Westshore E-News: News from the Westshore Alliance
IN THIS ISSUE: APRIL 2016
ALLIANCE NEWSAllianceNews
The March Westshore Alliance board meeting featured a project overview of the Florida Department of Transportation's (FDOT) I-275/SR 60 Interchange Reconstruction project, which has been a top priority of the Alliance for several years. Read more about project details, how the interchange rebuild fits into the larger Tampa Bay Express project, and how the I-275/SR 60 Interchange Reconstruction project will impact the future of Tampa's Westshore District. Stay tuned for details on a number of important public meetings about this project over the next few months. 
WELCOME NEW MEMBERS!
American Cancer Society (Relay for Life Westshore)
Eckerd College
Escape Countdown
Florida Community Bank
Lee Roy Selmon's
Painters on Demand
PIP - Marketing, Signs, and Print
Wayne Automatic Fire Sprinklers, Inc.
Do you know someone who could benefit from Alliance membership? Refer a new member and receive a certificate for FREE admission to an upcoming Westshore Alliance luncheon. Learn more about membership benefits.
MEMBERSHIP MILESTONES
Thank you to the following companies that have recently renewed their Alliance membership.

20+ Years
Cushman & Wakefield of Florida, Inc.
Residence Inn Tampa Westshore/Airport
The Auto Club Group
WestShore Plaza

15-19 Years
DoubleTree by Hilton Tampa Airport - Westshore
International Plaza and Bay Street

10-14 Years
RMC Ross Realty, LLC
The Westin Tampa Bay
5-9 Years
ABI Companies, Inc. / ABI Construction Services
Avmed
KHS&S Contractors
Moffitt Cancer Center
Panera Bread
USAmeriBank
Visconti at International Drive

1-4 Years
Becker & Poliakoff, P.A.
Cigar City Brewing, LLC
Design Temp of Florida, Inc.
DLG Management Services
GHD Services, Inc.
HomeBanc






If you want to know what's happening in Westshore, you don't want to miss this event! Join us for the 14th Annual Westshore Development Forum on April 19 at WestShore Plaza's AMC Theatre to learn about the latest real estate and development initiatives in Westshore. Space is limited, reserve your spot today! REGISTER HERE
MORE UPCOMING WESTSHORE ALLIANCE EVENTS
WESTSHORE 101
Wed. May 4
8:30 - 9:30 am
Hyatt Place Tampa Airport Westshore
4811 W. Main St.
FREE Event

May Luncheon with Florida House Representative Dana Young
Tues. May 17
11:30 am Registration, 12 pm Lunch
Hilton Tampa Airport Westshore
2225 N. Lois Ave.
$40 Members, $55 Prospective Members

COMMITTEE MEETINGS (members only)
Transportation Committee
Wed. May 11, 10 - 11:30 am
AECOM
Ambassador Committee
Tues., May 17, 11 - 11:30 am
Hyatt Place Tampa Airport Westshore

View a complete list of Westshore Alliance events HERE.

DEVELOPMENT & TRANSPORTATIONDevelopmentTransportation
Coming in May, Duffy's Sports Grill will open its first location in Tampa at 1580 N Dale Mabry Hwy. The 7,000-square-foot sports-themed restaurant will have more than 80 60-inch high-definition, flat-screen TVs. Read more
Florida Community Bank has opened its second full-service center in Tampa at 130 South West Shore Blvd. Read more
SkyView Restaurant celebrated its grand opening in Westshore last month. The new restaurant serves breakfast and lunch and is located at 4407 N. Hubert Ave.
ReliaQuest is planning to add at least 50 employees in 2016, bringing the employee count to more than 150 by year's end. The cyber security company for Fortune 2000 companies expanded its Westshore headquarters last year. Read more
The south Tampa office of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Properties Group recently relocated to 5,000 square feet of office space at 4950 W. Kennedy Blvd. Read more
Barbershop by Salon Inga recently opened at 4544 W Kennedy Blvd. Beer, bourbon and the sound of sports will greet guests at the new salon, which caters to men. Read more
According to a recent "Business Observer" article, some Westshore offices are now asking rents of $30 per square foot amid continued demand and an ever-shrinking supply, especially for top-level, Class A space. Read more
TRAK Microwave, part of Smiths Interconnect, a leader in technically differentiated electronic and radio frequency products, recently signed a 7-year lease renewal of its 117,000-square-foot headquarters at Eisenhower Technology Park. Read more
Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. is now open at 111 S. Dale Mabry Hwy. at the intersection of Kennedy Boulevard. 
Thai Prime is scheduled to open this month at MetWest International on Boy Scout Blvd. The 2613-square-foot authentic Thai restaurant will include more than 170 seats and offer a full liquor bar and outdoor seating.
Cigar City Brewing was sold last month to Oskar Blues, a Colorado-based brewery owned by Fireman Capital LLC, a private equity firm based in Boston. Read more
Trollbeads, a Danish company known for its high-quality beads and original jewelry concept, is now open at International Plaza and Bay Street.
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners will hold a public hearing on April 27, 2016 to decide whether to place a referendum on the November 2016 ballot for a � cent sales tax to fund transportation improvements throughout the county. Funds raised through the proposed sales tax would fund a variety of road, bicycle, pedestrian and transit improvements, including a number of important projects in the Westshore district. Read more here. We'll provide more details to our members in the coming weeks. Stay tuned.
Westshore Alliance has joined several other agencies and organizations in supporting the establishment of the Southwest Coastal Regional Trail. The trail would stretch from Naples to the Pinellas Trial and join the Coast-to-Coast Connector from the Pinellas Trail extending north through Pasco and Hernando counties, eventually reaching the east coast of Florida. Read our letter of support
Want to sit back and enjoy the ride to and from work, listen to your iPod, text, or take a nap? Join one of Tampa's growing Vanpools to save money and the hassle of driving. Visit the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transit Authority's website for details.
Tampa International Airport wants you to "Name the Train." Cast your vote to name the 1.4-mile automated people-mover currently under construction as part of the airport's $1 billion expansion. Read more
COMMUNITY & MEMBER NEWSCommunityMemberNews
COMMUNITY & MEMBER EVENTSCommunityMemberEvents

To submit your company's event, please email the event name, date and link to event webpage or flyer. Events are included on a space-available basis.
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