Bill Gatesâs divorce pulls his Water Street Tampa investment into spotlight
As Bill and Melinda Gates split their assets, focus turns to their significant stake in the $3.5 billion project.
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Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and his wife Melinda take part in an AP interview in Kirkland, Wash., in February 2018.
Updated 2 hours ago
The $3.5 billion Water Street Tampa development enveloping a swath of downtown Tampa has largely been presented as the vision of a team led by Jeff Vinik, owner of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
But Water Street has another partner. The developer in charge, Strategic Property Partners, is a joint venture between Vinik and Cascade Investment, the investment firm funded by one of the worldâs richest men: Bill Gates.
From Studio 54 to Water Street: Ian Schrager talks new Tampa Edition hotel
âThis is Tampaâs time,â says the hospitality veteran, whose five-star Tampa Edition will open by 2022.
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The Tampa Edition hotel and residences (center, with a Water Street banner on the front side) topped out at 26 stories in February. It s slated to open by 2022. [ Strategic Property Partners ]
When Ian Schrager thinks about creating a great hotel, he thinks about Walt Disney.
âWhen Disney started doing animated films, that process was available to everybody else,â he said. âThere were other animated films out there. But he put it together in a way that resonated with people, so that my kids today can watch an animated feature that was done 70, 80 years ago, and still respond to it. Pretty amazing.