Kelly Hayes
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor kicked off the demolition of the former Ardent Mills Flour Mill on Friday, marking a start of reconnecting Downtown Tampa’s historic neighborhoods.
“This will have a major impact on one of our most important goals for Tampa: bringing the people of our city together,” Castor said in a statement. “For 84 years, this site fragmented our streets and sidewalks, splitting our Downtown in two. By reconnecting these links, we will supercharge the sense of community that we know every neighborhood needs to thrive.”
The flour mill, which sits between Tampa’s Channel district and the city’s central business district on South Nebraska Ave., is 82 years old. Ardent Mills has since relocated from its downtown location to a newer facility at Port Tampa Bay’s Port Redwing near Apollo Beach.
“Our county’s population is projected to reach 1.6 million by 2026,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen in a statement. “This puts us at a crossroads. We can choose to be unprepared and let this influx of people overwhelm our infrastructure and degrade our community. Or we can make the right moves—like this one—with smart investments, to capture the benefits of growth with fewer of the drawbacks.”
Much of eastern Downtown, including the former flour mill site, was laid out in the 1910s — created with leftover sand when crews dredged Ybor Channel, which is now a key part of nearby Port Tampa Bay.
Removing the mill allows agencies to reconnect multiple streets that were cut off when the facility opened in 1938. City leaders believe this will create more connectivity between the Channel District and Downtown’s other neighborhoods, provide safer and more efficient pedestrian routes, and complete Downtown Tampa’s 50-year evolution from warehouses and industrial yards into livable neighborhoods.
“This is a moment to celebrate the continued transformation of our Downtown,” Lynda Remund, Tampa Downtown Partnership president and CEO, said in a statement. “If you stood in this spot 50 years ago, you’d be surrounded by warehouses, a lumber yard, and an asphalt factory. Today, we have amazing cultural attractions, a startup hub/technology incubator, world-class hotels, and one of America’s top medical schools for research. Our future is bright.”
The mill and its three acres have been purchased by Strategic Property Partners. Over the next few months, lead contractor Kimmins will dismantle the mill piece-by-piece. Planners intend to preserve some of the flour mill’s large silos and repurpose them.
