TAMPA, Fla. — Miami’s Super Bowl LIV went off without a hitch, but now it's Tampa’s time to shine.
Now that the Kansas City Chiefs have won the championship title, Tampa Bay is in go-mode preparing to be the national stage for the NFL.
The to-do list is long and includes an array of construction projects slated to be done just in time for the big game.
Here are the top five projects the Urban Development team says will be done in time.
Midtown Tampa
It’s a project which has been decades in the making.
Right now, a dull, congested, concrete jungle will be transformed into a spunky and sophisticated Urban District. The 22-acre, $550 million, construction project sits about two miles south of Raymond James Stadium.
It’s expected to offer apartments, grocery stores, two hotels called Aloft and Element, an office building, fitness trail and of course restaurants.
Developers say about 10 buildings are currently under construction and will be ready to open in time for the big game in 2021.
ABC Acton News spoke with Tampa residents who say the city has so much more to offer now than it did when the Super Bowl was held in Tampa in 2009.
“We have so many more restaurants and just cool places to see and all the development around here is just really exciting,” Lance Wooles said.
JW Marriot Hotel
This waterfront project is one that helped land Tampa Super Bowl LV.
Costing more than $200 million, it will transform the city’s skyline and offer plenty of space for those coming to visit Tampa Bay.
The Marriot Hotel will be connected to the new J-W Hotel once it’s finished.
“Their main interest is to get those done by then. Another one is the Hyatt House and Hyatt Place that’s being built right next to city hall. It's a project we put out in 2016 and they should be on track to be open by then,” said Rob Rosner, with the City of Tampa’s Urban Development.
The hotel has been working extensively with the NFL and says it’s booked about everything for the Super Bowl already.
The JW Marriot will have 519 rooms as well as restaurants, the highest rooftop bar in Tampa and a spa.
The hotel is designed to be the center of activity.
“We didn’t have enough space or enough inventory to keep them in one complex, so it just opens us up to a whole new spectrum of business,” said Ron McAnaugh, the General Manager of JW Marriot.
The St. Pete Pier
A brand new Pier will also decorate the already beautiful City of St. Petersburg.
A $92 million investment will unveil 26 acres full of sightseeing. An aerial sculpture will invite tourists in, but it will be the million-dollar playground and restaurants that keep people there.
The pier will offer a fishing deck and places to eat, drink and to relax.
And now, a year ahead of completion, the St. Pete Pier already announced it is beginning to hire:
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Hotel Haya
A brand new boutique hotel in Ybor City is set to open in time for the big game as well.
Just minutes from downtown Tampa, according to Hotel Haya’s website, it will offer a unique dining space, grand ballrooms and over 4,000 square feet of meeting space.
At four stories, and with 176 rooms, the $52 million investment will also be ready to go for Super Bowl LV.
“I think it’s super exciting and great for all the local business,” Lance Wooles, a resident said.
Hyatt Place Hotels
Last, but definitely not least, the Hyatt Place Hotel in on the City of Tampa’s to-finish list before visitors make their way to Tampa Bay in 2021.
The 17-story building will offer tourists 230 rooms for short stays.
But on top of that, the Hyatt House will offer extended stays for those looking to enjoy Tampa for a length of time.
There will be 115 extended stay rooms.
