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Here’s your development drop

Canopy Phase Two - Rendering 2.13.24.jpg

A look at the finished Canopy at West River Phase Two project. | Rendering via

Tampa Bay architects recently dished that development is slowing a bit. That might be objectively true — especially compared with the avalanche of new builds over the past several years — but there’s still plenty of projects springing up across our slice of the Gulf Coast.

The Canopy at West River

Mayor Jane is dusting off her hard hat to toast the West Riverwalk’s latest project, The Canopy at West River’s opening today. The complex’s four towers boast a collective 384 new affordable homes in the Cigar City’s West River redevelopment for locals earning between 22% and 80% of the area median income.

The complex replaced the longtime North Boulevard Homes public housing project, which was torn down in 2017 due to poor conditions.

A rendering of Central Park St. Pete. The five-story concept has tables out front with people eating, people walking by and cycling by, and a yellow brick wall lined with windows and a balcony. — Hi Hospitality Group is leading the project.

Central Park St. Pete is finally open

Sunshine City residents no longer need to cross the Howard Frankland for that Armature Works-esque night out. The long-awaited Central Park St. Pete finally opens its doors this week — well, part of it, that is.

Palm Avenue Deli and Constellation Burger are the first of the five-story’s 14 concepts to make their debut. Next week, Strawberry Fields and Central Bar (with its self-serve beer wall) enter the villa. But there’s obviously plenty more to come.

Two more standout projects

Events

Thursday, Feb. 19

Friday, Feb. 20

Saturday, Feb. 21

Sunday, Feb. 22

See our full events calendar

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News Notes

Show

Set your eyes on the full Gasparilla Music Festival lineup. We already shared that Mt. Joy is headlining along with Two Friends and Gov’t Mule, but the rest of the April 10-12 weekend is booked out with acts like Shakey Graves, Jai Wolf, Drive-By Truckers, Kaitlin Butts, and well ...too many artists to name here.

Listen

Tampa’s Black History Museum will likely start welcoming scholars in the transformed St. James Episcopal Church space next summer. Tune into “Florida Matters Live & Local” for the lowdown on how museum program manager Janine Quarles Adkins and curator of Black history Fred Hearns are prepping for the opening. (WUSF News)

Health

A Moffitt Cancer Center outpatient center is opening in Polk County. Construction on the Lakeland facility (hey LALtoday) is projected to start in 2027. The center will open in 2028, offering key services like cancer screenings, imaging, radiation, and clinical trials. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)

History

We’re going to the Catskills — Bailey wishes. The Florida Holocaust Museum’s latest photography show documents the remains of the Borscht Belt. The Borscht Belt? The since-abandoned Jewish Vacationland in New York’s Catskill Mountains once brought in thousands of tourists every summer, and you can see what’s left. (WUSF News)

Shop

Head to Guava City Vintage for a Sunday Market this Feb. 22 from 12-4 p.m. to shop vintage goodies, local crafts, baked goods, and tons of other cozy finds. Best of all, it’s down the street from the Seminole Heights Sunday Morning Market at American Legion Post 111, so you can pick up your weekly veg first.

Announced

In other market news, St. Pete’s Saturday Morning Market will take over the parking lot outside Tropicana Field this weekend due to the Firestone Grand Prix. You can still grab tickets to the IndyCar Series races. (That’s So Tampa)

Try This

Suncoast Credit Union and Visa are sending two footie fans to the second biggest sporting event of the year: The FIFA World Cup 26. Beyond two tickets to the Miami matches, the winners get a travel credit, prepaid Visa card, and World Cup prizes. Find out how to enter. (That’s So Tampa)

Outdoors

Yesterday, penguins hobnobbed with Florida House Members on behalf of the Florida Aquarium. Okay, waddled around the digs to highlight the Aquarium’s state appropriations requests for the coming year. One of which is continued funding for its continued coral reef restoration efforts — which we recently spotlighted.

Eat

Hunt for the scent of some familiar TBAY culinary powerhouses at this weekend’s South Beach Wine & Food Festival. The Tampa EDITION’s Punch Room, Mise en Place, and Blind Tiger Coffee Roasters are dishing out a range of fare and brews throughout the festival.

Wellness

You don’t need to hit a breaking point to start therapy. If you’re replaying conversations or overthinking decisions, Octave Therapy can match you with a vetted, fully licensed therapist. Octave is in-network with many major plans + the average session cost is $28 out of pocket. Find your in-network therapist today.*

The Buy

Level up at-home workouts with five products that are actually worth the money:

💪 A set of resistance bands that can be used for stretching + strengthening exercises.
💪 The TRX suspension training system that’s perfect for both at-home and on-the-go workouts.
💪 A sleek, foldable exercise mat that’s non-slip and cushioned for added comfort.
💪 This top-rated ab roller with a 360° design that targets abs, obliques, and lower back.
💪 A pair of adjustable dumbbells that range from five to 25 lbs.

More worth The Buy

Answered

Yesterday, we asked, “What industry employs the most people in Tampa Bay?”

The Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa. The famous pirate ship is moored in the distance, with still water surrounding it. The sun is rising, and shining light on the buildings and on Tampa General Hospital.

About 35% of folks correctly guessed that life sciences is TBAY’s biggest industry, and it’s still growing. You might remember the cancer center mentioned above.

Subscribe for more workforce news

The Wrap

The Florida Holocaust Museum’s new Borscht Belt exhibit gives me the perfect excuse to espouse on my favorite topic: The Catskills episodes of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” Everyone in my personal life just groaned.

Arguably the finest work of the entire series — which follows a female comic in the 1950s and 1960s in New York City — the (far too few) episodes are a fantastic snapshot of what the seasonal resorts were like. And the new exhibit isn’t TBAY’s only connection to the Yiddish Alps — one Sarasota vintage shop actually sold costumes to the show.

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