Syniverse: No plans for a new headquarters building downtown
By Chris Wilkerson
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Aug 26, 2014

After a long day of speculation fueled by Tampa Bay Lightning Owner Jeff Vinik's proposed new downtown office building plans that included the words "Syniverse office," Syniverse Chief Financial Officer David Hitchcock put the rumors to rest at closing time.

"We do not have any plans to enter into any arrangements for a new headquarters building in downtown," Hitchcock said in an email late Tuesday, the first definitive statement the company has made about its real estate options.

Hitchcock also is the company's administrative officer. The company's former CEO Jeffrey Gordon stepped down on Aug. 20 – the same day Vinik's rezoning request was filed on a property at South Morgan Street and Channelside Drive that seemed to indicate Syniverse would be the tenant.

A spokesperson for Vinik said there's no comment at this time.

The rezoning request even calls for almost exactly as much office space as Syniverse would need – 195,000 square feet, an indication that it was designed with the tech firm in mind. It has another 7,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space. The lot is directly across the street from Tampa Bay Times Forum.

Hitchcock's email went on to outline the company's current Tampa Bay office space occupancy: "Syniverse has a lease for our global headquarters in New Tampa through October 2016 and a lease for our facility on the 30th floor of the SunTrust building through March 2024. We remain committed to the Tampa Bay area." The New Tampa headquarters is about 200,000 square feet.

The company also has about 18,000 square feet in the SunTrust Financial Centre.

A headquarters move into the urban core had been speculated for more than a year and those who hoped for new office product in downtown Tampa threw the name Syniverse around quite a bit.

Stephen C. Gray, a current member of the board, will serve as interim president and CEO until a new president and CEO is named.

Chris Wilkerson is Deputy Editor of the Tampa Bay Business Journal.