Spotlight On: John Curp, City Manager, City of Largo

Key points:

• • Largo’s resilience is driven by infrastructure investment and its inland location, minimizing storm impacts and attracting development.
• • The $80M Horizon West Bay project is anchoring downtown growth, spurring new retail, residential, and business activity.
• • Strategic connectivity, housing density, and redevelopment are positioning Largo as a central hub in Tampa Bay.

April 2026 — In an interview with Invest:, John Curp, city manager of the City of Largo, discussed how the city is strengthening infrastructure resilience, advancing a major downtown redevelopment anchored by a new mixed-use project that includes Largo City Hall, and positioning itself as a strategic inland hub within Tampa Bay. “We are seeing growth that demonstrates the resiliency and sustainability of our planning,” Curp said.

What changes over the past year have had the greatest impact on the City of Largo?

I think many cities in Pinellas County are still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and the recovery that followed. Most of Largo was very fortunate in comparison to other communities in Pinellas. Most of Largo is at higher elevations than our coastal neighbors. The impact on our business and industrial areas was minimal which was the result of the Commission’s investment in resilient stormwater and wastewater infrastructure.

Largo is now focused on opening our brand-new mixed-use Horizon West Bay project that includes City Hall in Downtown Largo. It represents an $80 million investment by the city of Largo to create and build up a new downtown for our region. We are very excited about that project and City operations will be moving there in May.

The project includes approximately 87,000 square feet of office space along with more than 18,000 square feet of retail space. We will be able to announce very soon that we are almost 50% leased with new business to Downtown Largo.

With that investment, we are already seeing investment in the district around the project. Ardent Properties is developing a 15,000-square-foot retail structure directly across the street. We have also received a proposal to build close to 350 market-rate residential units to take advantage of the new business, retail and entertainment district.

Individuals and businesses are seeing the benefits of Largo’s inland location as a way to secure long-term investments. Our elevation supports expansion of commercial operations with fewer risks.

How are these projects strengthening Largo’s role within the broader Tampa Bay region?

Largo is the geographic center of Tampa Bay. That central location makes us a transportation and logistics magnet for businesses looking to reach across the entire region. It is also ideal for residential living offering easy commuter access to the region and other job centers.

Pinellas County and the state have invested significantly in the I-19/I-275 corridor, which provides direct connectivity across the bay into the greater Tampa region. Those transportation investments position Largo very well in the marketplace. Businesses that locate here can reach destinations throughout the region quickly, and that accessibility reinforces our role as a place where people can live, work, and easily move throughout Tampa Bay.

How is the city addressing workforce development and talent attraction as the region grows?

Housing affordability is probably the biggest issue we see across the region. Largo is working to maintain housing options for all income levels. Our largest employers rely on close access to workforce housing.

Doctors, nurses, technicians, teachers, and administrative professionals want to live close to where they work. In response, we have revised our land-use codes to allow for higher housing density that helps maintain affordability without the need for government to directly subsidize growth.

We continue to be a place where people can live, work, and enjoy a high quality of life. We present ourselves as Tampa Bay’scommunity of choice because we offer something for everyone. With our new downtown initiatives, we are creating a more urban and walkable environment that complements the low-density suburban environment that originally drove growth in Pinellas County. We are meeting the demand for the future of housing in the region which is mostly built out.

What key trends are shaping Largo today in terms of growth and infrastructure planning?

The storms reinforced just how important stormwater infrastructure is to Largo’s long-term prosperity. We have made significant investments in both stormwater and wastewater systems to ensure they operate effectively. It is the government’s job to make investments in the basic infrastructure that supports business activity and community growth.

Another important priority is intermodal connectivity so residents can travel to work and reach community amenities.That means we need to ensure that roadways and transportation options are robust. We are adding bike lanes and creating safer infrastructure for e-bikes, which have become increasingly popular. This helps members of the workforce, especially those in the service industry to travel safely and efficiently.

Largo continues to work closely with PSTA to strengthen bus connectivity. We are planning higher-density housing around transportation access points so that residents, especially young professionals, can move easily between work, home, and lifestyle amenities.

While we are not directly on the beach, we are extremely close to it. Living on the beachfront can be very expensive, but residents can live and work in Largo and still be just 10 minutes from the water.

What are some of the biggest challenges currently facing the city and municipalities across the region?

The biggest challenge is continuing to attract business investment that allows residents to live close to where they work. Hurricanes can sometimes create a pause in attracting development, but our experience has shown that Largo is resilient and well prepared to manage those risks.

In a city like Largo, where much of the land is already developed, we’re focusing heavily on revitalizing existing areas, such as our downtown corridor and former municipal campus, to unlock new opportunities. This includes major initiatives like the Horizon West Bay mixed-use project, which will serve as our new City Hall hub, and seeking partners to redevelop our 14-acre 201 Highland Avenue campus. 

Redevelopment brings its own hurdles, from navigating aging infrastructure and environmental considerations like brownfields in older commercial zones to ensuring projects meet modern standards for storm resilience while balancing costs, timelines and preserving the fabric of our neighborhoods. These efforts require careful coordination, but they also represent tremendous potential to enhance our quality of life.

Across the region, similar themes emerge for many Pinellas municipalities: economic competition from neighboring communities, aging infrastructure upgrades, affordable housing pressures, insurance and recovery costs from past storms, and adapting to state-level policies on growth and resiliency. Yet communities like ours continue to demonstrate that thoughtful, forward-looking redevelopment, coupled with common sense resilience planning, can turn challenges into lasting strengths for residents and businesses alike. We’re committed to that path in Largo.

How does the city engage with residents and stakeholders when shaping policies and projects?

We have a very robust stakeholder engagement program. Largo is a community that primarily exists to support its residential and business stakeholders. Unlike some parts of the Tampa Bay region, we are not a major tourist destination, so our focus is squarely on the needs of our residents and local businesses.

That allows us to focus closely on those stakeholders in a way that generates economic benefit for the city and the region.

What are your key priorities for the next two to three years, and how do you see Largo evolving in the region?

Our top priority is creating a business climate that attracts investment and growth for our community while maintaining the values of our residents. That growth provides quality jobs while also supporting the amenities that make the city a great place to live.

We will continue focusing on the areas government can control, such as infrastructure transportation and limiting bureaucracy so that Largo can continue to grow at the pace of business to ensure the city is prepared for new residents and businesses.

Want more? Read the Invest: Tampa Bay report.