History of 211 Meridian
211 Meridian is the History of Tampa Channelside
Caterpillar used to have a repair shop on this site well before the construction boom of the early 2000-s. The Markham family, the early pioneers of the Tampa's Channelside real estate development, purchased the property in 1999 and converted it into their award winning loft residence.
They filled the place with their art collection and turned it into a popular venue for art shows, fund raising events and parties, which helped sparkle the reputation of Channelside as an artsy area of Tampa.
Current owners, 211 Meridian Holdings LLC, a Florida Limited Liability Company, purchased this prime piece of Tampa real estate from the Markhams in October 2004.
A renowned international company, Key Developers, who built The Place in the Channel District bought this property in 2007 to build a boutique hotel and a 39-storey residential tower with 269 luxury residences.
Award winning Hariri Pontarini Architects designed a striking contemporary tower (see the rendering) that would serve as a landmark for the downtown and Channelside of Tampa.
Exclusive hotel services, amenities and upscale shops, spa, an outdoor pool on the 8th floor and a terrace with lush green landscape, and stunning panoramic views of the downtown skyline, Davis Island, Ybor and surrounding waters of Tampa Bay were designed to create a cosmopolitan amalgam of elegance, style and panache.
Unfortunately the real estate crisis of 2008-2010 put this project on hold - just like a few others in the area.
As of January 2015 all Channelside properties with potential for new development and construction are owned by investors and developers. After showing clear signs of recovery in 2013-2014 the downtown market firmed up dramatically in 2015-2016 after Jeff Vinik, the owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning, unveiled his vision for a re-developed downtown and Channel District.
The plan is to make Tampa the "nation's next great waterfront city". About $2 billion of development, $3 million square feet, including three new office and hotel towers, a USF Medical School and Heart Institute, 500 residential units, and 5,000 additional parking spaces are expected to forever change Tampa's skyline.
Vinik's plans have received enthusiastic support from the City of Tampa, and in January 2015 the City Council unanimously approved an agreement to reimburse Strategic Property Partners, Vinik’s development firm, for the $30 million cost of realigning roads, adding sidewalks, improving drainage and burying power cables in Channelside.
211 Meridian, together with the neighboring property, make this corner of Meridian Avenue, Jackson Street and Kennedy Boulevard the last and the best independently owned prime real estate available for development.
Given the location and the high visibility of the property from Downtown and to the traffic, the property is ideal for someone looking for a prime location, quick and easy access to major highways, visibility of the signage, availability of on-site parking, and the special aura of the Channelside.