Rapid7 Cybersecurity Firm Leases 42,000 Square Feet At Sparkman Wharf

TAMPA, FL — Tampa-based real estate development firm Strategic Property Partners LLC and leading national cybersecurity firm, Rapid7, announced that Rapid7 has signed a lease for its new office at Sparkman Wharf.

Rapid7’s new office will span more than 42,000 square feet across two floors at Sparkman Wharf in Water Street Tampa, the mixed-use development transforming 56 acres along Tampa’s waterfront into a walkable live-work-play destination.

Rapid7’s new office marks a strategic expansion by a top national tech company into Tampa, the country’s fastest-growing tech market, according to Forbes magazine.

“As Tampa solidifies its reputation as a top emerging tech city, forward-thinking companies like Rapid7 are looking to plant a flag and be a part of the innovation,” said Lee Schaffler, chief portfolio officer for SPP. “Water Street Tampa is at the core of Tampa’s thriving tech community and a sought-after place to work and live.”

“Technology and business don’t exist in a vacuum, and in Tampa, the professional community thrives because of its diverse population, great universities and strong veteran community,” said Jamie Kinch, vice president of real estate and workplace experience at Rapid7. “As we continue our quest to build the workplace of the future, Sparkman Wharf is the ideal location for us to place our roots. We will be in the center of the tech boom, and, with Water Street Tampa’s mixed-use design, restaurants and recreational amenities, it gives us the unique opportunity to build a meaningful community.”

Rapid7 plans to hire more than 100 employees focused on data and software engineering, business

development, customer support, IT and people strategy for its Sparkman Wharf office, which is
expected to open later this year.

Rapid7, which provides cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions to help organizations monitor for and prevent cyber-attacks, joins a growing list of national companies that have secured their place at Water Street Tampa.

Other office tenants in the district include ReliaQuest, Synovus, RSM, Suffolk Construction, Boasso Global and Sila Realty Trust, among others.

International commercial real estate brokerage Savills introduced Rapid7 to Tampa to help the
cybersecurity company expand and attract top global talent in the country’s rapidly growing tech markets.

With its high concentration of universities and education resources like Embarc Collective, Tampa has a robust pipeline of emerging tech talent that Water Street Tampa is helping to attract and retain, said Mike Griffin, executive managing director of Savills.

"It's rewarding to see such an exciting, innovative company come to Tampa,” Griffin said. “The team at Savills worked to select Tampa in a competitive national search process and ultimately Water Street Tampa was chosen as the top location to attract talent. It was a pleasure to work with SPP to establish Rapid7 operations at Sparkman Wharf and on behalf of the Rapid7 Savills global team, we look forward to the next stage of journey in Tampa."

Located on Tampa’s waterfront, Sparkman Wharf is a cornerstone of Water Street Tampa. The mixed-use destination features 180,000 square feet of loft-style office space, 65,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a collection of unique culinary options housed in refurbished shipping containers, all centered on a one-acre recreation lawn.

Tampa-based real estate brokerage Franklin Street is handling office leasing efforts for Sparkman Wharf.