Moxy Hotel To Be Next Major Addition To The Heights District

TAMPA, FL — The developers of The Heights District, the 50-acre mixed-use destination along the Hillsborough River, announced Tuesday that it has signed an agreement with Marriott International to bring its Moxy Hotel brand to the neighborhood.

Plans call for a 153-room hotel that will occupy the first seven floors within a new, mixed-use, 25-story tower. Construction is expected to begin in early 2020, with the hotel slated to open in 2022.

“We are excited to announce our plan to bring a Moxy Hotel to The Heights District - and to the Tampa Bay Area, which is ready for this bold brand,” said Chas Bruck, co-developer for The Heights District and Armature Works. “We see the brand as being a perfect fit for The Heights. We’re confident this hotel will become a hit with locals and visitors who crave a unique hotel experience the Tampa Bay area.”

The hotel will give guests the ability to drive into the hotel’s parking garage, check into their room and unlock their hotel room door by using their mobile phone. Amenities planned include a club room, fitness center, co-working spaces, event spaces and retail space. The Moxy Brand also includes a unique art program, Moxy Blank Canvas, that connects emerging artists to their hotels to literally make their mark on the spaces.

“Over the past few years, I’ve been watching the evolution of the up-and-coming Tampa Heights District as it becomes a trendy place to work, live and play," said Tim Sponsler, vice president of Marriott Lodging Development for Florida. “The development of Armature Works is a great example of the edgy vibe of the neighborhood and the development of the Moxy Hotel will have synergy with the overall vibrant lifestyle experience of The Heights District.”

The tower is slated to rise within The Heights between West Oak Avenue and West 7th Avenue, North Highlands Avenue and North Tampa Street. While the hotel will occupy the first seven floors of the tower, the remaining floors will be developed as a multi-family residential apartment community and will include its own lobby, separate from the Moxy Hotel lobby. The Moxy Hotel will reside in a tower that will include 5,000 square feet of retail space.

The 1,500-space parking garage is slated to open first in late 2020 to support the Heights Union buildings. The parking garage will also include 9,000 square feet of retail space. Development of an additional 30,000 square feet of retail space on the same block will be announced at a later date. The full development of the entire block will be completed in 2022.

The 50-acre mixed-use urban Heights District has been taking shape along the Hillsborough River, with the 73,000-square-foot Armature Works historic warehouse opening in early 2018.

Once a maintenance and storage warehouse for TECO (Tampa Electric Co.) streetcars and trolleys more than a century ago, Armature Works is now a fully restored mixed-use building that includes the Heights Public Market, a variety of restaurants and bars, a 10,000-square-foot gathering space, two pre-function event spaces totaling nearly 9,000 square feet, a 2,500-square-foot theater and “Bay 3,” an 11,000-square-foot co-shared workspace.

The district also includes The Pearl, a 314-unit luxury apartment community. The area south of Armature Works features an 8,000-square-foot pier, 28 boat slips and various green spaces. Additionally, along the waterfront is Stones Throw, a waterside seafood restaurant and bar, and Urban Kai, a kayak and paddle board shop.

Construction continues on Heights Union, a 342,000-square-foot mixed-use workplace.

When completed, The Heights District will include hotels, apartments, condos, office buildings, restaurants, retail stores, green spaces, parking garages and more.