TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Taking A New Direction

KATHY MOORE/STAFF

Matt Johnson, senior editor at Tampa Digital Studios, edits video in the editing bay Tuesday, November 13, 2007, in the company's new office located in Ybor City.

ADVERTISEMENT

By JANIS D. FROELICH, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 21, 2007

Updated: 11/19/2007 08:45 pm

YBOR CITY - From a booming intro for Tampa Bay Lightning games to a reflective antidrug campaign, Tampa Digital Studios is doing what it has always done - creating promotional products.

But something is much better about the media and visual communications company these days, employees say. In their new quarters, there's room to allow innovative thoughts to percolate.

There is also space for a library of about 5,000 videos, five miles of cable and eight editing suites.

The multimedia staff of 35 has moved into a meandering 11,500-square-foot space in Centro Ybor in what is expected to be the first wave of artistic enterprises replacing shops in the complex.

Located between Urban Outfitters and Muvico Theaters on Eighth Avenue, Tampa Digital took over the American Eagle Outfitters space.

The company, founded 11 years ago by JoAnn and George Cornelius, moved from a 9,000-square-foot building in South Tampa.

But, JoAnn Cornelius said, "It started out much smaller and we kept adding on. Here we designed exactly what we needed."

Some of the staff worked on the construction of the new offices, including building door frames.

On a recent afternoon, editor Mike McCourt sat at his half-finished desk with freelance producer Barry Bennett next to him on the floor. The two are collaborating on an advertising campaign. McCourt paused to show off the desk he is building with old cedar inlay.

George Cornelius, the company's president, hopes others in the film and audio fields, as well as advertising agencies, move into Centro Ybor.

Before relocating in October, his company, along with a group of investors, unsuccessfully bid to redevelop the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in West Tampa as a creative arts complex.

"But in Centro Ybor we'll have a total 100,000 square feet for these concept companies, so that's much more than the armory," Cornelius said.

Ybor City is fast becoming a good fit, employees say.

"We thought parking would be sticky," Cornelius said. "But it's been a nonissue."

The company contracted to use a nearby Hillsborough Community College parking lot.

Senior Webcast producer Michael Piotrowski said clients hang around Ybor City when they have appointments at Tampa Digital.

"One woman left her work here and spent the afternoon in shops," he said. "And, of course, we're getting a lot more clients saying, 'Let's do lunch.'"

M&J Wilkow, a Chicago-based real estate investment company, bought Centro Ybor last year. On a 10-year lease, Tampa Digital is the first deal for Wilkow at the shopping and entertainment complex.

David Harvey, a Wilkow vice president, said 100,000 square feet between Eighth and Ninth avenues may become offices for tenants such as advertising agencies and architects. The space along Seventh Avenue will remain retail, restaurants and service-type offices such as travel or ticket agencies.

Wilkow plans to pare Muvico's 20 screens to 12 or fewer.

"So if we take back that space, depending on how many screens, we could have between 60,000 square feet to 100,000 square feet for the offices," Harvey said.

He said the company is close to signing tenants for the complex, which has lost about a dozen since opening in October 2000. Envisioned as a tourist draw, Centro Ybor never attracted the attendance.

Meanwhile, Tampa Digital workers like the view of the Tampa Bay Brewing Co.'s beer garden from their company's conference room.

"On Fridays," Piotrowski said, "I can tell you, we look very longingly out there."

Reporter Janis D. Froelich can be reached at (813) 835-2104 or jfroelich@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT