The first retail location in ENCORE Tampa!, a downtown Tampa mixed-use development, is under construction and expected to be operational within the next 90 days.
Encore, a $425 million redevelopment of the former Central Park Village public housing area, will give a home to local foodie Michelle Faedo’s Tampanian Cuisine as the first of three retail operations in the project’s immediate future.
“We’re really happy,” says Leroy Moore of the Tampa Housing Authority. “It’s a major milestone for this site because Encore is all residential now and we have space on the ground floor of all those buildings for retail.”
The residential facilities at Encore now have a strong enough population to support development of retail facilities, Moore says. In addition to Faedo’s eatery, a barbershop and new Westshore Pizza location are under contract.
“It certainly brings conveniences to the site,” Moore says. “Encore has always been envisioned as a live, work, play location.”
Located in downtown Tampa near Interstate 4 and Interstate 275, the 28-acre development has plenty of room for additional growth, including a grocery, offices, a museum and more options. Moore says he is encouraged by the present interest and envisions Encore becoming a destination for workers exiting downtown.
The first three retail locations are being installed in the bottom floor of Ella, a senior living facility located within the redevelopment.
Now that the seven-story building is full of residents, the retail market has enough onsite support to get started. As Encore continues to grow, Moore is optimistic that more retailers will be interested in setting up shop, which in turn draws in more consumers.
“When the rest of the retail comes to this site, beyond the three we already have under contract, we think this could eventually be a destination location,” he says.
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