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Florida ranked as the third most popular real estate investment in 2014, behind New York and California. With an influx of wealthy investors from Canada, the United K ingdom and other Western European countries, developers are meeting consumer demand with a range of new developments. From downtown luxur y high-rise condominiums that cater to the maintenance-free lifestyle to single-family home communities that enhance the daily experience of life with an abundance of features, the choice is up to buyers on locations from Tampa to Marco Island. Tampa/St. Petersburg Sister cities by the Bay - St. Petersburg and Tampa - are both undergoing urban revitalizations, as more buyers seek housing options that cater to the work-live-play lifestyle. In downtown Tampa, most of the new high-rise condominium development centers around the Channelside District, inspired by Jeff Vinik 's billion-dollar plan for redevelopment near A malie A rena along Tampa's industrial downtown waterfront. Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning hockey team and outspoken promoter of the area, owns 40 acres of downtown property. His master plan has spurred a flurr y of development, in addition to encouraging the University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine to locate its new, 12-stor y, $157 million building to the district, joining their highly profitable CA MLS, Center for Automated Medical Learning and Simulation. Coined as an "18/7" living community, Channelside will include luxur y condominiums, hotels, an entertainment complex and retail space. Continued on page 24 22 | FLORIDA HOMES MAGAZINE ABOVE: Downtown Tampa rendering of the new redevelopment around Channelside District inspired by Jeff Vinik. PAGE 24: New condominium development, VUE, under construction in Downtown Sarasota. PAGE 26: Model home offered by Neal Communities. PAGE 28: Exterior rendering of the new DALI condominiums to be built across from the iconic Dali Museum in downtown St. Petersburg.

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