The Westshore District is the largest employment area on the West Coast of Florida, and it continues to revolutionize and develop. A wide variety of businesses thrive here, from Fortune 500 companies to startups.
Connectivity is a huge asset in the Westshore District. Perhaps the most important connectors the Tampa International Airport, located in the heart of the district. Business professionals can fly into the easy-to-navigate, highly ranked airport and arrive to any of the area’s thousands of businesses within minutes.
In addition, Westshore enjoys easy access to the growing North Tampa area and downtown. The Courtney Campell Causeway provides a straight shot across Tampa Bay into Pinellas County. With local talent and the growing numbers of young professionals moving to the region, this convenient, central location becomes especially important.
Exciting new developments are popping up around Westshore. Several large residential and multipurpose developments are planned or underway — including the notable Midtown Tampa, a live, work, play community with available office space that opened in 2021. Several hotels have recently opened, adding to the already abundant lodging options. More businesses are moving into the area as the district rises to the demand for more upscale office space and communities.
It is not all business in Westshore, however. The area’s many working professionals have plenty of opportunities to unwind close to home at the end of the work day.
Westshore is home to the International Plaza and Bay Street, one of Greater Tampa Bay’s most popular shopping destinations. International Plaza’s 1.25 million-square-foot retail space includes 204 stores anchored by Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Dillard’s. Bay Street is a modern, open-air shopping center anchored by Restoration Hardware and restaurants like The Capital Grille and The Cheesecake Factory, plus a Renaissance Hotel.
The Raymond James Stadium off Dale Mabry Highway is home to the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers and regularly hosts concerts and entertainment. Mix business with pleasure at fine dining destinations Ocean Prime, Fleming’s, Charley’s or Del Frisco’s or any other of the 250-plus restaurants in Westshore.
The Westshore District has evolved from being not only a hub for white-collar business, but a place where professionals love to live, work, stay and play.
Westshore District by the Numbers
- Over $1 billion in private investments into more than 25 current or planned projects
- 102,000 employees at more than 4,000 businesses and major employers
- Top employers include:
- Fortune 500 company Bloomin’ Brands
- PwC
- New York Life
- Amgen
- Bristol Myers Squibb
- AECOM
- Florida Blue
- IBM
- HCI
- Progressive
- LabCorp
- State Farm
- 13.2 million square feet of commercial office space
- 45+ hotels with 8,300 rooms and more than 265,000 square feet of meeting and event space
- Three major highways
- Five higher education institutions:
- Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry Campus
- Troy University
- Ultimate Medical Academy
- Embry-Riddle Worldwide
- Everglades University
Key Developments
- SkyCenter One at Tampa International Airport
- The SkyCenter One is a nine-story, 274,000+-square-foot, Class-A office building connected to Tampa International Airport by an elevated pedestrian bridge and atrium. The office building is incredibly convenient for traveling professionals, who have every amenity they need only 10 minutes away from the airport’s terminal. The SkyCenter One project is part of an ongoing second expansion phase at the airport, which will include a multi-story hotel, retail space and access to multipurpose trails.
- SkyCenter One features:
- Class-A office space
- Conference center
- Fitness center
- Café
- Midtown Tampa
- Midtown is a dynamic live, work, play community with numerous amenities. The extremely convenient location is right off I-275 and Dale Mabry highway, with Tampa International Airport and downtown Tampa both less than 10-minute drives away. There is a total of 750,000 square feet of office space, including the eight-story Midtown West and three-story The Loft buildings within Midtown. Within one mile, there are 70 restaurants, 41 retail stores, five hotels, 27 coffee shops and 17 fitness centers.
- Other amenities:
- 390 residential units
- 4,500 parking spaces
- Central plaza
- Dining and retail
- Two hotels
- Whole Foods grocery store
- REI Co-Op store
- Fitness centers
- Lakeside park
These are just a few of many large developments coming to Westshore. For more updates and details, visit choosewestshore.com.
