Inside the transformation: new workforce development center takes shape in Tampa's University area

If you've driven through the University Area and noticed construction activity near Harvest Hope Park, you're not alone.A project years in the making is nearing completion, transforming a former warehouse into a new community resource center focused on workforce development, housing support, career training and community services.Watch report from Jada Williams Inside the transformation: new workforce development center takes shape in Tampa's University AreaFor me, it's also a project I've watched evolve firsthand.On January 31, 2025, I visited the site before major construction began. At the time, leaders with the University Area Community Development Corporation (CDC) walked me through their vision for the property and explained what they hoped the aging warehouse could become. More than a year later, that vision is now taking shape.From Vacant Warehouse to Community Hub The building is becoming the Harvest Hope Workforce Development Center, a 7,800-square-foot facility designed to b