University of Tampa students are heading back to campus in two weeks and will see construction along the Riverwalk through Plant Park.
The 2,000-foot section of the West Riverwalk will feature a 12-foot-wide multi-use trail stretching from Plant Park to Cass Street.
“This segment is to build connectivity for students and the rest of the community,” said Brandon Campbell, mobility director for the City of Tampa.
Along with the trail, there will be a brick band on each side that will seamlessly match the University of Tampa’s architecture and Plant Hall. The popular hammock area will also receive 65 new palm trees and hammock poles.
This is one of six segments under construction as part of the West River BUILD project.
“We know that the riverfront is quite an asset for both Plant Park, the downtown community and the University of Tampa,” Campbell said. “When the entire project is completed, there will be 12 miles of continuous walkway that starts in Water Street and ends in Ballast Point.”
The fence around the construction is expected to come down later this year, making UTampa students some of the first to experience the new trail.
“The university is really excited about having this new multi-use trail going through our campus, and it provides our students access to the surrounding community,” said Scott Goshen, UTampa’s assistant vice president of design, construction and facilities. “One of the new things that we’re really trying to encourage under our new president’s leadership is really tying into the surrounding area, and this trail will really do a great job encouraging some of that.”
The brick will not be historic but will come from the same facility the university uses for its buildings to ensure it matches the school’s color combination.
The West Riverwalk BUILD project is a roughly $60 million project, and construction for the entire project is expected to be completed in spring 2027.