Tampa Innovation Alliance Comprehensive Master Plan

The master plan for revitalizing West River in Tampa provides a new model for urban living on Tampa’s river-front. Focused on riverfront land west of downtown, the design defines new connections with the river and river life, weaving these rich experiences back into the adjoining neighborhoods and the city. By developing a network of open spaces, parks, trails, infrastructure, and a mix of uses, the project connects and anchors this unique river-front and guides a longer-term transformation for the community and the city as a whole.

The West River neighborhood includes approximately 150 acres of land along the western banks of the Hillsborough River.  Opening up the river from Downtown Tampa to Columbus Drive in West Tampa for recreational use by the community, has been one of the City of Tampa’s principal objectives over the past decade.  To date, the City has devoted multiple resources to enhance the public’s accessibility of the river on both banks in order to strengthen the relationship of the City to one of its most valuable amenities.  Largely as a result of this expenditure, the river once principally used for the movement of goods, today serves as a recreational waterway with families from  neighborhoods at all income levels able to access and enjoy the river in a way unimaginable only a few years ago.   With approximately 360 feet of width for much of its length, the Hillsborough River provides an excellent inland waterway amenity for the City of Tampa and more specifically the communities, residents, and businesses located along much of its length.