Our Story

An Idea

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.
 
If at first an idea isn’t absurd, there is no hope for it. — Albert Einstein

A History 

If community is the heart of Oxford Exchange, the history is most certainly its soul. 

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.

 Then, 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. And, finally, on September 24, 2012, Oxford Exchange opened its doors to the world.