Urban scenes, resumes, a big game

Tampa columnist HOOPER E-mail: Click here Archive

By ERNEST HOOPER

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 22, 2001

During my four years as the Times' NFL writer, I got a chance to experience how great a city can be when it has a thriving urban scene.

Chicago and New York City, of course, are enthralling. Boston is beautiful in the summer, downtown Minneapolis gets high marks and believe Drew Carey when he says Cleveland rocks.

Sure, we have Ybor City, but what separates these other cities from Tampa are urban residents.

Developer Manny Alvarez shares that opinion, and that's why he's been one of the forces behind two projects south of Seventh Avenue in Ybor.

Ybor Realty owner Steve Yturriaga was ready to turn his property at 20th Street and Fifth Avenue into a parking lot, but Alvarez persuaded him to do something different. The result is a plan to build a stylish combination of condominiums and retail shops, designed by RBK Architects.

Alvarez also is working closely with RBK on a collection of lofts for the 1900 block of Fourth Avenue. RBK's William Dobson helped both projects get initial approval from the Barrio Latino Commission on Tuesday.

More people living in the historic district is going to mean a cleaner, safer and more profitable Ybor City.

The same can be said for Channelside and downtown. When I win the lottery, my first check is going into an urban development.

Speaking of Ybor City, Chamber of Commerce President Annette DeLisle has resigned to become a partner in a new software development company. DeLisle had served as president of the Ybor chamber for the past five years, and chairman Ron Rampolla said she will definitely be missed.

The chamber already is taking resumes at P.O. Box 10563, Tampa, FL, 33679-0563.

County Commissioner Jim Norman said Tuesday the Tampa Bay Sports Commission will make a bid for Tampa to host the 2004 Army-Navy football game.

Norman said he began looking into the possibility earlier this year when he learned Philadelphia, the game's traditional site, would be unable to host in upcoming years because of construction of a new football stadium. He has received initial support from the Bucs, and Outback CEO Chris Sullivan has said the game would not conflict with the annual Outback Bowl.

Norman noted Tampa Bay is the second-largest area in the United States for military retirees, and many community leaders are former Army and Navy officers.

There is still work to be done, and Tampa is not the only city competing, but the thought of one of college football's most storied rivalries marching into Raymond James is thrilling.

When it comes to being kid friendly, Tampa ranks 21st out of 25 major metropolitan cities.

The environmental organization Zero Population Growth gives the city a C in its bi-annual report card. The grade is based on 17 different quality-of-life indicators, arranged into seven categories.

Tampa got an A+ for its low unemployment rate and high percentage of affordable homes, and an A- for the low number of bad air days. Public safety and education, however, earned Cs.

Portland was first while Atlanta was last. Among smaller "independent cities," Clearwater was 53rd and St. Petersburg was 132nd out of the 140.

This doesn't mean everybody with kids needs to move to the great Northwest. As organization president Peter H. Kostmayer said, "This report is designed to help cities focus on doing better."

So let's do better.

So the FBI arrested eight people Tuesday on charges of rigging the McDonald's Monopoly game? I can't tell you how many times I bought a Big Mac for the sole purpose of trying to get Boardwalk. I'm thinking class-action suit.

You with me?

- Ernest Hooper can be reached at (813) 226-3406 or Hooper@sptimes.com. His column appears on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

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