JAMES NOZAR
CEO, STRATEGIC PROPERTY PARTNERS, TAMPA
At the helm of Water Street Tampa, an emerging $3-billion development in downtown Tampa, Nozar is helping transform both the city and its once-neglected waterfront. The mixed-use project, a joint venture between Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and the Bill Gates-controlled Cascade Investment Group, includes office and hotel space, cultural and entertainment venues, greenspace and USF Health’s Morsani College of Medicine’s new location, a 13-story, 395,000-sq.-ft. tower with room for 1,800 students and staff.
Nozar, who joined Strategic Property Partners in 2016, was previously a senior vice president at the JBG Cos., now JBG Smith, where he managed the development of 25 mixed-use projects in and around Washington, D.C. He says his experience there, transforming urban neighborhoods, has guided his work in Tampa, where his overall aim is to create a “special and enduring neighborhood” in a “previously vacant and blighted part of downtown.”
| ADVICE | “The commercial real estate industry is huge, but also very local. My advice would be: Take the time to truly understand the full context of any project you’re contemplating. Big or small, urban or suburban, having a full appreciation for the physical, community and market context is incredibly important. And then, of course, understanding where trends may be heading to not only stay relevant, but to be well-positioned for the future.” |
| FLORIDA CONVERT | “While I had visited many times and had family in Sarasota, I never expected I’d be a Florida resident. My role brought me to Tampa, and moving here was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. Tampa has definitely been a bit under the radar on the national stage, but it’s one of the most easy and livable big cities out there. There’s so much positive energy in the Tampa Bay region. We’re bracing for many great new things in the near future.” |
“I love my current role because it allows me to help create a truly transformational neighborhood for the region, starting with a relatively blank canvas.”