Wellness at the core of downtown Tampa's design

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - The Water Street Tampa project is not just growing the city's skyline. The downtown waterfront is being transformed into a neighborhood with wellness at its core.

"Just gonna revitalize the whole area down there," said Taylor Zeisloft.

"It's gonna be great,” Sam Kaye said. “If you think this city can't get better, just wait."

By the end of 2019, 12 projects will be under construction.

The entire Water Street Tampa community has been designed from the ground up, and every detail is intentional. The neighborhood is set to be the healthiest in the world.

"It's fundamentally changing the way that we’re approaching the entire community, the entire neighborhood, it’s really creating the heart of downtown Tampa," said James Nozar, CEO of Strategic Property Partners.

The plans recently earned the WELL Design & Operations designation from the International WELL Building Institute, an achievement no other neighborhood has reached.

Every aspect of Water Street Tampa focuses on the impact to people, and how the buildings, sidewalks and streets can promote healthy living.

"There’s things like water filling stations that will be on every single block, a tree canopy that promotes an active walkable outdoor lifestyle,” Nozar explained. "All of our street lights within all of the public realm across all 56-acres dim at night."

23,000 people are expected to live, work and visit the transformed district every day. The goal is for the public spaces to positively impact people and their well-being.

About 13-acres of green space are woven throughout the neighborhood, and the layout will connect Water Street Tampa with other existing areas of the city.

"It's really just about providing options for people, places to gather, to shop, to eat, to recreate,” said Nozar. “Thinking holistically about all the things that are important to you, and that you do in your daily life, and allowing you to live your best life."

The WELL Community Standard has seven key concepts. To learn more about what it takes for projects to be certified, visit https://www.wellcertified.com/certification/v2/dando.