Strong pre-leasing and unique furniture in select apartments help NICHE reach 75% lease milestone  

Wingspan Development Group and ABC Capital Corp. recently held a grand opening on June 6 for NICHE, a new six-story, 251-unit apartment community in Tampa’s North Hyde Park neighborhood. Located at 1116 W. Carmen St., less than one-half mile from downtown Tampa and adjacent to the University of Tampa, NICHE offers attainably priced luxury rental living in a vibrant urban neighborhood boasting more than 50 shops and restaurants. Attesting to its popularity, the complex is already 75% leased in its first 100 days since move-ins began.

NICHE offers studios with Ori transformable furniture, as well as traditional studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 326 to 1,173 square feet, starting at $1,335 per month. The 85 studios with Ori furniture have been among the fastest-leasing apartments at NICHE, offering residents modular furniture pieces that move via smart technology to dramatically transform a studio for different functions, such as eating, working or sleeping.

“Early leasing data showed we were right on the money with NICHE – there was a clear need for new-construction attainably priced luxury rentals in this booming neighborhood,” said Jason Macklin, director of development for Wingspan. “Tampa’s rents have soared in recent years, with a median rent of around $1,760 per month. NICHE offers an all-new building with luxury finishes and extensive amenities at prices that don’t give renters sticker shock for an apartment in this area, even without a roommate.”

NICHE’s show-stopping amenities include a spectacular rooftop deck with downtown views, a resort-style pool with cabanas and fire pits, a 24-hour fitness center featuring a covered outdoor workout area, and a rooftop lounge and game room. Golfers can hone their swing with the property’s golf simulator and putting green, while pet owners will enjoy the pet spa. A business center with coworking offices provides a “third space” for residents to work or study and a kitchen offers a larger space for entertaining outside of one’s apartment. Tampa’s protected bike path, the Green Spine, is one block away, so residents can safely bike to work, school or other local destinations.

“The shared lounges, community kitchens, workout areas and pool all ‘expand the walls’ for residents and increase their space for hosting guests, staying fit, working from home, cooking with friends or enjoying other activities,” said Macklin. “NICHE also puts them in the middle of North Hyde Park, which has become a destination for locals and tourists with its unique stores and restaurants.”

Only available in select cities in the U.S. and Canada, Ori robotic furniture (the name comes from “origami”) was originally developed by a team at MIT as a flexible, sustainable option for small-space living. The studios at NICHE are outfitted with either Ori’s Pocket Studio or Cloud Bed models. The Pocket Studio is a movable furniture module containing a bed on one side of the modular’s wall and a desk, shelving, TV stand and storage on the other side. The module’s wall can be moved via a smart device to suit a resident’s use – “closing” the module allows more space for meals or study time, while “opening” it reveals the sleeping area. The power source is a regular three-pronged outlet, and the Pocket Studio uses less power than a microwave oven. Because the built-in unit includes essential pieces like a bed, desk and storage, residents can save money on furniture and moving. Ori’s Cloud Bed can be easily raised or lowered over a sofa using the same smart technology. As with the Pocket Studio, the Cloud Bed offers residents greater flexibility in using their space and enables them to save money on furniture and moving.

The building also offers 33 traditional studios, 66 one-bedroom units, 66 two-bedrooms and one three-bedroom residence. Units feature 9-foot ceilings, wood-style plank flooring, in-unit washer/dryers, walk-in closets and programmable thermostats. Kitchens offer energy-efficient stainless steel appliances, quartz counters, tile backsplashes and built-in wine racks. Most units have either a private patio or a balcony.

NICHE is served by public transportation including HART bus routes to downtown Tampa. It is also less than 2 miles from Interstate 275 and less than 8 miles from Tampa International Airport. The location is minutes to a variety of restaurants and bars in North Hyde Park and downtown Tampa.

About Wingspan Development Group:

Wingspan Development Group is a nimble national developer focusing on multifamily, attached single-family and mixed-use developments. With in-house land acquisition, development and construction capabilities, Wingspan prides itself on its relationships and partners in key submarkets that allow the firm to move quickly in closing deals and completing best-in-class projects on time and within budget. Specializing in Class A multifamily developments, Wingspan has a number of rental and mixed-use projects in various stages of development in the Milwaukee, Chicagoland, Orlando and Tampa areas.