TAMPA — Developers envisioned a bustling entertainment and dining district on the edge of downtown Tampa when Channelside Bay Plaza opened 15 years ago. Built along Tampa’s seaport, there wasn’t anything like it downtown.
The $49 million outdoor complex was meant to be a hang-out spot for locals and also serve tourists who stayed in downtown hotels or were about to board a cruise ship.
But the bulking shopping plaza struggled and within just a few years tenants were bolting, customers getting more scarce.
Now, new developers want to tear the 230,532-square-foot plaza down and start all over.