Setbacks and deep-seated challenges are a way of life in the modern retail landscape stemming from the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), though retail and restaurants are beginning to slowly come back on line across the nation. For The Bromley Cos., its $500 million Midtown Tampa development has proven its mettle already as construction is still on track and its tenants and stakeholders remain in place.
Brett Hutchens, president of Casto Southeast Realty Services, says that the development team hasn’t had to delay or adjust its construction schedule at all in the face of the crisis.
“Our head of construction said it’s almost better now,” says Hutchens, whose firm is co-developing the retail portion of the project alongside Jeffrey R. Anderson Real Estate Inc. and The Bromley Companies. “In the current environment, there’s a heightened sense of focus and teamwork, not only with the retail team, but also the office, residential and hospitality. The retail portion is 80 percent leased, so we are now laser-focused on completing the development process on time. The complexity of this project requires an orchestration of all components. It’s challenging, but it’s very satisfying to see it all come together as one project in a coordinated fashion.”
