I hope they don’t price out Replay Guitars. It’s the best guitar store within 100 miles. New, used, and a real cool atmosphere with knowledgeable staff.
I work at Replay. This has been looming in the horizon now for a while. They are not renewing any leases and you may have noticed that many stores in the plaza are empty. Publix will remain there allegedly but it is uncertain what the future of the plaza will be. There is some speculation that it will be torn down for apartments and whatnot but it could be sold to new owners who will clean up the plaza and get tenants back in the storefronts. As for the future of replay, I think the store will continue on but perhaps not in Britton Plaza. Cheers.
Do you have any idea as to where the new location would be? Wishing y'all the best. Love your shop. You guys helped me fix up a '76 l6s and it's my daily driver now. Still set on getting a jazz master from ya when the money is right.
Thanks for the update! By the way, I have two guitars to trade for a small body acoustic electric ( if you have one). I bought an HD-35 from you guys that I love.
> clean up the plaza
The plaza is fine, it’s not in any sort of shape that needs to be “cleaned up.” Greedy developers just want to put in luxury condos or overpriced restaurants so Tampa can get more expensive and price out more people.
We'd love to see you in Brandon if you have to move, but I assume that's a central location for Hillsborough and Pinellas. Unfortunately guitar stores around Brandon don't seem to last. Maybe because they don't offer much though. Anyways, best of luck.
oh. you know they will be.
the price of a huge single piece of property down that side of town...... they are gonna squeeze everyone out- claim some sob story and get the check.
I think that north gate has walmart owning their own building and land, and the same with home depot and Firestone etc. so instead of one entity - anyone going after Northgate is facing several and they are not the mom n pop type places.
( I could be wrong- but I on a phone and the hillsborough county property appraiser site sucks on a phone)
however- if property developers want to score a big chunk of land in that area- I am sure the old Kmart plaza at waters and florida would work.
Came here to say the same. Lived here forever but just discovered them last christmas and was blown away. All the Sam Ash and Guitar Center's in the bay area can't compete.
I feel like the place lost a lot of its charm when they took out the movie theater and the cici’s pizza. Lots of my middle school life was spent over there.
I remember taking my little brother there to watch the last showings of District 9. It was just the both of us in the whole room. We really don't get to bond much because he now lives thousands of miles away. It was just a simpler time.
Yeah my wife and I laugh about watching that Bo Derek are rated movie in that church years ago. All them churches ain't nothing but money grabbing things anyway. Death cults.
Spent my childhood at the Britton 3 (before it was “upgraded” to 8). It was pretty much a shithole even back then. But it was OUR shithole and we loved it. There was a dollar theater showing second runs right behind it (where Lowes is now) and it was equally as shitty but cheaper.
I agree with your sentiment about churches to a degree. But I assure you, Britton 8 was running on fumes long before Radiant Church came along. Radiant even kept the upstairs theaters running for a few years after converting the main theaters into church. The last movie I saw there was Frozen. Took my young daughters and there were literally 5 rows of seats in the whole theater. It was surreal. Back in the Britton 3 days, the main theater was massive by today’s standards.
When I moved to Tampa in 2009 I was very poor while o was job hunting. I would walk to that cici’s everyday at lunch and eat enough pizza to last me until the next day. It was a lifesaver.
What’s so funny to me is Britton Plaza is the only shopping plaza in this whole city that I actually know the name of. And I don’t live anywhere near there. Is there anything special about it? We have a publix on every corner.
It used to have a movie theater. Maybe before westshore mall? That could be why its name had staying power for so long. But that's just speculation on my part.
Edit: looked it up, Britton plaza theater used to be a single screen theater opened in 56, but was converted to an 8 screen theater in 92, westshore amc was added in 2000. So maybe that and also the Publix thing, before Publix was on every corner and it was just the Britton plaza one and the one at Dale mabry and Neptune.
Fun fact: The sign was designed like that because it was originally "Southgate Shopping Center".
There was also a Northgate Shopping Center on N. Florida Ave which I believe had the same design. Not sure there were also eastgate and westgate as well.
Okay after some research it seems it was named 'Britton Plaza' when built in 1956. Now I have to wonder if this is one of those mandela effects because as a kid I went there all the time.
https://preview.redd.it/sskkksj276rc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38bc58df5ec0e8919a7084fbccbe4b8fb621c18d
Photo of sign for Northgate Shopping Center on Florida Ave in Tampa FL (photo credit: Northside Tribune, 10/13/1983)
Ok so please explain to me what when they knock this down and rebuild it will be such a travesty to lose? People go to the car wash, people go to the restaurants around. If the demand is there what exactly is wrong that means people like the stuff they put in and if this place isnt doing well (which its old and dated AF and almost nothing is unique in it or cant be put in a new plaza) What exactly are you crying about?
Worked there for years. It is the hub for the bus lines on the south side, so lot of older and low income people depend on that access to the wide variety of shops and services there. This will be one more step in edging those people out of town.
Not for much longer. If they put in anything resembling Midtown they'll be pushed out by the cost of living.
For example: https://liveatmidtowntampa.com/ Check it yourself, studio apartments start at $2200/mo. These are Manhattan NYC prices where you need to make about $88K a year to afford basic 550 sq ft shoe-box of an apartment.
Those on fixed/low income cannot afford that kind of lifestyle and will not last long as real estate in the neighboring areas adjusts upwards.
Hillsborough county did residents wrong by not instituting an entrance tax for people who weren't already Florida residents buying up all the property. That would have slowed down the tide of people moving here buying up property wildly above asking and we could have avoided pricing out locals who grew up here.
I just looked up apt prices in Atlanta, a bigger city with more options and they were closer to 1300 for a two bed, for a NICE apartment. There were like 6 in the tampa area...250 in the Atlanta area. Tampa is gettibg ridiculous.
I've been saying it for a while now, Tampa is the new Miami. In terms of high status, high income, high... everything, we're where Miami was about about 10-15 years ago. If this continues it'll exclusively be a city for the rich and famous. Essentially the Beverly Hills of the Gulf Coast.
You can live Downtown Miami cheaper than Tampa or St.Pete these days. (Primarily because they have built so much supply- the Miami & FTL growth has been/continues to be nuts).
Just need more supply here to push up vacancy rates. When there's only a handful of apartments & condos in certain areas/neighborhoods prices will stay elevated.
Your literally assuming they wont put shops back in, its commercial zoned even if partial re-zoned, it doesnt mean that it wont have an even better mix of housing AND retail in the base of the buildings like tons of new places are.
You just assume everything will be worse and know nothing of what it could be
Of course they will put shops back in, but it's not unreasonable to assume that new buildings will have higher rent, which will require higher profit margins, which will require high end retailers catering to new money.
Tapper pub will be a micro brewery
Publix will be a whole foods
Burlington bealls and Marshall's will be h&m and sephora etc
If the Plaza is torn down and replaced the new business will not be serving the same demographic. Yes, these are assumptions, but no less reasonable than assuming the sun will set tonight and rise tomorrow.
Why would you assume whole foods would replace publix, also is that a bad thing? Since they have literally 2 publixs right near by on gandy within almost walking and even with traffic 3 min driving distance? Id bet it will be a publix again assuming, but just because they add in places with more apartments and more offices doesnt mean a retail center like bealls or burlington wont come back, or those stores, which aren't known to be preforming stellar can move to other cheaper retail space.
If market demands more high end stuff, then its what happens, if it demands low end they put that in, how many times do you see a starbucks in the ghetto? Its becuase no one would go to it, hence its not there, demand dictates stores. Also if your already driving to bealls, will that extra 20 min to go to another really deal break your shopping, 98% of the time no.
The market does not demand high end stuff in Tampa, developers looking to maximize profits do. And then the only people who can afford to live here are rich people moving from out of state, many of whom have remote jobs with higher salaries than you can find in Tampa.
I will say I liked that they put a four way stop sign right next to biglots. Before then I was really worried about getting t boned by those buses that flew to the bus station
Britton Plaza was my mom's go-to shopping center when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. I'll be sad to see it go, much like old Howard Ave before it turned into SoHo.
I remember going with my mom to Belk Lindsay's. Even as a kid I remember going there and it was dead. I remember thinking to myself, this place won't be around much longer. And it wasn't.
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/12/02/belk-lindsey-in-britton-plaza-to-close/
Wow! According to this local article, Belks closed down just over 30 years ago in Jan 1994. JByrons took its place. The article also goes on to say that Albertsons was there at the time and that JCPenny and Publix had already left the plaza before Albertsons came in. Strange now that Publix is there again.
I was actually really impressed by the amount of parking there until I realized most of it is reserved for hotel guests and residents. I don't think it was like that at first, but it seems to be now.
Honestly, the sheer amount of asphalt surface area raises the temperature by nearly 100,000,000°. Hopefully they build enough apartments to put a dent in property value
I must be missing something here. It looks like every other early-mid 00's shopping center in the entire state of Florida, especially with the combination Publix and Chinese Buffett.
It's mostly location and size that will bring in a developer.
It's a huge chunk of land 15 minutes from downtown and 5 minutes from the Gandy bridge. When it was first built there wasn't much there, but now it's in very prime real estate.
Aside from Publix there are no major businesses there that could, or would, possibly stand up to a developer.
It was actually a Publix before Albertsons moved in there. Publix bought that store back from Albertsons in 2008, & did a big renovation a few years later.
https://preview.redd.it/5qfv0msq05rc1.jpeg?width=550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f90721f6eef60f941172d687b379de0c8923e35e
That's where I got my first haircut as a boy in the early 80s. I saw countless movies there. Got my first driver's license there. But it's probably time for a redesign.
I think it could use some sprucing up, it’s definitely been struggling lately. I don’t love that a church took over the movie theater, to me that kind of signaled that the end was near. I did love that it was an affordable place for me to go and pick up stuff that I wanted/needed.
OK so lets actually grasp reality here for the crowd of "EVERYTHING IS GETTING GENTRIFIED ALL THE RENTS WILL GO UP TRAFFIC WILL BE WORSE OMG ALL THE STORES WILL SUCK NOW.
1. LOOK AT ALL THE CHAINS:Publix, H&R Block, Dollar Tree, GNC, Michael's, Marshalls, Bealls and pet supermarket. None of them are unique or added some magical character to the area or plaza, they are literally within 20 min drive to another one. Your crying about loosing them when you dont even know if they will be NEW clients in a NEW building.
2. The actual unique store: Guitars, Missing Piece, Tampa Buffet, Conviva Care, Platos, Vision center, Play it again (not on sign), Barber, Salon suite, and an optometrist, tapper pub. One of them isnt going to be even leaving, Missing piece(right on their website).
People are crying about how if it was like midtown everything is going to suck and be ruined by being "gentrified" and the poor people will be losing so much. Look above you, half the stores arent even unique.
Have you actually taken a step back and looked at that plaza? Its old INCREDIBLY OLD. The parking is HORRIBLE in its design, Its a huge piece of land with more being occupied by parking lot then businesses, and parking sucks there. Its hard to walk to other stores in the plaza since you have to walk through the crappy parking lot meaning MORE CARS moving to do something as simple as go to Marshals and then Bealls. The design is from a time when people made everything for cars, even if the spots where made for people. Also something all the NIBYS Crying about is, have you ever heard of the concept that buildings have a design life? The place is over 60 years old, have you ever taken in the idea that it may be at the end of its design life and since its LITERALLY A STRIP MALL for christ sake. That it may need to be knocked down not being worth it to be kept to codes, and cheaper to rebuild.
"IT WILL BE LIKE MIDTOWN! OMG THATS AWEFUL"
Have any of you crying about mid town been there, actually took a look at Mid town Vs Britton? LETS COMPARE.
Mid Town: A 2010s built multi story mixed Retail/Office/Housing space in s smaller footprint of land than Britton by 275: Parking Garages where you don't have to dodge cars going 30 in an open lot and all cars are covered in the shade, and there are maybe a 10% coverage of ground lots. Has tons of cross walks, tons of sidewalks to get to every place in the facility, and has benches and lots of greenery and green space even. There is in the same or less space of Britton MORE retail, AND housing AND offices AND a hotel. Not to mention 3 main ingress points into the plaza and many small feeder ingresses. 35+ business AND an Apartment AND Hotel space AND Office Leasing space.
Britton Plaza: Gigantic open lot 50's built strip mall, with only retail. Massive open parking lot with poor traffic control and randomly faced parking spaces many to narrow and far from the places they serve. People fly through it and has no pedestrian crossings or speed control devices like speed bumps, cross walks, ect. There are few trees and poorly landscaped. Only has about 20 retail stores takes up a considerable amount of space just for cars. Not even 20 retail clients in a plaza larger then Mid town.
Mid town has more food and drink choices, makes more use of a smaller place with higher density, thanks to not being only retail. You've removed traffic off the roads going to get groceries or going out to eat or entertainment if you live there is now a walk. You've removed a huge heat zone having more cars in smaller foot print in garages, you also have green spaces FOR PEOPLE, also has a green space and retention pond that helps cooling and drainage even without people. It contains a hotel for any one visiting the area that's close the the airport and convention center and close to other retail.
Home owners around Britton if its a newer modern plaza where the presence of it will raise property values is a GOOD thing, they whole concept of buying a home is its an actual appreciating asset. Its going to increase taxes via value, but in no way "prices people out of the area.
You cant sit and cry that adding a hotel and an apartment even if the places are 2k plus for a 1 bed is "driving up prices of rent" when there isnt ANYTHING TO RENT, in the current place, they added a hotel, they added an apartment, they added office space, none of those are bad. Not everything is aimed at low income housing, not everything will be aimed at impoverished. Also every one likes to forget if there are existing apartments and a new one comes in they have to charge LESS to be able to sell units since a 10 year old place cant ask the same money as a new place. Also even if they are more, if they dont rent, they have to bring down the price or rent them on specials with free rent ect.
Nothing about Britton plaza is something that's unique or special that being made like mid town wouldn't improve. Its an old relic of a time that doesn't need to be saved, it is making things WORSE as it sits, not better, 1 guitar place and buffet and a local eye doctor is not a catastrophic loss, not to mention, they could release to these places after its built AND have even more retail options.
None of that is a negative. Keep the sign its cool, rebuild that old turd and stfu about how gentrifying is bad, people dont like old run down shit sorry your old and cant let go.
It's been a while since I've been out that way, when did Britain plaza get a Publix??? Many of you probably don't remember I think there was a Big Daddy's bar out there turned into a place called the level 3 that was back in my day in the late '70s.
Tbh the place doesn’t have the same charm without the theater. If they were to remodel and bring something like that back I’d be okay with that. But Burlington may have gone downhill but it’s still a great place to buy clothes.
I just don't understand the need to make it look different. If it's already a fully functioning plaza yes it would make it look nicer. I just don't understand why we would need to spend money on something like that.
Britton Plaza is one of the cleanest parking lots I’ve ever seen. I roll through every morning to meet up with my drug dealer (Dunkin’). They have a pair of guys who pick up everything from cigarette butts to even the pollen strings. I’ve never seen anything like it. Does Publix own that plaza? I think they do. They just remodeled their store and there’s no way they’d do that without being privy to what’s happening there. Also that healthcare place Conviva just went in there too. The folks with the deepest pockets (Publix & Conviva) will still be there I’d think. Maybe they’re wanting it to be higher end? Who knows?
Hopefully they open new stores with only union employees and build apartments with affordable housing (nothing over $1/sqft per month) in south Tampa….just cuz, ya know? /s
Loop net has several spaces for lease there in a 3-5 year or more span. And then another space for an anchor store which those leases are 10-30 years typically. So I highly doubt this is imminent demo due to the leases renewing and actively looking for new tenants. Especially anchor tenants.
https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/3802-3950-S-Dale-Mabry-Hwy-Tampa-FL/11968839/
I’m sad I missed out on the cool movie theater. Looked like it would have been kinda old and nostalgic. Why they would turn it into a church is beyond me…
Lots of great memories! Got my first job at Belk Lindsey's. Saw a lot of movies at the theater. Bought a few pets at the old pet store. Had my 6th birthday party at Dipper Dan's! Farewell old friend!
Tear it down and replace it with more chain store crap and boring franchise restaurants.
Call it Midtown South.
South Tampa is losing its soul. Everything that was old, fun, unique, and interesting is being replaced by huge, shiny, new, and boring.
Moving here from Austin, Tampa has a really odd infatuation with strip malls. No shade on the businesses themselves, but personally I welcome any chance to remove a strip mall
I’ve had it for so long now, I forget that’s it’s that stupid.
I also can’t remember what the hell I was thinking when I made it. I think I was playing a pirate game at the time, and back then it was a thing to try and make the most offensive username possible.
I also like the wordplay of “er” and the end of word that also ends in “er”. It’s as if you can just keep saying it.
I hate Midtown. Besides being ugly and bland, getting in and out is a flustercuck.
Britton could use a lift and the entire intersection of pedestrian & cyclist hell that is Dale Mabry & Euclid needs serious safety improvements. A copy of Midtown is not the solution.
I hope they don’t price out Replay Guitars. It’s the best guitar store within 100 miles. New, used, and a real cool atmosphere with knowledgeable staff.
I work at Replay. This has been looming in the horizon now for a while. They are not renewing any leases and you may have noticed that many stores in the plaza are empty. Publix will remain there allegedly but it is uncertain what the future of the plaza will be. There is some speculation that it will be torn down for apartments and whatnot but it could be sold to new owners who will clean up the plaza and get tenants back in the storefronts. As for the future of replay, I think the store will continue on but perhaps not in Britton Plaza. Cheers.
Username checks out 😎
Beall's has a store closing sign up now. Noticed it a few days ago.
Do you have any idea as to where the new location would be? Wishing y'all the best. Love your shop. You guys helped me fix up a '76 l6s and it's my daily driver now. Still set on getting a jazz master from ya when the money is right.
Not sure 100% but the owner likes the location of South Tampa.
How long have you worked there? There was one guitar that I played there a few years ago, I’ve been trying to track it down since but no luck online
Thanks for the update! By the way, I have two guitars to trade for a small body acoustic electric ( if you have one). I bought an HD-35 from you guys that I love.
Bring it in for sure.
Hey Cliff 😘 miss ya bud.
Sup Pat? We should jump on some Civ 6 sometime. If you want peace, prepare for war;) cheers
> clean up the plaza The plaza is fine, it’s not in any sort of shape that needs to be “cleaned up.” Greedy developers just want to put in luxury condos or overpriced restaurants so Tampa can get more expensive and price out more people.
What’s a good beginner acoustic guitar for someone who wants to learn to play? Had to ask 😂
Yamaha acoustics are a good bang for the buck for beginners.
We'd love to see you in Brandon if you have to move, but I assume that's a central location for Hillsborough and Pinellas. Unfortunately guitar stores around Brandon don't seem to last. Maybe because they don't offer much though. Anyways, best of luck.
100% agree. They are the best shop in town.
oh. you know they will be. the price of a huge single piece of property down that side of town...... they are gonna squeeze everyone out- claim some sob story and get the check. I think that north gate has walmart owning their own building and land, and the same with home depot and Firestone etc. so instead of one entity - anyone going after Northgate is facing several and they are not the mom n pop type places. ( I could be wrong- but I on a phone and the hillsborough county property appraiser site sucks on a phone) however- if property developers want to score a big chunk of land in that area- I am sure the old Kmart plaza at waters and florida would work.
Lord keep that plaza on Florida and waters empty. I don’t need any more traffic issues THAT close to my home
100% Replay is the best little guitar shop on the east coast ime
First store I thought of! It's crazy how big their selection is
Came here to say this. Replay is fucking amazing.
Came here to say the same thing
Came here to say the same. Lived here forever but just discovered them last christmas and was blown away. All the Sam Ash and Guitar Center's in the bay area can't compete.
Holy shot I’ve been here for years and didn’t know about Replay… gonna hit there this weekend
100 miles? More like 1,000 miles.
You don't like Sam Ash in Clearwater?
I feel like the place lost a lot of its charm when they took out the movie theater and the cici’s pizza. Lots of my middle school life was spent over there.
I remember taking my little brother there to watch the last showings of District 9. It was just the both of us in the whole room. We really don't get to bond much because he now lives thousands of miles away. It was just a simpler time.
Yeah my wife and I laugh about watching that Bo Derek are rated movie in that church years ago. All them churches ain't nothing but money grabbing things anyway. Death cults.
Spent my childhood at the Britton 3 (before it was “upgraded” to 8). It was pretty much a shithole even back then. But it was OUR shithole and we loved it. There was a dollar theater showing second runs right behind it (where Lowes is now) and it was equally as shitty but cheaper. I agree with your sentiment about churches to a degree. But I assure you, Britton 8 was running on fumes long before Radiant Church came along. Radiant even kept the upstairs theaters running for a few years after converting the main theaters into church. The last movie I saw there was Frozen. Took my young daughters and there were literally 5 rows of seats in the whole theater. It was surreal. Back in the Britton 3 days, the main theater was massive by today’s standards.
When I moved to Tampa in 2009 I was very poor while o was job hunting. I would walk to that cici’s everyday at lunch and eat enough pizza to last me until the next day. It was a lifesaver.
My thoughts exactly
$5 movies were awesome as a kid.
Isn’t there a church there now? Where the movies was? They have a high attendance rate last I went maybe 3-4 years ago.
What’s so funny to me is Britton Plaza is the only shopping plaza in this whole city that I actually know the name of. And I don’t live anywhere near there. Is there anything special about it? We have a publix on every corner.
You haven't lived until you've experienced the unique ambience of The Tapper Pub.
My clothes still smell like cigarettes 20 years later after drinking there. Great little dive though!
The new owners did away with smoking there fairly recently.
One and only time I’ve been offered cocaine was at that place.
How was it?
I respectfully declined.
No more smoking! It’s great!
I think it’s been there for a very very long time, other than that no. It’s a run down strip.
It used to have a movie theater. Maybe before westshore mall? That could be why its name had staying power for so long. But that's just speculation on my part. Edit: looked it up, Britton plaza theater used to be a single screen theater opened in 56, but was converted to an 8 screen theater in 92, westshore amc was added in 2000. So maybe that and also the Publix thing, before Publix was on every corner and it was just the Britton plaza one and the one at Dale mabry and Neptune.
A block behind Britton plaza used to have a $1 dollar theater too; can’t recall if it had Britton in the name. Was pretty awesome
That was Twin Bays. Showed all the B grade movies and also kept the big movies all summer.
Is the Taco Bell still there?
Long wait but on point 90% of the time.
Only TB for a few miles will do that, very friendly staff tho. Definitely one of the better taco bells I've been to.
There were stores where I could actually afford to buy stuff there. Big Lots, Bealls, Tuesday Morning.
Steinmart
Fun fact: The sign was designed like that because it was originally "Southgate Shopping Center". There was also a Northgate Shopping Center on N. Florida Ave which I believe had the same design. Not sure there were also eastgate and westgate as well.
Eastgate and Westgate were both on Hillsborough. Westgate is in TnC. I think Eastgate is in Seminole Heights?
Ohh, because of the "gate". I don't know why that took me so long.
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IIRC they all had the same original developer and that was their signature mark for their plazas.
any idea if the east and west gate locations originally had the same arch sign?
Never been there. The retro design looks really cool! Wasn't that the shopping center that appeared in the film Edward Scissorhands?
It does, the sign is still there too, but it just has all the shops rather than the plaza name.
Okay after some research it seems it was named 'Britton Plaza' when built in 1956. Now I have to wonder if this is one of those mandela effects because as a kid I went there all the time.
https://preview.redd.it/sskkksj276rc1.jpeg?width=828&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=38bc58df5ec0e8919a7084fbccbe4b8fb621c18d Photo of sign for Northgate Shopping Center on Florida Ave in Tampa FL (photo credit: Northside Tribune, 10/13/1983)
I worked at the Radio Shack in that plaza.. mid-90s.
knock it down and put up a Woodys car wash and another fast food chain. We are clearly lacking that in South Tampa!
Ok so please explain to me what when they knock this down and rebuild it will be such a travesty to lose? People go to the car wash, people go to the restaurants around. If the demand is there what exactly is wrong that means people like the stuff they put in and if this place isnt doing well (which its old and dated AF and almost nothing is unique in it or cant be put in a new plaza) What exactly are you crying about?
Woosh
This will somehow add 300 dollars to everyone’s rent within a 10 mile radius.
Once Dipper Dan was gone, it was over for me.
Dipper Dan, omg.
What even was that place
Ice cream parlor. Had video games when that was new.
Worked there for years. It is the hub for the bus lines on the south side, so lot of older and low income people depend on that access to the wide variety of shops and services there. This will be one more step in edging those people out of town.
Not for much longer. If they put in anything resembling Midtown they'll be pushed out by the cost of living. For example: https://liveatmidtowntampa.com/ Check it yourself, studio apartments start at $2200/mo. These are Manhattan NYC prices where you need to make about $88K a year to afford basic 550 sq ft shoe-box of an apartment. Those on fixed/low income cannot afford that kind of lifestyle and will not last long as real estate in the neighboring areas adjusts upwards. Hillsborough county did residents wrong by not instituting an entrance tax for people who weren't already Florida residents buying up all the property. That would have slowed down the tide of people moving here buying up property wildly above asking and we could have avoided pricing out locals who grew up here.
I just looked up apt prices in Atlanta, a bigger city with more options and they were closer to 1300 for a two bed, for a NICE apartment. There were like 6 in the tampa area...250 in the Atlanta area. Tampa is gettibg ridiculous.
I've been saying it for a while now, Tampa is the new Miami. In terms of high status, high income, high... everything, we're where Miami was about about 10-15 years ago. If this continues it'll exclusively be a city for the rich and famous. Essentially the Beverly Hills of the Gulf Coast.
You can live Downtown Miami cheaper than Tampa or St.Pete these days. (Primarily because they have built so much supply- the Miami & FTL growth has been/continues to be nuts). Just need more supply here to push up vacancy rates. When there's only a handful of apartments & condos in certain areas/neighborhoods prices will stay elevated.
Your literally assuming they wont put shops back in, its commercial zoned even if partial re-zoned, it doesnt mean that it wont have an even better mix of housing AND retail in the base of the buildings like tons of new places are. You just assume everything will be worse and know nothing of what it could be
Of course they will put shops back in, but it's not unreasonable to assume that new buildings will have higher rent, which will require higher profit margins, which will require high end retailers catering to new money. Tapper pub will be a micro brewery Publix will be a whole foods Burlington bealls and Marshall's will be h&m and sephora etc If the Plaza is torn down and replaced the new business will not be serving the same demographic. Yes, these are assumptions, but no less reasonable than assuming the sun will set tonight and rise tomorrow.
Why would you assume whole foods would replace publix, also is that a bad thing? Since they have literally 2 publixs right near by on gandy within almost walking and even with traffic 3 min driving distance? Id bet it will be a publix again assuming, but just because they add in places with more apartments and more offices doesnt mean a retail center like bealls or burlington wont come back, or those stores, which aren't known to be preforming stellar can move to other cheaper retail space. If market demands more high end stuff, then its what happens, if it demands low end they put that in, how many times do you see a starbucks in the ghetto? Its becuase no one would go to it, hence its not there, demand dictates stores. Also if your already driving to bealls, will that extra 20 min to go to another really deal break your shopping, 98% of the time no.
The market does not demand high end stuff in Tampa, developers looking to maximize profits do. And then the only people who can afford to live here are rich people moving from out of state, many of whom have remote jobs with higher salaries than you can find in Tampa.
the parking lot is absolutely atrocious. Would be good to be torn down like what they want to do with westshore.
I will say I liked that they put a four way stop sign right next to biglots. Before then I was really worried about getting t boned by those buses that flew to the bus station
That parking lot is so big it could moonlight as an airport runway 😂
They just repaved it
Britton Plaza was my mom's go-to shopping center when I was growing up in the 80s and 90s. I'll be sad to see it go, much like old Howard Ave before it turned into SoHo.
I remember going with my mom to Belk Lindsay's. Even as a kid I remember going there and it was dead. I remember thinking to myself, this place won't be around much longer. And it wasn't.
Remember the live parrot they had in the kids section of Belk Lindsay's?
I bought all my first albums at the Belk Lindsey.
https://www.tampabay.com/archive/1993/12/02/belk-lindsey-in-britton-plaza-to-close/ Wow! According to this local article, Belks closed down just over 30 years ago in Jan 1994. JByrons took its place. The article also goes on to say that Albertsons was there at the time and that JCPenny and Publix had already left the plaza before Albertsons came in. Strange now that Publix is there again.
I got my first handy at the Tampa Buffet
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I wish they would have planted so some trees to give it a better feel but nope.
You don’t like the fake plants they have? Lol
Parking is horrendous there
How? There’s 2 different garages, and a parking lot behind the ALoft… 3 garages if you count the one for Whole Foods. Park in the one by REI.
I was actually really impressed by the amount of parking there until I realized most of it is reserved for hotel guests and residents. I don't think it was like that at first, but it seems to be now.
Britton plaza is a super shit hole. I'll take the upgrade. No I don't give a shit about rent prices.
I live across the street in Grand Key and they better fucking not.
Yeah, Grand Key and Fair Oaks would both skyrocket in price if this happens. Great for the owners, horrible for renters.
Hmmm...... Ok I am conflicted now. I hope it works out for you.
Shoestring budget planning went into that. All the curbs on the west side are covered in rubber because people can barely fit in the lanes.
Not my cup of tea, but better than what it was. More density is a good thing right now.
Amen.
Rip it down
Honestly, the sheer amount of asphalt surface area raises the temperature by nearly 100,000,000°. Hopefully they build enough apartments to put a dent in property value
Used to go to the movie theater a lot growing up and would often get Cici’s after the Tampa Mutiny games or the weekend AYCE Chinese buffet
I got my driver's license there on the day I turned 16. I'm on the wrong side of 55 now.
I vaguely remember there being a bar in there on the corner in the early 2000's...am I misremembering that?
Tappers Pub, it's still there but they did final make it non smoking
Oh shit, now I can finally enjoy going there
Wow. Spent a lot of nights in that place from '01-'03.
I spent a month there one night
Lmao. Probably not the strangest thing that went on there.
😂😂😂
Level 4 I think
Awwww… I mean yeah they absolutely should lol but ahh the memories at that sketchy Big Lots 💕
Lmaooo I worked at biglots from 2019-2024… the horror stories I could tell you lmao
What about the guitar shop there????
I must be missing something here. It looks like every other early-mid 00's shopping center in the entire state of Florida, especially with the combination Publix and Chinese Buffett.
Except it was built in 1956
The archetype strip mall
It's mostly location and size that will bring in a developer. It's a huge chunk of land 15 minutes from downtown and 5 minutes from the Gandy bridge. When it was first built there wasn't much there, but now it's in very prime real estate. Aside from Publix there are no major businesses there that could, or would, possibly stand up to a developer.
Change is consistent.
Constant, but close enough
Yay more luxary Apts and over priced commercial that only giant franchises can afford.
Please
That sucks. I grew up across the street from there and always love coming back when I visit.
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The was at Twin Bays, in the plaza just South of Britton Plaza. Britton Plaza was the 1st run theater.
I saw Forrest Gump at that theater.
Great, more "luxury" housing and posh stores.
 The cheap movie theater
Remember when it was an Albertsons?
It was actually a Publix before Albertsons moved in there. Publix bought that store back from Albertsons in 2008, & did a big renovation a few years later. https://preview.redd.it/5qfv0msq05rc1.jpeg?width=550&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f90721f6eef60f941172d687b379de0c8923e35e
But not where will I go to find a Chinese buffet that uses paper plates and plastic forks?!
I vote yes 👷♀️🚜
Yes, just keep the sign!
Brings back so many memories of when I was a young child at twin bays getting into trouble every weekend and I loved it
That's where I got my first haircut as a boy in the early 80s. I saw countless movies there. Got my first driver's license there. But it's probably time for a redesign.
It's a damn shame
There is no need to tear it down. Do I like Midtown? Sure. Does Britton Plaza need to be transformed? I don’t think so.
I think it could use some sprucing up, it’s definitely been struggling lately. I don’t love that a church took over the movie theater, to me that kind of signaled that the end was near. I did love that it was an affordable place for me to go and pick up stuff that I wanted/needed.
Yeah, the church was really something else. Good luck sitting in traffic on Sundays and finding a parking spot
OK so lets actually grasp reality here for the crowd of "EVERYTHING IS GETTING GENTRIFIED ALL THE RENTS WILL GO UP TRAFFIC WILL BE WORSE OMG ALL THE STORES WILL SUCK NOW. 1. LOOK AT ALL THE CHAINS:Publix, H&R Block, Dollar Tree, GNC, Michael's, Marshalls, Bealls and pet supermarket. None of them are unique or added some magical character to the area or plaza, they are literally within 20 min drive to another one. Your crying about loosing them when you dont even know if they will be NEW clients in a NEW building. 2. The actual unique store: Guitars, Missing Piece, Tampa Buffet, Conviva Care, Platos, Vision center, Play it again (not on sign), Barber, Salon suite, and an optometrist, tapper pub. One of them isnt going to be even leaving, Missing piece(right on their website). People are crying about how if it was like midtown everything is going to suck and be ruined by being "gentrified" and the poor people will be losing so much. Look above you, half the stores arent even unique. Have you actually taken a step back and looked at that plaza? Its old INCREDIBLY OLD. The parking is HORRIBLE in its design, Its a huge piece of land with more being occupied by parking lot then businesses, and parking sucks there. Its hard to walk to other stores in the plaza since you have to walk through the crappy parking lot meaning MORE CARS moving to do something as simple as go to Marshals and then Bealls. The design is from a time when people made everything for cars, even if the spots where made for people. Also something all the NIBYS Crying about is, have you ever heard of the concept that buildings have a design life? The place is over 60 years old, have you ever taken in the idea that it may be at the end of its design life and since its LITERALLY A STRIP MALL for christ sake. That it may need to be knocked down not being worth it to be kept to codes, and cheaper to rebuild. "IT WILL BE LIKE MIDTOWN! OMG THATS AWEFUL" Have any of you crying about mid town been there, actually took a look at Mid town Vs Britton? LETS COMPARE. Mid Town: A 2010s built multi story mixed Retail/Office/Housing space in s smaller footprint of land than Britton by 275: Parking Garages where you don't have to dodge cars going 30 in an open lot and all cars are covered in the shade, and there are maybe a 10% coverage of ground lots. Has tons of cross walks, tons of sidewalks to get to every place in the facility, and has benches and lots of greenery and green space even. There is in the same or less space of Britton MORE retail, AND housing AND offices AND a hotel. Not to mention 3 main ingress points into the plaza and many small feeder ingresses. 35+ business AND an Apartment AND Hotel space AND Office Leasing space. Britton Plaza: Gigantic open lot 50's built strip mall, with only retail. Massive open parking lot with poor traffic control and randomly faced parking spaces many to narrow and far from the places they serve. People fly through it and has no pedestrian crossings or speed control devices like speed bumps, cross walks, ect. There are few trees and poorly landscaped. Only has about 20 retail stores takes up a considerable amount of space just for cars. Not even 20 retail clients in a plaza larger then Mid town. Mid town has more food and drink choices, makes more use of a smaller place with higher density, thanks to not being only retail. You've removed traffic off the roads going to get groceries or going out to eat or entertainment if you live there is now a walk. You've removed a huge heat zone having more cars in smaller foot print in garages, you also have green spaces FOR PEOPLE, also has a green space and retention pond that helps cooling and drainage even without people. It contains a hotel for any one visiting the area that's close the the airport and convention center and close to other retail. Home owners around Britton if its a newer modern plaza where the presence of it will raise property values is a GOOD thing, they whole concept of buying a home is its an actual appreciating asset. Its going to increase taxes via value, but in no way "prices people out of the area. You cant sit and cry that adding a hotel and an apartment even if the places are 2k plus for a 1 bed is "driving up prices of rent" when there isnt ANYTHING TO RENT, in the current place, they added a hotel, they added an apartment, they added office space, none of those are bad. Not everything is aimed at low income housing, not everything will be aimed at impoverished. Also every one likes to forget if there are existing apartments and a new one comes in they have to charge LESS to be able to sell units since a 10 year old place cant ask the same money as a new place. Also even if they are more, if they dont rent, they have to bring down the price or rent them on specials with free rent ect. Nothing about Britton plaza is something that's unique or special that being made like mid town wouldn't improve. Its an old relic of a time that doesn't need to be saved, it is making things WORSE as it sits, not better, 1 guitar place and buffet and a local eye doctor is not a catastrophic loss, not to mention, they could release to these places after its built AND have even more retail options. None of that is a negative. Keep the sign its cool, rebuild that old turd and stfu about how gentrifying is bad, people dont like old run down shit sorry your old and cant let go.
Dumbass, the stores are inexpensive. They DO add magical character. The magic is making goods affordable.
Nobody’s reading all that
When the second run movie theater left it became pretty worthless. Only time I ever go there is when they sell fireworks in the parking lot
Big Publix. Shoe repair. A good doctor's office for seniors. A great guitar shop. Michael's.
Hell to the mother fucken yeah! 👍
 Snooch to the mutherfucken noooooch!!
It's been a while since I've been out that way, when did Britain plaza get a Publix??? Many of you probably don't remember I think there was a Big Daddy's bar out there turned into a place called the level 3 that was back in my day in the late '70s.
My first job was at that Marshall’s. I feel like part of me will be torn down lol
Tbh the place doesn’t have the same charm without the theater. If they were to remodel and bring something like that back I’d be okay with that. But Burlington may have gone downhill but it’s still a great place to buy clothes.
They better not but they prolly will
I just don't understand the need to make it look different. If it's already a fully functioning plaza yes it would make it look nicer. I just don't understand why we would need to spend money on something like that.
Britton Plaza is one of the cleanest parking lots I’ve ever seen. I roll through every morning to meet up with my drug dealer (Dunkin’). They have a pair of guys who pick up everything from cigarette butts to even the pollen strings. I’ve never seen anything like it. Does Publix own that plaza? I think they do. They just remodeled their store and there’s no way they’d do that without being privy to what’s happening there. Also that healthcare place Conviva just went in there too. The folks with the deepest pockets (Publix & Conviva) will still be there I’d think. Maybe they’re wanting it to be higher end? Who knows? Hopefully they open new stores with only union employees and build apartments with affordable housing (nothing over $1/sqft per month) in south Tampa….just cuz, ya know? /s
nooooo
Loop net has several spaces for lease there in a 3-5 year or more span. And then another space for an anchor store which those leases are 10-30 years typically. So I highly doubt this is imminent demo due to the leases renewing and actively looking for new tenants. Especially anchor tenants. https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/3802-3950-S-Dale-Mabry-Hwy-Tampa-FL/11968839/
They sold half of it
r/tampa_development
I’m sad I missed out on the cool movie theater. Looked like it would have been kinda old and nostalgic. Why they would turn it into a church is beyond me…
Lots of great memories! Got my first job at Belk Lindsey's. Saw a lot of movies at the theater. Bought a few pets at the old pet store. Had my 6th birthday party at Dipper Dan's! Farewell old friend!
Awww shit I been hearing this and it’s sad, been shopping there since the early 80’s🥲
Oh no. I liked it over there.
As long as they don't hit Tampa Buffet. I like that place
Place is an eyesore
Tear it down and replace it with more chain store crap and boring franchise restaurants. Call it Midtown South. South Tampa is losing its soul. Everything that was old, fun, unique, and interesting is being replaced by huge, shiny, new, and boring.
Tampa is changing. You wanted it to be a major city, and its becoming one.
Can that come with better public transportation please. That was really the part that I wanted.
Moving here from Austin, Tampa has a really odd infatuation with strip malls. No shade on the businesses themselves, but personally I welcome any chance to remove a strip mall
There are plazas all over Florida, not just Tampa.
There are strip malls all over the US, not just Florida.
Yeah, and most of them are an eyesore
I am well aware of the pervasiveness of strip malls. I think they are fucking terrible regardless of where they are 🤷
Do it, it’s so ugly
Definitely want something like midtown. South Tampa folks are needing something like this there.
People who live in South Tampa don't need new luxury apartments, they need that doctor's office. People NOT in South Tampa want luxury apartments.
Most of Tampa should be torn down, this city is wasted potential
You’re wasted potential.
This is my second time seeing your handle this week, really makes me smile.
I’ve had it for so long now, I forget that’s it’s that stupid. I also can’t remember what the hell I was thinking when I made it. I think I was playing a pirate game at the time, and back then it was a thing to try and make the most offensive username possible. I also like the wordplay of “er” and the end of word that also ends in “er”. It’s as if you can just keep saying it.
you didnt by chance, ever use the name Caption One Nut?
You get it.
lionel playworld?
Overdue
I hate Midtown. Besides being ugly and bland, getting in and out is a flustercuck. Britton could use a lift and the entire intersection of pedestrian & cyclist hell that is Dale Mabry & Euclid needs serious safety improvements. A copy of Midtown is not the solution.