(CelebrityAccess News Service) – Clear Channel Entertainment and the Florida State Fair Authority have broken ground for a new 20,000-capacity Tampa Bay Amphitheatre, located at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Hillsborough County, FL. Clear Channel Entertainment will own and operate the venue.
“CCE is thrilled to have broken ground on this beautiful new facility with an anticipated opening in July 2004,” said Wilson Rogers, regional vice president of Operations. “Concertgoers can look forward to a state-of-the-art facility featuring CD quality acoustics and unparalleled site lines reinforced with a large screen video system. Located on 17 acres in the northeast corner of the fairgrounds, the amphitheatre will feature approximately 9,940 fixed covered seats, and a spacious, comfortable sloping lawn berm that can accommodate over 10,000 people.”
"After several years in pursuit of the ideal site in the Tampa market, we are ecstatic to finally see our efforts rewarded with this opportunity,” added CCE Real Estate Division President Randall Young. “Whereas the magnificent arched-canvas roof will become the architectural focal point, this location will provide our customers superb visibility, accessibility, and ample parking. I believe our facility will not only be an icon for the regional market; it will also be recognized as a valuable asset for the entire music industry."
“Tampa Bay is the only top 20 media market in the country without an amphitheatre, and the wonderful people of this region deserve a modern outdoor concert venue,” stated Wilson Howard, executive vice president CCE’s South region.”
“The amphitheatre will forever change the concert experience for music lovers in Central Florida,” said market manager Joe Nieman. “The amphitheatre’s proximity to both Interstate 4 and Interstate 75 will make it a regional facility, drawing patrons from all over the state of Florida.”–Bob Grossweiner and Jane Cohen
