WATER STREET TAMPA CELEBRATES OPENING OF CUMBERLAND AVENUE EXTENSION

New Roadway Helps Connect City’s Downtown and Waterfront  

TAMPA, FL (February 4, 2021) – Leading Tampa-based real estate development firm Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) and the City of Tampa today celebrated the official opening of a new roadway extending Cumberland Avenue, as part of the transformative Water Street Tampa neighborhood. The extension connects the eastern tip of Cumberland Avenue with Meridian Avenue, one of the main thoroughfares serving Tampa’s Channel District. By creating a juncture between Meridian Avenue on the east and Brorein Avenue on the west, the new Cumberland Avenue extension helps link Tampa’s central business district with the larger downtown area, making the city more accessible by car, bike and on foot.

“Water Street Tampa centers on the idea that public spaces are what define a community. The opening of the new Cumberland Avenue brings that vision to reality,” said Brad Cooke, Vice President of Development, SPP. “A redesigned street network was a priority from the outset of Water Street Tampa’s creation, and we’re thrilled to see how this new roadway is already impacting the surrounding communities by making the city more accessible and connected. We’re thankful for the positive collaboration with the city, the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority, Port Tampa Bay and Ardent Mills that brought this to fruition. We are very proud to share this new street with Tampa.”

Embodying the vision for Water Street Tampa as a whole, the Cumberland Avenue extension has been designed to create a bridge connecting Tampa’s downtown, Water Street Tampa and Channel District. The new roadway improves the accessibility of Tampa’s neighborhoods by car, while also giving more space to pedestrians and bicycles, encouraging a street experience where the road is shared by all modes of transportation. By creating a new route for vehicular traffic, Cumberland Avenue offers an outlet for traffic from Channelside Drive, allowing for a more pedestrian-oriented experience on that street. When fully complete next year, the redesigned Cumberland Avenue will feature 20-foot-wide sidewalks, protected bike lanes, bicycle parking, shade trees and space for relaxation.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor officially unveiled the new street, taking the first stroll and drive down Cumberland Avenue earlier this week.  

“Cumberland Avenue is more than a road, it is a joint between neighborhoods, a link between communities, and a vibrant thoroughfare that will connect people and businesses,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “This is a defining moment for Downtown Tampa and for the Water Street Tampa project, which is positively impacting our city.”

Built around wellness, connectivity, walkability and sustainability, Water Street Tampa is creating a balanced urban experience offering sparkling waterfront views, publicly-accessible green space and world-class dining, shopping, cultural attractions, entertainment venues, residences and offices in the heart of one of the country’s fastest-growing cities.

Strategic Property Partners

Strategic Property Partners, LLC (“SPP”) is a partnership between Cascade Investment LLC, and Jeff Vinik. SPP is a full-service commercial real estate development firm focused on world-class execution, innovation, and creating high-quality and experiential places. SPP’s first project, Water Street Tampa, is being developed on over 50 acres of contiguous waterfront land the company controls in downtown Tampa. The phased Water Street Tampa development project is revitalizing a currently underutilized tract of land into an urban, mixed-use waterfront district consisting of approximately 9 million square feet of new commercial, residential, hospitality, cultural, entertainment, education, and retail uses, totaling over $3 billion in private investment from SPP. Integrating principles of walkability, sustainability, connectivity, design quality, and wellness, SPP is developing and will own and operate this new world-class neighborhood in in Tampa, while also working to elevate the city’s national prominence. For more information on Water Street Tampa, visit www.waterstreettampa.com.

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