As the City of Tampa still celebrates a major victory in landing Super Bowl LV in 2021, there are questions about what the city will look like in four years.
From all the downtown projects, to the major highway renovations and the new and improved Tampa International Airport, Tampa has a lot going on in the next few years and will look drastically different by the time Super Bowl LV kicks off.
When big games comes to town, the Tampa Bay area knows how to put on a show. From the "Big Sombrero" to Raymond James there is a rich super Sunday history here, but when the NFL decided to move Super Bowl LV from LA to Tampa in 2021, the city will be in right in the middle of several major re-development projects.
The area around Amalie Arena, where Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Bill Gates are bankrolling a major downtown renovation project that includes shops, restaurants, and condo, is just now laying down the infrastructure. It will turn Tampa into a new city, but it won't likely be complete by the time the Super Bowl comes to town. Phase 1 and 2 are set to be done, but Phase 3 and 4 will probably still be in the works.
And Tampa's highway renovations will just be starting in 2021.
As for the new and improved Tampa International Airport, it will almost be finished. But how much of it will be done by 2021?
"We will be a good way through phase two. And phase three which is the addition of a new air side will not yet be done. Phase one of our master plan expansion which includes all the restaurants, the people mover and the rental car center is going to be done in early 2018, so well in advance of the Super Bowl, " says airport spokesman Danny Valentine.
