Tampa Riverwalk

The Tampa Riverwalk is a open space and pedestrian trail along the Hillsborough River in Tampa, Florida. The Riverwalk extends along most of the downtown Tampa waterfront from the Channelside District on the eastern terminus to the mouth of the Hillsborough River and then north along the riverside to Tampa Heights, forming a continuous path that connects a multitude of parks, attractions, public spaces, and hotels. Among the notable points of interest along the Riverwalk are the Tampa Bay History Center, Amalie Arena, the Tampa Convention Center, Rivergate Tower, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, Water Works Park, and the Waterfront Arts District which includes the Tampa Museum of Art, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, Glazer Children's Museum, and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts. Locations along the Riverwalk play host to many community events, most notably the numerous festivals held at Curtis Hixon Park and the arrival of the "pirate ship" ''Jose Gasparilla'', which moors at the Riverwalk behind the Convention Center during the Gasparilla Pirate Festival.

According to the city, the purpose of the Riverwalk is to "enhance the image of Tampa as a beautiful and unique destination" and highlight Tampa's waterfront.

Origin and description

Tampa's Riverwalk has its origins in the 1970s, when much of the downtown waterfront consisted of aging warehouses and industrial facilities related to the nearby Port of Tampa. Tampa mayor Bill Poe conceived the idea of a park and walkway behind Curtis Hixon Hall, a civic center along the Hillsborough River that was one of the few public spaces in the area. The city built a short stretch of boardwalk on the east side of the river behind the Hall, but a lack of funds to buy adjoining properties and subsequent mayors' disinterest in the project paused further construction. Tampa renewed its push to revitalize its "desolate" downtown in the mid-1980s, and over the next decade, obsolete Curtis Hixon Hall was replaced by a riverside park and the Tampa Convention Center, Amalie Arena, and the Florida Aquarium were constructed with mostly public funds along the waterfront. However, change was limited by many underutilized spaces and poor transportation options inside the downtown area.

In 2002, mayoral candidate Pam Iorio pledged to jumpstart the Riverwalk project if elected. She won, and construction soon began on two parks behind Amalie Arena and a connecting pathway along the Garrison Channel. The Riverwalk progressed in phases over the next few years with funds from the city, a $20 million fundraising campaign, and occasional state and federal grants. The project reached a significant milestone in 2010 when Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, a new Tampa Museum of Art, and the Glazer Children's Museum all opened near the location of the original 1970s boardwalk, which had been replaced by the widest portion of the modern Riverwalk directly across the river from the University of Tampa. Bob Buckhorn, who succeeded Iorio as Tampa's mayor, was a strong advocate for downtown redevelopment and continued the push to expand the Riverwalk. In 2014, a federal transportation grant was used to complete a $9.2 million boardwalk under the Kennedy Boulevard bridge, connecting all existing segments into one continuous path about two miles long. A further northward extension completed in 2016 stretched the path past the Straz Center for the Performing Arts and under Interstate 275 to newly opened Waterworks Park in the adjoining neighborhood of Tampa Heights, bringing the total length of the Riverwalk to .

Upon completion, Tampa's Riverwalk quickly became both a community gathering place and a busy non-vehicular corridor connecting various downtown attractions and hotels. Besides pedestrian traffic, bicycles and motorized scooters are available for rent at many stations along the path, and a water taxi provides service between the Riverwalk and nearby areas such as Hyde Park, West Tampa, Harbour Island, and Davis Islands. In addition, the TECO Line Streetcar runs parallel to the Riverwalk along the Garrison Channel and provides a connection to the interior of downtown and the nearby historic neighborhood of Ybor City.

Future plans

In 2022, the city announced plans to develop new segments of the Riverwalk along the west side of the Hillsborough River, across from the existing path. The west bank addition would stretch north into the neighborhood of West Tampa and would be connected to a "Green Spine" of pedestrian and bike-friendly greenways and protected lanes that extend into areas well away from the river, adding an additional to the combined project and creating a large loop.

Public art

In recent years, the city has installed a color-changing LED lighting system along portions of the Riverwalk to add nighttime color to the path and nearby bridges. It is specially lit for various events, such as green and gold for University of South Florida commencement ceremonies and blue for Tampa Bay Lightning games.

Historical Monument Trail

In 2012, commissions for six $15,000 bronze busts of prominent figures from the History of Tampa were secured by the Friends of the Riverwalk with sculptor Steven Dickey. Nine historians including, former Tampa Tribune reporter Leland Hawes

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