Placemaking & Public Space

Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Placemaking initiatives advance our public spaces into highly programmed and attractive places. Placemaking is a multifaceted approach to the planning, design, and management of public spaces. Recurring initiatives include monthly events and free weekly fitness classes in the park. Public activation and storefront and sidewalk grant programs are offered to ground floor Downtown business and property owners to incentivize public realm activation and physical improvements.

This year, our existing programs continued to thrive reaching record breaking attendance, allowing for the creation of new programs such as Summer Series. This new program runs throughout the summer providing free family-friendly activities under the Partnership's 12,000 sq. ft shade structure.

Furthering the work set forth by our strategic plan, the Partnership has established multiple capital improvement projects that will impact public spaces throughout Downtown for years to come.

Playing with "Snow" at Winter Village

WINTER VILLAGE AT CURTIS HIXON PARK

During a seven-week installation, Winter Village featured 10 boutiques from local craftspeople and purveyors, as well as specialty drinks and treats to complement the 5,000 square foot real ice rink creating a unique holiday experience. The collective programming of recreation, food/beverage, and retail staged in Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park created an impressive opportunity to showcase social and economic strengths in Downtown Tampa.

Tampa Downtown Partnership added a significant investment with the addition of a lighting installation that included choreographed music and an illumination that encompassed the entire park. The light display takes Winter Village to a new level and brings the holiday experience to a broader space.

Winter Village at Curtis Hixon Park was also the site of the City of Tampa’s Tree Lighting, Santa Fest, Winter Wonder Ride presented by Onbikes, a viewing spot for the Lighted Boat Parade, and many more holiday themed events.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY

TAMPA DOWNTOWN PARTNERSHIP

21,000

Annual attendees at 5 days of free fitness classes in Curtis Hixon Park

19 Venues

At monthly Fourth Friday event

16 +

Do the Local Motion free walking tours

18,000

13,000

Annual Attendees

Mayor’s Food Truck Fiesta

14,000

Annual Attendees

Rock the Park

75+

Public Comments Collected

Office in the Park

Annual Attendees

75,000

Attendees per Season

Winter Village

1,000

Liters of Beer Sold

Echo Quilt Listening Booth

Sidewalk Cafe and Bar at Osteria in Nine15 on Franklin St.

SPECIAL SERVICES DISTRICT GRANTS

PROJECT SPOTLIGHT

The Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Special Services District Committee allocates $50,000 annually for two public grant programs as an investment into the Downtown community. The Storefront and Sidewalk Café Grant Program offers grants up to $5,000 in matching funds per location to support and encourage more investment in street-level facades improvements, sidewalk seating, and overhead components. The Activate Downtown Micro-Grant Program awards up to $2,500 to applicants that create unique, publiclyaccessible activations in the public realm. The proposed projects must enhance the downtown experience via the arts and/or social good.

Recent Storefront & Sidewalk Cafe Grant Participants

Osteria Duckweed Urban Grocery European Wax Center USF Health CAMLS Rialto Theatre The Modern Paws Mole Y Abuela

Recent Activate Downtown Micro-Grant Participants

LiveWork, LLC David A. Straz, Jr. Center for the Arts H.B. Plant Museum Channel District Community Alliance (CDCA) APA Suncoast Florida Section Artist Terry Klarren

TRANSPORTATION

& PLANNING