Suncoast Ritz- Formerly the Boulevard Apartments, 58 Davis Blvd

Suncoast Ritz, 58 Davis Blvd, with window unit air conditioning. Circa 1970s. Gandy Collection. Courtesy of the University of South Florida Digital Collection

Built in 1926, the Suncoast Ritz Apartments started life as the Boulevard Apartments, one of the original buildings on Davis Islands, and one of six apartment buildings there. As the population of Tampa increased more rapidly than homes could be built, rentals were in high demand. In 1927, fully furnished apartments rented for $65 monthly; by 1928, that price had dropped to $50 per month, most likely responding to a decrease in demand during the ongoing real estate bust. Rental prices have risen and fallen in the building over the last 100 years, depending on market conditions.

Loans through the Community Investment Program helped restore this three-story Mediterranean-style building in 1997. Improvements included new kitchens, electrical systems, plumbing, and central heat and air.

Records indicate the building changed names to the Suncoast Ritz Apartments (aka Ritz Apartments) in the late 1970s. It is owned and managed by Gaspar Properties, which has several other properties on the islands.

Suncoast Ritz, 58 Davis Blvd. 2025 © Chip Weiner.jpg

Boulevard Apartments, 58 Davis Boulevard, multi-story stucco building nearing completion of construction. 1926. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy of the Hillsborough County Library

This photo is mislabeled in the Burgert Collection, likely an error in the original journal, placing the building on S Boulevard. It is, in fact, the Boulevard Apartments, 58 Davis Blvd.

Boulevard Apartments, 212 South Boulevard (three-story Mediterranean revival, with tile roof and wrought-iron front balconies)(Hyde Park) Tampa, Fla.. 1927. Burgert Brothers. Courtesy of the Hillsborough County Library