Heights Union Creative Office Center rendering Courtesy of the Heights District

Heights Union: New office space in downtown Tampa

Kathy Steele | Tuesday, February 5, 2019

Heights Union Creative Office Center rendering Courtesy of the Heights District

SoHo Capital, the developer of Armature Works, recently announced the groundbreaking for the Heights Union Creative Office Center, a 342,000-square-foot luxury office complex in The Heights.

Atlanta-based developers, TPA Group, are partnering in the project, which will provide the first new office space in downtown Tampa in 25 years, according to a news release from SoHo.

Among the first tenants will be AxoGen, a medical technology company that specializes in creative surgical solutions; DPR Construction, which is building the office complex; and WeWork, a provider of co-working office space.

A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled in February. Heights Union should be ready for occupancy in early 2020.

“Heights Union will attract a wide range of companies that are looking to inspire talent and create an adaptable workspace that promotes collaboration in a high-tech, stylish and comfortable environment,” says Chas Bruck, in a written statement. Bruck is principal at SoHo Capital and developer of The Heights.

The Heights is a 3.2 million-square-foot urban mixed-use development on the Hillsborough River. The project, to date, includes Armature Works and THE PEARL, a 314-unit apartment complex, with about 28,000 square feet of retail space.

Heights Union will be on the southwest corner of West Palm Avenue and North Tampa Street, near Tampa’s Water Works Park, and the Tampa Riverwalk, a 2.4-mile pedestrian walkway that loops through downtown Tampa along the Hillsborough River.

The office buildings also will have easy access to the Marion Street transit center, Interstate 275 and Tampa International Airport.

Construction includes two, six-story, Class AA office buildings with an adjacent 1,500-space parking garage, 42,000 square feet of ground floor retail, and a tree-lined linear park.

The overall design will be mindful of the historic character of the Tampa Heights neighborhood.

A rooftop deck will give a panoramic view of downtown Tampa and the Hillsborough River. Amenities will include bike share and bike storage, a fitness center, and showers.

Heights Union also will be green building certified. It will have exposed structural elements, high ceilings, and large industrial windows as well as a communal workspace with WiFi and meeting areas.

Tenants’ space requirements will be a factor in determining the final number of signed leases.

“We will be announcing additional tenants as they are confirmed,” says Lauren Mooser, marketing director for Armature Works and The Heights.

Read more articles by Kathy Steele.

Kathy Steele is a freelance writer who lives in the Seminole Heights neighborhood of Tampa. She previously covered Tampa neighborhoods for more than 15 years as a reporter for The Tampa Tribune. She grew up in Georgia but headed north to earn a BA degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, NY. She backpacked through Europe before attending the University of Iowa's Creative Writers' Workshop for two years. She has a journalism degree from Georgia College. She likes writing, history, and movies.