connected to the venue through a private VIP entrance in the hotel lobby and 12,000-square-foot amenity deck.
The venue will also have an independent operating structure, allowing artists, tours and events to perform from under any promoter instead of being tied to a single operator or touring pipeline.
“The open room model gives Tampa tremendous flexibility in attracting artists and events from across the entertainment industry,” Steve Griggs, CEO of Vinik Sports Group, says in the release. “It creates an environment where the venue can work with a broad range of promoters, tours and performers to bring more concerts, greater variety and unique entertainment experiences to downtown Tampa while continuing to strengthen Tampa Bay’s position as a premier entertainment market.”
The accompanying retail, dining and hospitality offerings will be spread across a two-story structure along Channelside Drive, Morgan Street and Jefferson Street. Those spaces will all operate independently while still benefiting from the activity created by concerts, sporting events and district programming, the release says.
Design plans for the district also include approximately 1,000 new parking spaces, a covered three-lane valet and rideshare drop-off area as well as a covered porte-cochère. A central plaza facing Channelside Drive and Benchmark International Arena will provide year-round outdoor entertainment and pre-event programming.
