Land deal with Tampa synagogue could bring luxury condos to Bayshore Blvd

A Miami-based developer has struck a deal with a Tampa synagogue to build another luxury condominium on Bayshore Boulevard.

The Related Group, which has spearheaded several high-end projects in the Tampa Bay area including the nearby Ritz Carlton Residences, announced plans to purchase roughly two acres of land from Rodeph Sholom Synagogue on Thursday.

That land houses a parking lot and a pre-school building that Rodeph Sholom rents to the Bryan Glazer Family Jewish Community Center. The Related Group plans to replace it with a high-rise that includes 50-60 condo units and parking for residents and the synagogue, according to a spokesperson for the developer.

The congregation will use the money from the sale to fund cosmetic upgrades to the synagogue’s aging exterior and potentially add an event space, said Lloyd Stern, Rodeph Sholom’s president.

The building was erected in the late 1960s and has stayed mostly the same since.

“When you see something that doesn’t look as beautiful on Bayshore, it sticks out a little more because of what Bayshore is, or what Bayshore does represent in Tampa,“ said Stern, adding that he believes the deal with the Related Group will allow the synagogue “to maintain our presence on Bayshore for hundreds of years to come.”

The Related Group submitted a site plan for the project to the City of Tampa Planning Department on Thursday. It plans to close on the property in January 2024, pending approval from the city, according to a media release.