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Downtown

Study calls for shops, housing downtown

Consultants prescribe a makeover with a new entertainment district, renovated buildings and smooth traffic flow.

By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published February 11, 2005

Development experts say a new entertainment district north of downtown Tampa's Franklin Street would help energize the area as it tries to become a place to live, work and visit.

That was the focus of a vision plan released this week to city officials and the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Nearly 300 people attended a community forum Monday night at the Tampa Theatre to hear details about the downtown plan by consultants Hunter Interests.

An entertainment district anchored along Franklin Street would complement the two entertainment districts already established at Channelside and in Ybor City, consultants said. In contrast to Ybor, which offers bars and nightlife, and Channelside, which offers large restaurant dining, Franklin Street would have cafes and specialty shops, said Don Hunter, a real estate economics and financial analyst who headed the vision plan.

Tampa's existing boarded up buildings are an "eyesore" and "symbols of a failed downtown revitalization," he said.

Hunter outlined a plan that calls for renovating the old Floridan Hotel and adding retail space and 86 apartments, ranging from $800 to $1,300 a month.

The consulting team focused the study on the central business district, Channel District and western downtown near the Hillsborough River to North Boulevard. It also considered surrounding areas that influence downtown, including Tampa Heights, the Central Park/Tampa Park neighborhood, East Tampa, Ybor City, Harbour Island, Davis Islands, Hyde Park and West Tampa.

The city of Tampa and the Tampa Downtown Partnership split the cost of the $130,000 study.

During his presentation, Hunter said the process should begin by creating a small development corporation office along Franklin Street that would be responsible for leasing five key properties in the first year and five more in the second year.

Hunter praised the city for work it has already done to beautify downtown streets, including new trees and sidewalks. "The city is ahead of the private sector," he said. "We need to step up the pace of these activities and have it go northward."

While Hunter said there's nothing wrong with the downtown grid, he suggested changing the flow of traffic on the one-way streets. The streets are designed for heavy traffic, and workers seldom have problems getting around once they get off the interstates.

Decreasing the number of lanes and creating two-way streets may be a better use of the roads, he said. It would allow for on-street parking close to shops and wider sidewalks.

To read more about the vision plan, go to www.tampasdowntown.com/visionplan.htm

[Last modified February 10, 2005, 11:48:06]