TAMPA, Fla. — One of the biggest draws to Tampa Bay is living by the water. With a bustling downtown, City of Tampa leaders are working to make sure the Riverwalk upholds the area’s image.
Let me bring you up to speed on the upgrades underway for the Riverwalk and the Downtown Tampa Convention Center.
The Riverwalk is a hot spot for runners, tourists, boaters or anyone looking to get by the water. With that in mind, the expansion is moving full steam ahead. Once complete, it will be a 12.2-mile path/trail with enhanced safe crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, as part of the nationwide Vision Zero initiative.
To make that happen crews will add six more miles on the west side of the river and fill in gaps to the existing riverwalk. They won’t get started on that until sometime next year after a contractor is selected.
The renovations will also include a new bike lane.
80 percent of the project, which is around $24 million, will be paid for the U.S. Department of Transportation BUILD (Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development) grant. The rest will be covered by the city.
The Riverwalk expansion coincides with work underway to the Tampa Convention Center where the city is adding 18 waterfront meeting rooms.
The riverwalk expansion is expected to be completed by late 2026.