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On the waterfront: Improve or remove?
By LEONORA LaPETER
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- The City Council must decide whether to spend millions of dollars on waterfront properties such as Albert Whitted Municipal Airport and the Bayfront Center or knock them down and start over. The first discussions began Thursday at City Hall, where council members learned they face as much as $55-million in repairs, maintenance and expansion costs to make the city's waterfront property economically viable. The city's staff also offered council members alternatives, such as expanding the city's waterfront park system in front of the airport or allowing the construction of townhomes and apartments on parts of the city's 165-acre waterfront holdings. "You have a series of facilities that are at a critical decision point," First Deputy Mayor Tish Elston told the council. "Don't make the mistake of thinking that we have any underlying agenda. What we want to do is make sure we, as a staff, analyze all of the opportunities out there and provide that to you all so you can make the right decision for the future." Council members stressed that they were not committing to rid the waterfront of the airport, the port, Florida Power Park or the Bayfront Center and Mahaffey Theater. But several council members said they were open-minded to learning more about the options. "This ultimately is a huge decision that has to be made because we're setting the course for the next 30 years as to the use of the land," said council member Richard Kriseman after Thursday's meeting. The city pays subsidies of up to $2-million a year combined for all the facilities. City officials said one option is to spend money to make them more financially independent. The city has an agreement to lease Florida Power Park to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for spring training through 2007. The facility costs the city about $770,000 a year to maintain. The city provides a $1.3-million subsidy to the Bayfront Center, which was built in the 1960s. The building needs $1.4-million in repairs, and city officials estimate another $3-million is needed to upgrade the arena. The city also has plans to improve its port at a cost of about $14.8-million. This would include an educational building that would serve the port and the University of South Florida's marine science program. As for Albert Whitted, a consultant recently recommended $35-million in improvements over the next 20 years, including an extension of the runway 908 feet into Tampa Bay. The city borrowed $6.9-million in 1997 to add hangars, build a terminal and make other improvements. But the terminal has not been started, and the money has been spent, city officials said. Another $3-million in city funds is needed to build the terminal and pay back the city's debt on the borrowed money. With all these expenses on the horizon, council members plan to review the best use for each of the facilities. Mayor Rick Baker also supports a review of the best use of the properties. "We have established assets at these locations, and land use decisions have not been made in a long time," said Ronald D. Barton, director of the city's economic development and property management. "Many of these land uses were committed to in the Twenties and Thirties. ... I would contend that it's time to evaluate those uses." Staff members said they would come back to the council with a framework for reviewing the issue. "I do want us to hold what we have in our history to our heart," said council member James Bennett. "But I do want to be open-minded.' In other business, the council learned that the Florida Department of Transportation is offering alternatives to the unattractive 36-inch traffic signal monotube that was originally proposed for the intersection of 66th Street and Tyrone Boulevard. The Transportation Department is resurfacing Tyrone Boulevard from Fifth Avenue N to Park Street. It has agreed to install a more traditional mast-arm traffic signal across the intersection. Council members asked city staff members to see whether the state would agree to several poles holding traffic signals at the intersection, rather than a single arm stretching across the intersection.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
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From the Times South Pinellas desks |
