Intentional, thoughtful, and exceptionally designed; are the words used to describe KETTLER’s real estate developments since its inception in 1977. As a third-generation builder, Founder & CEO Robert C. Kettler transformed a modest construction business into a vertically integrated multifamily focused real estate investment firm of scale. Over the last four decades, Kettler has been inspired and led by industry-leading innovators who identify and envision impressive plans for the land and buildings that have become the roots of many of the most vibrant, diverse, and thriving neighborhoods in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast regions.
James Nozar,
President of Development
James T. Nozar is President of Development at KETTLER, where he directs all aspects of the firm’s development platform. With more than 20 years of experience guiding large-scale, design-driven projects, Mr. Nozar is recognized for his strategic leadership in delivering developments that enrich communities and create enduring value.
Q&A with James Nozar
Tampa has clearly entered a new phase of national prominence. What opportunities do you think we haven’t fully capitalized on compared to peer growth markets like Austin or Nashville?
Tampa has reached a critical moment where it has the opportunity to further elevate its standing as one of America’s top emerging cities. Cities like Austin and Nashville have attracted significant investment, experienced tremendous job growth, and stitched together many of their neighborhoods.
Tampa is very well positioned to compete for investment and growth – fueled by our region’s scale, strong labor force, high quality of life, and top-rated airport.
From my experience developing Water Street, and now with Gasworx, one of our primary objectives was to create an amenitized environment with a strategic mix of residences, modern workplaces, and retail and hospitality offerings. These types of environments are sought by today’s top employers, and also create synergistic value. These projects, and other recent developments including Midtown and The Heights, have demonstrated the significant demand for high-quality mixed-use environments in the region.
However, the growth we’re experiencing in Tampa certainly comes with its challenges, which could limit the pace and quality of investment. Growth leads to housing demand, and while we are still one of the most affordable major markets in the country, we will need to ensure an adequate supply of attainable housing options through investment and/or policy actions. Additionally, the city’s aging infrastructure and limited transportation options, including the absence of light rail and expanded regional transit, continue to challenge connectivity and accessibility.
We have worked to counter some of these challenges by increasing connectivity downtown and creating walkable mixed-use districts with a variety of housing types. This makes the city more cohesive and accessible for residents, workers and visitors. The City and County have also wisely invested in other transportation options including the TECO streetcar, the Riverwalk and Green Spine along Meridian, and other trail networks.
Tampa certainly has the potential to become a top city in the nation with continued high quality of life if we make the intentional choice to invest in critical infrastructure and housing needs.
Kettler has been involved in projects that aim to create a sense of place rather than isolated developments. What elements make a project truly transformative for a city?
At KETTLER, all of our projects start with a clear vision based on significant research and stakeholder engagement. Whether it’s a multifamily apartment community, or a vast mixed-use development project like Gasworx, we operate with a consistent, vision-focused approach that carries us through each of our projects. This vision-first mentality allows us to diligently plan and execute with a people-first and long-term mindset – the key ingredients to making a transformative place.
Building upon context is also critically important to creating an enduring and high-quality place. From its inception, Gasworx has been carefully planned to capture and extend the spirit of Ybor. Whether it’s the architecture and design, or the names of the buildings, KETTLER has been intentional in building upon the existing area and making Gasworx fit into the storied canvas, rather than standing out.
A successful development project also creates activation and a ripple effect on neighboring areas. Among our top goals for Gasworx is that this neighborhood is a catalyst for economic activity in Ybor, drawing in people who will help activate other parts of Ybor City, like 7th Avenue and beyond for more people to enjoy what Ybor has to offer. Gasworx looks to add to the next chapter of restoring Ybor City to its rightful place as one of America’s truly great neighborhoods.
What innovations in housing or development models do you think could help Tampa remain economically inclusive?
With the pace of Tampa’s growth, it is imperative to continue to add new housing supply to sustain economic vitality and inclusivity. This housing should include a diverse mix of residences attainable to a wide spectrum of income ranges and household types. The City and County have shown strong leadership through investments in mixed-income housing throughout the region, but much more needs to be done through additional investment, incentives and policy in order to meet growing demand.
At Gasworx and across KETTLER projects, inclusion is approached as neighborhood design. We are intentional about ensuring a mix of housing types that are designed to appeal to a broad range of residents, in order to support the needs of area businesses and create a more sustainable community. Over KETTLER’s 49 years in business, we have also developed and managed thousands of workforce and affordable housing units, all driven by the purpose of placemaking for everyone. Tampa is economically diverse and we are strong believers that development projects need to be accommodating of that for our city to grow and support all residents.
Given Florida’s climate, how do resilience and sustainability factor into your development projects here?
Florida’s location and climate poses a unique challenge in designing our projects. Accommodating for weather adds an additional layer of care that we take seriously when planning and managing our assets. At Gasworx, we are investing significantly in stormwater management to mitigate flooding, underground power lines to reduce outage vulnerability during storms, and elevating critical infrastructure outside of flood-prone areas. Investing in this critical infrastructure will help protect Ybor for decades to come.
Sustainability is one of our key focuses in Gasworx. At a neighborhood-level, connectivity, walkability and a pedestrian-friendly experience is foundational to the project. Integrated pedestrian paths and bike lanes will encourage residents and visitors to walk and bike, and the project’s location along the TECO Streetcar line will encourage the use of transit. Additionally, each of our buildings is designed with energy efficiency, indoor air quality, and environmental performance in mind.
When you look back decades from now, what kinds of projects would you most like Kettler to be remembered for in Tampa?
The cities that win the next decade will be the ones that build connected urban ecosystems, not just strong individual projects. Tampa’s future is less about signature towers and more about great neighborhoods and memorable street-level experiences. We aim to do that by creating a diverse mix of indoor and outdoor environments with thoughtful placemaking and year-round activation. When we look back, we hope KETTLER will be remembered for the positive impact our projects contribute to Tampa’s history and overall experience. We are confident that Gasworx will succeed in its mission to unify downtown Tampa and contribute to a safe and vibrant Ybor City – and be proud of the role we played in the community.
