A HISTORY
Seated across the street from what was once Henry B. Plant’s legendary Tampa Bay Hotel, our space has undergone several transformations throughout its lifetime since originally constructed in 1891.
Beginning in the 1920s an arcade of local shops and businesses occupied the space, a principal feature echoed in the current design. After decades of vacancy, brother and sister team, Blake Casper and Allison Adams, sought to revive the space and establish something missing in their hometown: a place to belong. With inspiration from travels abroad and the assembly of a passionate team of experts, their idea began to take shape, while the space and it’s many uses evolved together.
Following painstaking restoration, most notably of the century old brickwork, a design that seamlessly blends the old with the new breathed new life into the space.
We began with a mission to create something that would cultivate community and conversation. Designed in the spirit of human engagement, Oxford Exchange is ultimately a gathering place housing a collection of ideas and experiences under a single roof. Just as the name suggests, we drew inspiration from the historic clubs, libraries and shops of London, whose charm and history seem to spark spontaneous social interaction.
We opened the doors to the community on September 24, 2012, and we watched. People responded to the space, and they began using it, often exactly as we imagined, sometimes in ways we never dreamed. Oxford Exchange is not a static space. it evolves and is enriched by every person who enters. Empty, it is a beautiful space. But when open, it is vibrant community, and more than we could ever have for.
