2 Of Downtown Tampa's Best-Known Office Buildings Reach Capacity

Tampa's tallest and largest office buildings are at capacity.

In August 2010, 100 North Tampa, the tallest at 589 feet, reached 100 percent capacity, while Bank of America Plaza, the largest at nearly 800,000 square feet and located at 101 E. Kennedy Blvd. recently reached 93 percent occupancy. Property experts credit downtown Tampa's amenities with its strong tenancies.

"All the buildings downtown are in close proximity to one another, forming a core," says Michael Hoffman, first vice president at CB Richard Ellis, which manages Bank of America Plaza. "It's easy to walk to lunch and you run into people with whom you want to do business. There's a synergy downtown that a lot of suburban offices don't enjoy."

Phil Dinkins, vice president at CLW Real Estate Services Group, which manages 100 North Tampa, agrees. "Downtown Tampa's always been a desirable place, but over the years we've accumulated more features that make it even more desirable such as the performing arts center, the convention center on the waterfront, the aquarium, the St. Pete Times Forum, the history museum, art museum and children's museum. I think what we're seeing is that downtown is getting better and better."

"Downtown has a very specific type of tenant who wants to be downtown," says Hoffman. "With the condos, which is relatively new to downtown Tampa, you've got people who now live here as well as work here."

"The condos have made it a 24/7 city," says Dinkins. "The high-speed rail with the terminus center and light rail that we hope will be voted in in November—where does all this tie into? Downtown."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Sources: Phil Dinkins, 100 North Tampa; Michael Hoffman, Bank of America Plaza