Westshore Alliance

   

 

 

 

 

Westshore e-news 

A monthly update for Tampa's Westshore district

February 2012

In This Issue
March Luncheon
29th Annual Dinner
Taste of Westshore
Pedestrian Improvements
Spruce Street Resurfacing
Transit Workshop
RNC 2012 update
Westshore Real Estate News
Member Company News
Upcoming Events
Get full details here

Member Orientation

February 8

 

Networking Works
February 9

 

Formal Networking Lunch

February 16

 

Membership Luncheon

March 21

Speaker: Col. Lenny Richoux,

MacDill AFB Commander

 

Westshore Golf League

April to July

 

Welcome New Members

Community Bank 
 

Dominion Payroll Services, Florida LLC
 

Mintco Financial, Inc. sponsored by Jim Wessman at Thomas Craig & Company, LLP
 

Onicx
 

St. Petersburg Marriott Clearwater 

 

Refer a new member and win!  Receive a certificate for free admission to an upcoming Westshore Alliance Luncheon for referring a new member.  Contact Melanie Rodriguez for details.

Membership Milestones
Thank you  to the following members that recently renewed their Alliance membership:
 
More than 20 years
A.S. Austin Company
The Centre Club
Maddux Report

 

15 to 20 Years
Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay
HDR Engineering, Inc./HDR Architecture, Inc.
Highwoods Properties
Jimbo's BBQ
Shred-It Tampa
Tampa Bay Business Journal

 

10 to 14 Years
FastSigns
International Plaza & Bay Street
Lincks & Associates, Inc.
Palestra Financial
Alegra Motorsports 

 

5 to 9 Years
Ambius Inc.
Express Employment Professionals
InterContinental Tampa
Office Furniture Center
Panera Bread
Renaissance Tampa Int'l Plaza
Home Depot (The)
Neighborhood Lending Partners
Rooms To Go
Total Wine

 

1 to 4 years
CRG Coaching Partners
HART
International Security Management Group (ISMG)
L&W Commercial Property Mgmt./MWH #14
Lane Witherspoon & Carswell Comm. Real Estate Adv.
Paradigm Group Inc.
Romano's Macaroni Grill
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Westshore Alliance News
MacDill AFB Commander to speak at March luncheon
Colonel Lenny J. Richoux, Commander, 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill Air Force Base will be the guest speaker at our membership luncheon on March 21 at the Mainsail Suites Hotel & Conference Center.  The MacDill team is made up of nearly 20,000 active military members and Dept. of Defense civilians belonging to the 6th Air Mobility Wing, 927th Air Refueling Wing, US Central Command, US Special Operations Command, and more than 35 other mission partners. Join us and learn more about the important role MacDill Air Force Base plays in our community and throughout the world. Register today!

 
Time:  11:30 a.m. - Registration;  Noon to 1:15 p.m. - Luncheon
Cost:  $35 for members; $55 for non-members.
Register at our website by noon on Monday, March 19       

Our 29th Annual Dinner on February 1 at the A La Carte Event Pavilion was a huge success.  Nearly 400 business leaders were on hand to hear from Mayor Bob Buckhorn and our keynote speaker Jeff Vinik, Chairman and Governor of the Tampa Bay Lightning.   

 

Thank you to all of the sponsors of this event.  We couldn't have done it without you!  

 

Title Sponsor                      

 Highwoods Properties    

Platinum Sponsors

 

AMSCOT Financial     The Auto Club Group

Gold Sponsors

MetWest International

Parkway Realty Services

Tampa Electric Company

Tampa International Airport

 

Silver Sponsor

Carlton Fields, P.A.

 

Media Sponsor 

Tampa Bay Business Journal

 

Table Sponsors

Bank of Tampa, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida, CLW Real Estate Services Group, Community Bank, Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Fidelity Investments, HART, HDR Engineering, Hillsborough Community College, MacDonald Training Center, Inc., Moffitt Cancer Center at Int'l Plaza, New York Life Insurance, OSI, Shutts & Bowen, LLP, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning

Shutts & Bowen Taste of WestshorePlanning is underway for the second annual Shutts & Bowen Taste of Westshore and we need your help!   If you would like to volunteer for the planning committee for the event, please contact Melanie Rodriguez at [email protected].   The next committee meeting is on March 7th at 2pm at Flemings Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar.  
Westshore Area News & Opportunities

New crosswalks and countdown pedestrian signals have been installed on Lois Avenue at Boy Scout Blvd to provide safe pedestrian connections between MetWest International, International Plaza, nearby apartments and the many restaurants on the south side of Boy Scout Blvd.  The intersection improvement was identified as a priority in the Westshore Alliance's Westshore pedestrian plan and was funded by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Road Closures due to Spruce Street Resurfacing... The City of Tampa recently completed a resurfacing project on Spruce Street from Dale Mabry to Himes.  Resurfacing will continue from Himes to Habana over the next few weeks.  The first phase (Himes to MacDill) is scheduled to begin on Monday, February 6.  Officials expect to close the street (from Himes to MacDill), except for local neighborhood and business traffic from approximately 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  Once that phase is completed, the second (MacDill to Habana) will begin.  During the closure of Spruce, traffic will be detoured to either Cypress or Columbus. 

Public Workshop - HART Metro Rapid and Westshore Intermodal Study

The Hillsborough Regional Transportation Authority (HART) will host a public workshop February 16 to provide information on the proposed East-West Metro Rapid and other HART capital projects. In addition, the Hillsborough County Metropolitan Planning Organization will provide information on the Westshore Intermodal Center Study. The workshop is scheduled from 4:30 - 7:30 p.m. in the Student Services Building of the Hillsborough Community College Dale Mabry campus, rooms 108, 110, and 112.

 

The East-West Metro Rapid project is currently in the initial design stages. When completed the project will provide premium bus transit service to the Westshore business district and the airport. The East-West Metro Rapid route will connect to HART's North-West Metro Rapid which is currently in final design phase with construction in 2012 and expected operation in 2013.

Be the Face of Tampa Bay.  Volunteer for the Republican National Convention.  The 2012 Tampa Bay Host Committee will recruit, train and manage thousands of volunteers to be the faces of Tampa Bay during the week of the 2012 Republican National Convention. Volunteers will welcome guests at local airports and hotels throughout the area, as well as support Host Committee programs and a variety of events during the year leading up to the convention.  For more information, visit http://2012tampa.com/get-involved/ 
Westshore Development & Real Estate News
2012 is off to a great start in Westshore with a number of recently announced leases, property sales and business expansions.  Here is a recap of some of the recent news:

Humana Medical Plan, Inc. has signed a lease at MetWest International, MetLife's mixed-use development on Boy Scout Blvd. Humana has leased approximately 52,433 square feet of office space at MetWest One and will occupy nearly two full floors. Approximately 250 associates are scheduled to move into the building during the second quarter of 2012.

Meru Networks, Inc., a wireless networking company based in Sunnyvale, CA, is expanding its sales operation with a new 8,000 square foot facility at Waterford Plaza on Rocky Point. The facility will house 60 new inside sales and sales operation professionals who will provide support to customers in Europe, North and South America.
OSI Restaurant Partners, the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill, Fleming's and Roy's, renewed its lease at Corporate Center One for 120,000 square feet and expanded an additional 60,000 square feet which includes consolidating its R&D department to its headquarters on location.
Express Dental Holdings, LLC (EDH), the dental referral management company, has expanded into 14,454 square feet at the Colonial Place I building located 4350 West Cypress St.
Parkway Properties has purchased the Pointe office building on Rocky Point for $46.9 million. Built in 1983 and renovated in 1995, the 10-story 252,337-square-foot office property sits on nearly five acres of waterfront land. Tenants include Wells Fargo, Oracle Corp., SunTrust Mortgage, Goldman Sachs, McNichols and Autotrader.com. 
HomeGoods has leased space at Walter's Crossing in Tampa.  Located on Dale Mabry Highway just north of I-275, Walter's Crossing is also home to Target, Whole Foods, PetSmart, DSW Shoe Warehouse and others.  Home Goods is scheduled to open in April
The Hillsborough Aviation Authority has approved a $27.6 million upgrade for Airside "F" which services most overseas flights at Tampa International Airport.  Improvements will expand the ability to handle baggage and improve the flow of passengers through security and customs. Construction begins this year, with all upgrades scheduled for completion by September 2013.
The City of Tampa produces a monthly newsletter that lists upcoming public hearings for rezonings, wet-zonings, variance requests and more.  You can access the latest newsletter here.
Member Company News & Events
MTC invites you to celebrate the love of art on February 9, 5 to 8 p.m. at the MTC Art Gallery, 5420 W. Cypress St. "Art from the Heart" is a new exhibit featuring small, original works of art created by MTC Fine Art Studio artists and VSA Florida artists---each perfect for Valentine's gift giving!
FREE Admission.  Refreshments, chocolate tasting and wine tasting included. Register online by February 6.

With the beautiful spring weather, plan to take in a New York Yankees Spring Training game at Steinbrenner Field in March. Click here for a schedule and ticket information.

The Florida Blue center, 201 N. Westshore Blvd., will hold a free Healthy Heart Health Fair on Saturday, February 11 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  Free health fair screenings include blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose. FREE massages and giveaways. The American Heart Association will educate about heart health and give away even more FREE prizes - stop by and get the facts.

Tampa Bay Workforce Alliance will hold a FREE Aviation Collaborative Industry Forum on February 28 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The President of National Aviation Academy for Tampa & Boston will be on hand and they will be discussing current and emerging Aviation workforce needs for the Tampa Bay area and training funding opportunities. RSVP to Marilyn Browne at (727) 608-2420 or [email protected] 

The Auto Club Group, 1515 North Westshore Blvd. is hosting two travel events this month. February 9 - featuring Regent Seven Seas and February 23 featuring Tauck World Discovery. Space is limited. Call 813 289-5800 X6547 for details & to RSVP.

TLC Laser Eye Center, 1510 N. Westshore Blvd., will be facilitating an AHA Health Care Provider CPR Certification class on February 22 starting at 4 pm.  This is the highest level of CPR certification offered.  The cost is $35 per person paid directly to the instructor, who has 9 years of experience as a firefighter paramedic. Call 813-639-9747 or e-mail [email protected].

Konica Minolta Business Solutions and All Covered will host a free Executive Business Lunch about Paperless Document Management on March 1st from 11:30-1:30 pm.  Learn how to significantly reduce the volume of paper documents created by your organization and drive more profits to your bottom line. For more information and registration link, please visit www.allcovered.com/tampa

Mojito, Tampa's newest Latin restaurant & lounge is now open at 5303 W. Kennedy Blvd. Mojito is adding lunch service starting February 6th and offers daily happy hour specials from 4pm-8pm and Ladies night every Thursday from 4pm-12am. For more information call 813-405-1155 or www.cptampawestshore.com
If you would like to submit news about your company for an upcoming newsletter, send 25 to 50 words to [email protected].   Information must be received by the 24th of the month for publication in the next monthly newsletter.  News will be included on a space available basis.
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