Tampa Bay Developer

John Bell is the President & CEO of Tampa Theatre, where he has led the historic nonprofit venue since 1985 and helped transform it into one of America’s most beloved movie palaces, live event spaces, and cultural institutions.

0:00:00 - Early History

0:07:12 - John Eberson

0:13:10 - Technology

0:22:17 - Restoration

0:40:19 - 99 Year Lease

0:55:12 - Restoration Finished

0:59:58 - Macaw’s

1:06:29 - Silent Films

Joshua Pardue is a real estate developer, investor, and advisor, and the founder of JPRE Development and JPRE Advisory, with more than $1 billion in transactions and a portfolio spanning adaptive reuse, mixed-use, net-lease, and urban revitalization projects across multiple markets.

0:00:00 - Introduction

0:02:30 - The Bricks

0:10:08 - West Ybor

0:16:48 - New Rooftop Restaurant

0:26:24 - West Ybor Continued

0:45:47 - Good Development

1:21:06 - Betting on Ybor

2:06:53 - Small Developers

Linda Saul-Sena is a former Tampa City Council member who served for 20 years and has spent decades advocating for better urban planning, historic preservation, neighborhood design, and public space in Tampa. She has also been deeply involved in civic and cultural leadership across the city, including preservation, community design, and public service.

She explains:
◼️How highways, suburban zoning, and car-centric planning helped hollow out historic Tampa neighborhoods
◼️Why walkable districts like Ybor City, Hyde Park, and Davis Islands create stronger community and better local economies
◼️What cities lose when ugly development, oversized roads, and bad design replace beauty, history, and human scale
◼️How historic preservation, public art, and better infrastructure can bring depth, identity, and connection back to Tampa
◼️Why climate change, floodplain rules, tree canopy, and storm resilience will shape the future of Tampa neighborhoods

John (JC) Hudgison is the Chief Building Official and Construction Services Manager for the City of Tampa, overseeing the department responsible for reviewing building plans, issuing permits, and inspecting construction projects across one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

He explains:

◼️How Tampa processes nearly 30,000 building permits a year during explosive city growth

◼️Why most permit applications get rejected and the simple steps that fix them

◼️How virtual inspections and new technology are transforming construction approvals

◼️Why permitting is a partnership between developers and the city, not an adversarial process

◼️How Tampa is using accreditation and data to improve efficiency, transparency, and professionalism in development

Bruce Rector was sworn in as the 36th Mayor of Clearwater, Florida in April 2024. Before entering public office, he served as General Counsel for The Sports Facilities Companies and held leadership roles across Clearwater’s business and nonprofit community. With international experience as the 58th President of Junior Chamber International and a background in law, athletics, and executive leadership, he brings a global perspective to local government.

0:00:00 - Introduction

0:04:58 - Mayor Hibbard Resigns

0:16:38 - Coachman Park

0:29:43 - Church of Scientology

0:41:22 - Clearwater Beach

0:50:05 - Connecting PIE and TPA

0:58:26 - Property Tax Referendum

1:05:25 - Regional Solutions

1:16:01 - Density

Scott Deitche is a mob historian and bestselling author of Cigar City Mafia: A Complete History of the Tampa Underworld, The Silent Don: The Criminal Underworld of Santo Trafficante Jr., and Hitmen: The Mafia, Drugs, and the East Harlem Purple Gang. He has written dozens of articles on organized crime and has been featured on The Discovery Channel, The History Channel, A&E, C-SPAN, Oxygen, American Heroes Channel, and national news and radio programs. Scott is also a member of the Mob Museum Advisory Council and leads Tampa Mafia tours.

He explains:

◼️How Tampa became one of the most powerful Mafia cities in America

◼️Why over 50 gangland murders and assassination attempts erupted during the Bolita wars

◼️How the CIA secretly partnered with the Mafia to try to assassinate Fidel Castro

◼️Why the JFK assassination conspiracy still points back to Tampa figures

◼️What ultimately ended organized crime’s grip on Tampa

00:00 - Ybor Tunnels

01:51 - Scott Deitche

06:07 - Tampa Mafia

10:14 - Bolita

19:18 - Charlie Wall

30:53 - Mafia Tours

33:16 - JFK Assassination

37:34 - Mafia Family Members

Keith Greminger is an architect with over 40 years of experience designing large-scale mixed-use developments across the United States and internationally. He worked on the historic restoration of St. Louis Union Station at just 26 years old, helped launch an architecture office in Hong Kong while delivering a 550-room Grand Hyatt in Jakarta, and later played a key role in building Tampa’s Convention Center, Benchmark Arena, public plazas, and the Riverwalk.

He explains:

◼️How restoring Union Station early in his career shaped his design philosophy

◼️Why Tampa’s Convention Center location was a rare waterfront opportunity

◼️How Thunder Alley was intentionally designed as a community gathering space

◼️Why expanding the Convention Center is more complicated than people think

◼️What Tampa must do next to create a world-class pedestrian waterfront

0:00:00 - St. Louis Union Staton

0:18:15 - HOK Hong Kong Office

0:27:59 - Tampa Convention Center

0:38:58 - Benchmark Arena

0:46:05 - Convention Center Expansion

0:55:25 - Riverwalk

1:01:28 - North Downtown Redevelopment

1:37:14 - Riverwalk Expansion

Tom Ries is an ecologist and ecosystem restoration specialist, President and Founder of the Ecosphere Restoration Institute, and a national leader in wetland, seagrass, and living shoreline restoration who has conserved over 4,500 acres of habitat and led award-winning restoration projects across Florida.

He explains:


◼️ Why Florida’s historic springs were buried under concrete and parking lots


◼️ How restoring one urban spring immediately brought manatees back


◼️ What living shorelines do better than seawalls during storms and flooding


◼️ Where cities are losing massive stormwater capacity without realizing it


◼️ How public-private partnerships unlock millions in restoration funding


0:00:00 - Ulele Springs

0:07:41 - Living Shoreline

0:12:30 - Ulele Springs Continued

0:28:56 - West River Walk

0:33:20 - Ulele Springs Continued

0:40:14 - Palma Ceia Springs

1:06:17 - Purity and Sulphur Springs

1:27:13 - MacDill 48 Park

1:48:13 - Ballast Point Park

1:05:09 - New Cruise Port

In episode 172, Garrett Greco sits down with Michele Smith to break down how arts, culture, and creative infrastructure directly impact economic growth, real estate development, and the long-term identity of cities like Tampa.

Michele Smith is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Tampa Arts Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening Tampa’s creative economy and positioning the region as a nationally and internationally recognized arts city. She leads cross-sector partnerships between artists, developers, government, and private industry to build sustainable cultural infrastructure, expand access to markets, and elevate creativity as a driver of economic and community development.

He explains:

◼️ Why cities that invest in the arts attract stronger talent, businesses, and long-term growth

◼️ How creative infrastructure increases walkability, property value, and economic resilience

◼️ What role developers and small property owners can play in supporting the arts

◼️ Why authentic cultural identity matters more than copying other major cities

◼️ How Tampa is building the foundation to become a nationally recognized arts destination

0:00:00 - Introduction

0:00:57 - Downtown Arts Center

0:04:04 - Tampa Arts Alliance

0:09:55 - Arts in Development

0:14:25 - Tampa Arts Education

0:17:29 - Affordable Housing for Artists

0:25:37 - Zero Empty Spaces

0:36:59 - Gasparilla

0:49:43 - Art for Small Developers

0:54:45 - Tampa Public Art

0:07:21 - Roundabout Art

Craig Richard is the President and CEO of the Tampa Hillsborough Economic Development Council breaks down how talent, infrastructure, and place-based development are shaping Tampa’s rapid growth. They dive into migration trends, housing affordability, transportation projects like Brightline, and why Tampa’s future depends on smart public investment and regional cooperation.They also dig into the Tampa Bay Rays stadium talks and what a potential move across the bay could mean for Dale Mabry, surrounding neighborhoods, and the region’s long-term economic impact. The conversation looks at how major sports projects function as marketing engines for a city and how stadium development can act as a catalyst for broader mixed-use growth.

0:00:00 - Introduction

0:01:03 - Economic Development

0:10:29 - UT Graduates

0:14:57 - Public Investments

0:27:52 - Brightline

0:38:17 - Tampa’s Water

0:42:36 - 3 Goals

1:01:08 - Tampa Rays

1:20:38 - Outro