Channel District

Channel District
Neighborhood
Overlooking Channelside Drive from the parking garage. Foreground: Channelside Bay Plaza Background: Harbour Island skyline
Channel District
Coordinates: 27°56′51″N82°26′38″W / 27.9476089°N 82.4438019°W / 27.9476089; -82.4438019
Country	United States
State	Florida

Channel District is a residential neighborhood in the City of Tampa that includes an entertainment complex, just east of Downtown Tampa, Florida. It also houses a Sony Giant Screen theater. The TECO Streetcar has several stops in the district. ^[1] Also, NEVs are being utilized by startups to link Tampa's core neighborhoods including Channelside. ^{[2] [3] [4] [5]} The Tampa Convention Center is located adjacent to the district to the west.

Several official Super Bowl XLIII parties featuring celebrity appearances were held in the district. ^{[6] [7] [8] [9]}

History

Twin 30-story upscale condos Towers of Channelside were completed in 2007, with many other mid and high-rises completed since. Saint Leo University opened an adult continuing education center, called the Tampa Education Center, in the Channel District in July 2011. ^[10] The Channel District also includes the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida.^{[ citation needed ]}

Starting in 2010 the Tampa Attractions Association formed a tradition of coloring the Garrison Channel green for Saint Patrick's Day. ^[11]

Sparkman Wharf is a recent addition to the Channel side area in 2018. ^[12] This outdoor food hall is located on the waterfront. The Sparkman Wharf has options for food, drink, and outdoor seating. ^[13]

Geography

A Crowd at the Channelside Complex

It is bordered by Ybor Channel on the east and Garrison Channel on the south. Channelside is a nickname for the entertainment complex Channelside Bay Plaza, within the neighborhood that includes shops, restaurants, and bars.

Also located in the district is the Benchmark International Arena (formerly the Amalie Arena) where the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning play their home games. The Arena also hosts concerts and other events. ^[14] The center of the Bay Plaza has a large open court for live music, with views of the downtown skyline, cruise ships and the Port of Tampa.

More shopping and entertainment is planned for the area along with an urban sports park, to be named Madison Park. The side streets away from the bay plaza are becoming the focal points of the neighborhood, featuring many new restaurants, bars, and coffee shops. ^{[15] [16] [17] [18] [19]}

Arts and culture

American Victory Museum

The American Victory Museum is located on the south end of the Channel District.

Florida Aquarium

The Florida Aquarium is located on the south end of the Channel District. It is the 8th largest aquarium in the United States and in 2023, reached one million annual visitors. ^{[20] [21]}

Tampa Bay History Center

The Tampa Bay History Center is located on the south end of the Channel District.

References

1. "Streetcar Maps". Tecolinestreetcar.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
2. "Hop Tampa ready to give folks a ride downtown – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
3. Archived December 9, 2012, at archive.today
4. "Free electric cart rides fail to charm Tampa cabbies - St. Petersburg Times". Archived from the original on August 10, 2009. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
5. "Residents sketch plans for park | TBO.com". Centraltampa2.tbo.com. October 21, 2009. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
6. "Pam Anderson, Warren Sapp Turn Out For Athletes And Angels Party". Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved July 17, 2009.
7. Archived December 15, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
8. "Citytimes: Nightlife has a new spin".
9. "What is Kim Kardashian doing in Tampa? – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 7, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
10. PRWeb – Thu, Aug 25, 2011 (August 25, 2011). "Saint Leo Only One of the Universities in Tampa in Channelside District – Yahoo! News". News.yahoo.com. Archived from the original on November 5, 2012. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
11. "For St. Patrick's Day, Channelside's waters go green – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
12. https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/10/23/sparkman-wharf-reveals-grand-opening-date.html.{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help); Missing or empty |title= (help)
13. "Sparkman Wharf | Water Street Tampa | Tampa, Florida".
14. "Rain Doesn't Dim Final Four Hoopla". Archived from the original on July 16, 2011.
15. "Madison Street Park Next For Channel District In Downtown Tampa". 83Degrees.
16. "Towers of Channelside, Tampa / Emporis.com". Archived from the original on February 20, 2007.
17. Walt Belcher (June 23, 2009). "Downtown barber shop inspired by 'Big Lebowski'". TBO.com. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
18. "Tbt: Twist on steel". Sptimes.com. September 17, 2004. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
19. "Tampa's Grand Central at Kennedy adds two retail tenants – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
20. www.bizjournals.com https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2023/12/22/florida-aquarium-reaches-one-million-visitors.html . Retrieved September 18, 2025.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
21. "The 14 Biggest Aquariums in the United States". Newsweek. August 29, 2021. Retrieved September 18, 2025.

External links

• Official City of Tampa Neighborhoods Channel District Legal Description. Currently there is an inactive Neighborhood Association.
• Channelside Tampa
• Channelside District demographics page
• Where To Go In Channelside