The Brains Behind Water Street | James Nozar

In Episode 123 of The TBD Podcast, Garrett sits down with James Nozar, the former CEO of SPP. Strategic Property Partners (SPP) is the real estate development firm backed by Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment that led the charge on Tampa’s massive $3.5 billion Water Street District, a first-of-its-kind urban project for the city. In this episode, James unpacks how the project came together from scratch, the challenges of transforming empty parking lots into a walkable downtown, and why intentional design, public-private collaboration, and culture matter more than ever. They also talk about the future of Tampa, what’s next for Water Street, and the lessons other cities can learn from its success.0:00:00 - Who is James Nozar?0:13:10 - Water Street0:43:16 - Sparkman Wharf0:49:23 - Behind the Scenes of Water Street1:09:58 - The Future of Tampa1:19:17 - Gasworx1:31:39 - Future of Water Street