International Plaza and Bay Street
Retailer / private label
UnclaimedInternational Plaza and Bay Street is an upscale enclosed shopping mall and open-air dining district beside Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Florida.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
International Plaza and Bay Street is a large upscale retail and dining complex in Tampa, Florida, located immediately adjacent to Tampa International Airport. The property combines International Plaza, a traditionally enclosed regional shopping mall, with Bay Street, a connected open-air shopping and restaurant district. Its location near the airport, major roads, and the Westshore business district gives it a regional draw beyond its immediate surrounding neighborhoods. International Plaza is positioned as a high-end shopping destination. Its tenant mix has historically included department stores, luxury and contemporary fashion retailers, specialty shops, restaurants, and service businesses. The mall’s major anchors have included Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, and Dick’s House of Sport. The property’s anchor lineup and upscale presentation distinguish it from more conventional suburban shopping centers in the Tampa area. Bay Street provides a different format. Rather than extending the enclosed mall environment, it operates as an open-air promenade centered on restaurants, lifestyle-oriented retail, and hospitality. Restoration Hardware is a principal retail anchor, while restaurants associated with the district have included The Capital Grille, The Cheesecake Factory, and Bar Louie. A Renaissance hotel is directly connected to Bay Street, adding nearly 300 guest rooms and meeting facilities to the overall complex and supporting business, tourism, and special-event traffic. Planning for International Plaza began in 1986 under developer Dick Corbett, initially through International Plaza Ltd. and later through Concorde Companies in partnership with Taubman Companies. The development occupies approximately 150 acres southeast of Tampa International Airport, including land that had previously been associated with an 18-hole Hall of Fame golf course. Anchor announcements began in 1998, construction was awarded to Sordoni Skanska in 1999, and the mall opened on September 14, 2001. Its opening occurred only three days after the September 11 attacks, which limited the launch’s publicity, although the center subsequently established itself as a successful regional destination. The property has evolved through anchor replacements, tenant changes, and format adjustments. Lord & Taylor, one of the original announced anchors, closed in 2004 and was replaced by Robb & Stucky in 2005. After Robb & Stucky entered bankruptcy and closed its location in 2011, the space was taken over by Life Time Athletic in 2014. Life Time later closed the location, and Dick’s House of Sport opened in the space on October 11, 2024. H&M also expanded the mall’s fashion offering with a store that opened in November 2011. International Plaza and Bay Street’s identity therefore rests on a combination of upscale department-store retail, specialty fashion, restaurants, hospitality, and airport-adjacent accessibility. It is a physical destination rather than a consumer-goods label, and its commercial proposition depends on tenant curation, dining and leisure experiences, tourism, and regional shopping traffic. Taubman Realty Group and its assets, including the complex, were reported as acquired by Simon Property Group in November 2025. Simon subsequently announced a renovation investment in February 2026, subject to the timing and scope described in the cited reference material.
History
Plans for International Plaza began in 1986, when Tampa real-estate developer Dick Corbett initiated the project through International Plaza Ltd. The development was later advanced by Concorde Companies in partnership with Taubman Companies. The proposed site covered approximately 150 acres southeast of Tampa International Airport. Part of the land had previously been associated with an 18-hole Hall of Fame golf course, making the project a substantial redevelopment of strategically located property. The development team pursued an upscale regional mall concept. In 1998, Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom were publicly identified as anchor tenants, followed shortly by Neiman Marcus. Dillard’s was announced as the fourth and final anchor later that year. A one-million-square-foot office plaza was also proposed in 1998, reflecting the broader commercial ambitions for the airport-area site. In 1999, Sordoni Skanska, the United States subsidiary of Skanska, received the construction contract. By early 2001, the mall had signed its first 100 tenants. Sixty-five of those tenants were reportedly new to the Tampa market, reinforcing the project’s aim to function as a destination rather than simply another neighborhood shopping center. The Cheesecake Factory, described as an 11,000-square-foot restaurant, was announced in June 2001. International Plaza opened on September 14, 2001. Because the opening took place only three days after the September 11 attacks, it received limited initial publicity. The center nevertheless developed into a successful upscale shopping complex. The property’s development included Bay Street, a more contemporary open-air component adjoining the enclosed mall. Bay Street emphasized restaurants, lifestyle retail, and pedestrian-oriented circulation. A Renaissance hotel directly connected to Bay Street opened in August 2004. The hotel added 293 rooms and approximately 12,500 square feet of meeting space, linking the property’s retail offer with business travel, tourism, conventions, and events. The tenant and use mix changed over time. Lord & Taylor closed in July 2004, and the space was converted for Robb & Stucky, an upscale furniture retailer that opened there in February 2005. Robb & Stucky later closed as a result of bankruptcy in 2011. The former store area was subsequently occupied by Life Time Athletic, which took over the space in 2014. H&M opened at International Plaza on November 10, 2011, broadening the fashion range beyond the property’s traditional luxury and department-store positioning. Life Time Fitness eventually closed its location, and Dick’s House of Sport opened in the space on October 11, 2024. The concept, operated by Dick’s Sporting Goods, brought a large-format sporting-goods and active-lifestyle use to the complex. The reference material further reports a change in ownership in November 2025, when Simon Property Group acquired Taubman Realty Group and its assets, including International Plaza and Bay Street. In February 2026, Simon reportedly announced a renovation program for International Plaza and Bay Street together with two other centers, describing the initiative as part of a $250 million investment. International Plaza and Bay Street has consequently developed from a planned airport-area mall into a mixed retail, dining, hospitality, and leisure destination. Its history is characterized by upscale anchor selection, integration with Bay Street’s open-air restaurant environment, replacement of underperforming or departing tenants, and adaptation to changing consumer uses. Its current identity combines enclosed regional shopping with dining, hotel, meeting, fitness, sporting-goods, and lifestyle experiences.
- 2026
Reported renovation announcement
[1]Reference material reports a Simon-announced renovation investment involving International Plaza and Bay Street.
- 2025
Reported acquisition by Simon Property Group
[1]Reference material reports that Simon Property Group acquired Taubman Realty Group and assets including the complex.
- 2024
Dick’s House of Sport opens
[1]Dick’s House of Sport opened on October 11, replacing the former Life Time Fitness location.
- 2014
Life Time Athletic takes over former furniture-store space
[1]Life Time Athletic opened in the former Robb & Stucky location.
- 2011
H&M opens and Robb & Stucky closes
[1]H&M opened at the mall, while Robb & Stucky closed following bankruptcy.
- 2005
Robb & Stucky opens
[1]Robb & Stucky opened in the former Lord & Taylor space in February.
- 2004
Renaissance hotel opens
[1]The hotel connected to Bay Street opened in August with 293 rooms and meeting facilities.
- 2001
International Plaza opens
[1]The mall opened on September 14, 2001, shortly after the September 11 attacks.
- 1999
Construction contract awarded
[1]Sordoni Skanska received the contract to construct the mall.
- 1998
Major anchor tenants announced
[1]Lord & Taylor and Nordstrom were announced as anchors, followed by Neiman Marcus and Dillard’s.
Products and positioning
Upscale regional shopping, dining, hospitality, and lifestyle destination serving Tampa Bay, airport visitors, and tourism-oriented traffic.
Enclosed shopping mall · 2001
International Plaza
The enclosed portion of the complex is an upscale regional shopping mall with department stores, specialty fashion, luxury retail, dining, and services. Its anchor history includes Dillard’s, Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, and later Dick’s House of Sport.
Open-air shopping and dining district · 2001
Bay Street
Bay Street is the open-air component of the property. It emphasizes restaurants, lifestyle retail, and pedestrian-oriented spaces, with Restoration Hardware as a major retail anchor and a directly connected Renaissance hotel.
Hospitality · 2004
Renaissance hotel
The Renaissance hotel is directly connected to Bay Street and adds hotel accommodation and meeting facilities to the shopping and dining destination. Reference material identifies 293 guest rooms and approximately 12,500 square feet of meeting space.
Brand decisions
2026
Reported renovation programStrategyBackground
Following the reported ownership change, the property was identified for reinvestment.
Action taken
Simon Property Group reportedly announced renovation work for International Plaza and Bay Street and two other centers as part of a $250 million investment.
Aftermath
The renovation was intended to enhance the property's shopping experience and competitiveness.
Reported investment program. $250 million (Announced February 2026; covers International Plaza and Bay Street plus two other centers)
2025
Reported transfer to Simon Property GroupM&ABackground
International Plaza and Bay Street was reported as part of the Taubman Realty Group assets.
Action taken
Reference material reports that Simon Property Group acquired Taubman Realty Group and the associated assets in November 2025.
Aftermath
The reported transaction placed the property within Simon Property Group’s portfolio of shopping centers.
2024
Introduce Dick’s House of SportProduct launchBackground
Life Time Fitness closed its location on June 15, leaving a large-format space available within the mall.
Action taken
Dick’s House of Sport opened on October 11, 2024, bringing Dick’s Sporting Goods’ experiential sporting-goods concept to the property.
Aftermath
The change expanded the complex’s active-lifestyle and sporting-goods offer.
2014
Convert former Robb & Stucky space to fitness useStrategyBackground
The former furniture-store anchor became available after Robb & Stucky’s bankruptcy-related closure.
Action taken
Life Time Athletic took over the space in 2014.
Aftermath
The fitness use eventually closed and was replaced by Dick’s House of Sport in 2024.
2004
Replace departing Lord & Taylor anchorStrategyBackground
Lord & Taylor closed its location in July 2004, creating a need to reposition the anchor space.
Action taken
The space was prepared for Robb & Stucky, an upscale furniture retailer, which opened there in February 2005.
Aftermath
Robb & Stucky later closed following bankruptcy, and the space was subsequently reused by Life Time Athletic and then Dick’s House of Sport.
Sources2 sources
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