With the bonds from the Tampa Convention Center to be paid off in 2015, Tampa will soon have $100 million to spend in its Downtown Community Reinvestment Area. How should the city invest in its downtown?
Linda Paul-Sena asks the question: how should Tampa spend $100 million “to encourage economic vibrancy in our urban core.”
“Would you select one big project, say a baseball stadium or its parking structure, where this princely sum becomes a dowry to woo the Rays?” asks Paul-Sena.
Or, “Do you choose a series of projects like parks, public art, wider sidewalks, capital needs of city-owned cultural facilities, like the Straz and the Tampa Theatre — all smaller in scale, intended to boost activity throughout the area?”
The article also surveys city council members, local planners, and other local stakeholders for their opinions, and asks for public opinion on the question via the article’s comment board and social media.
Read the full story: The $100 Million Magic Wand
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