Tampa CRA Funds First Commercial Design Grant for West Tampa Storefront

The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency announced its first Commercial Design Grant on October 14, 2026, supporting the planned transformation of a vacant 1920 retail store at 2113 West Main Street in West Tampa. Property owner Marvin Knight will receive 100% funding for professional design, planning, consulting, and engineering services, including permit-ready construction plans prepared by Austin Construction Group, Inc. The work is intended to turn the long-empty building into a tenant-ready commercial space that can welcome new businesses. Knight also plans to pair the design award with the CRA’s separate Commercial Exterior and Interior Grants so the improvements developed during the design phase can move toward construction. For Tampa property owners, the first award shows how early architectural and site-planning assistance can help an older building progress from an idea to a buildable project without requiring the owner to absorb the full upfront cost of professional plans.

The non-matching Commercial Design Grant provides up to $150,000 in professional-services value and can support concept design, site layout, renderings, construction documents, engineering, and feasibility planning. Eligible applicants are commercial property owners, or commercial tenants with owner consent, in Central Park, Channel District, Downtown, Drew Park, East Tampa, Tampa Heights Riverfront, West Tampa, and Ybor City redevelopment areas. The City says non-tax-generating properties, residential projects, new construction, and projects that have already begun are not eligible. Awards are made on a first-qualified, first-awarded basis while fiscal-year funding remains available, and applicants must complete a pre-application meeting with the CRA Economic Development Division before receiving an application packet. The program is especially relevant to commercial exterior and outdoor-property planning because it can fund site layouts, façade concepts, and permit-ready technical documents that define how a property will function and look before construction starts.