An Exclusive from INSIDE Magazine
Fences weren’t part of the original design of Straz Center, and they’re certainly not part of the renovation.
Fences don’t play much of a role in our past and future but, boy, are they ever-present in our present.
Straz is undergoing a major multimillion-dollar renovation that includes expanding education spaces for Patel Conservatory, refurbished lobbies for Morsani and Ferguson halls, an indoor-outdoor terrace, a fine-dining restaurant, a rooftop bar and a Riverwalk-facing outdoor stage.
Our expansion means major construction on campus, with cranes and backhoes, workers in hard hats, and fences to, among other things, ensure the unaware or overly curious don’t walk in front of a crane or a backhoe.
We’re excited as can be about sharing our shiny new Straz with you when work is completed in 2027.
This may have you wondering, though, what this means for 2025 and 2026. With all this work going on, will Straz be stayed from completing its appointed rounds of Broadway, opera and arts education?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: No. Really.
“There really shouldn’t be any difference” for our guests during construction, said Straz Chief Operating Officer Matt Wolf. “All the roads to get here stay the same. Straz will remain fully functional as our renovation continues.”
Rest assured, then, that attending a performance at Straz during construction will be much the same as attending one pre-construction, although you may notice signs of the new Straz taking shape.
“You’re going to start to see some of this progress happening.” Wolf said.
Ground was broken on the project April 7 in a ceremony featuring performances by the cast of Disney’s The Lion King and a dais full of Tampa dignitaries including Mayor Jane Castor, former Straz President and CEO Judy Lisi and the late Tampa City Council member Gwen Henderson.
Henderson, who passed away in June, praised Straz’s commitment to outreach, saying that “the positive impact of the Straz transformation extends beyond these walls through local hiring commitments, workforce development initiatives and community focused programs,” as reported in Tampa Bay Times.
Ensuring Straz remained open for that community was essential, Wolf said. Working with construction partner Creative Contractors, Wolf said, “we developed a plan that keeps our doors open.”
Creative Contractors was chosen “because they do incredible work, but also because they are very, very in tune with what we need, what our students and parents need and what our patrons need,” he said.
Creative Contractors’ work can be seen all around the Tampa Bay area. Its portfolio includes Clearwater Marine Aquarium, the Glazer Family Jewish Community Center at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, the Lakeland Regional Health Pavilion for Women and Children, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation and St. Petersburg High School.
Creative Contractors President Joshua Bomstein calls Straz a “heritage building. It’s part of the fabric of our region.”
The company’s client list includes several performance facilities. “The opportunities for transformative expression and experiences provided by the performing arts are special to us,” Bomstein said, calling it an honor to work on and with “cultural pillars” such as Straz Center.
Creative Contractors is adept at keeping cultural pillars, and pretty much any place, open during major construction projects. “We’ve done this successfully many times at cultural facilities as well as hospitals, airports and public safety buildings,” he said. “Our goal is no surprises.”
Wolf concurs.
“We’re really trying to keep everything business as usual,” he said. “We still offer valet parking. Maestro’s, both the restaurant and the grab-n-go café, and SteamHeat Coffee Shop will be open.”
The renovations, Wolf said, “will improve everything we’re doing here. Everything is going to improve the patron experience and the student experience in some way.
“We’ve always delivered excellent service,” Wolf said. “We’re going to try to keep your experience the same or better.”
The master plan expansion is made possible by Boundless: the campaign for the new Straz Center.
To learn more, contact Amanda Hurm, director of major gifts and planned giving at boundless@strazcenter.org.
We invite you to partner with us to launch this new era of performing arts in Tampa.
The time is now. The stage is yours.