This story is essentially worthless (a high level of pay be 150,000 dollars and I'll write this report in two hours) but I include it for the record:

Waking Up Downtown
By DAVE SIMANOFF and ELLEN GEDALIUS The Tampa Tribune
Published: Feb 8, 2005




TAMPA - The Tampa Downtown Partnership and city officials rolled out a new vision for downtown Monday, giving the public its first glimpse at the result of more than six months of research, meetings and community forums.
The 120-page Tampa Downtown Vision and Action Plan pushes for affordable housing, new stores and the renovation of dilapidated landmarks. It also calls for a ``Cafe District'' along North Franklin Street and says a new organization is needed to orchestrate downtown development.

More than 100 people came to the Tampa Theatre to see the plan unveiled. Many liked what they saw.

``What I heard from that presentation is what we've needed for a long time,'' said Manny Alvarez, an Ybor City real estate developer. ``Residential development is the key. If people are living here, the storefronts will open back up.''

The report, for the most part, eschewed specifics in favor of generalities. The lack of specificity isn't an oversight, said Ray Sandelli, chairman of the Tampa Downtown Partnership and senior managing director for Florida at commercial real estate service firm CB Richard Ellis.

``What we've tried to create is really a framework,'' Sandelli said.

Monday's unveiling wasn't the first time city officials or the partnership has floated ambitious ideas.

Don Hunter, president of the company that headed up the project, said the firm found that eight development plans had been drawn up for downtown since the mid-1980s. Some contained ideas that have been incorporated into the new vision, he said.

The new plan outlines opportunities for different areas of downtown and for bringing many views and visions to the table. It does not dictate where buildings should go or what they should look like, Sandelli said.

``Downtown has a variety of different components, and each of those components is more or less important to certain people, depending on what their interests and their passions are,'' he said.

Give people a definitive vision for downtown, ``and you create a division right out of the box,'' Sandelli said.

Another way to think about it: If other plans were micromanagers, this one is supposed to be a coach.

The plan, developed by a team of consultants headed by Hunter Interests Inc., focuses on ideas to make downtown Tampa a vibrant, urban environment where people live, work, shop, relax and eat - even after dark.

It describes downtown as the area encompassing the central business district, the Channel District, Ybor City, the area immediately west of the Hillsborough River, Tampa Heights and the northern ends of Davis Islands and Harbour Island.

Many of the plan's key points revolve around North Franklin Street, Central Park Village, the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center area and the city's ongoing riverwalk initiative.

Hunter said the city should consider forming a downtown development corporation to oversee revitalization.

He also said it was important to revitalize aging landmarks such as the long-vacant Floridan hotel. Run-down buildings send bad signals to other developers, he said.

``They're symbols of a failed downtown revitalization process,'' he said.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Kathy Castor supports the notion of turning over some government property to private businesses. She also said she was pleased to see Central Park Village included in the vision.

``Tampa is one of the few downtowns that has not gone through a renaissance. Tampa, unfortunately, has lagged behind. We're on the verge of a revitalized downtown,'' she said.

Jim Shimberg Jr., a past chairman of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, said he's optimistic because the vision's focus on residential development comes at a time when there's growing interest in urban living.

``This time we've got market conditions working in our favor,'' he said.

The nonprofit Tampa Downtown Partnership works with the businesses and government to promote downtown development. The partnership and the city split the bill for the plan, which cost about $140,000.

Cities such as San Diego and Seattle have reinvigorated their downtowns through vision planning and community- and business-driven campaigns.

If Tampa wants to join that list, it needs to build a broad coalition of leaders ``that want to make it happen,'' and to communicate constantly so that newcomers know what's going on and how to help out, said Maureen McAvey, of the Urban Land Institute in Washington, D.C.

``Is is far more about those two things than it is about money,'' McAvey said. ``You can find money, but you have to build commitment.''


Reporter Andy Reid contributed to this report. Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at

Reporter Andy Reid contributed to this report. Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at dsimanoff@tampatrib.com or (813) 259-7762. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at egedalius@tampa trib.com trib.comor (813) 259-7679.

http://www.tampatrib.com/MGB6RQ7OX4E.html

Funding Called Key To Revival Downtown
By DAVE SIMANOFF dsimanoff@tampatrib.com
Published: Feb 9, 2005

TAMPA - Transforming Tampa's downtown core from a retail no-man's-land into a vibrant, bustling shopping and cafe district will take imagination, determination and hard work - plus a new nonprofit agency with about $5 million in startup funding.
The promise of a more lively downtown, as well as the means and the price tag for making it happen, came from Don Hunter, president of Hunter Interests Inc., the consulting firm that headed up the six-month research project that produced the downtown Tampa vision plan unveiled Monday.

``I've been doing this for almost four decades, and the only way I've found out to do it, in areas where the market for retail space is as weak as it is on North Franklin Street, is some kind of public-private venture to jump-start the market,'' Hunter said. ``Once the activity starts, you'll be surprised how quickly it will happen.''

Hunter outlined his proposal for a new kind of agency, called a downtown development corporation, when he unveiled the vision plan Monday evening to the public at the Tampa Theatre.

Other cities have used similar agencies to spur redevelopment efforts, he said. In Tampa, the organization should lease vacant retail spaces, fix them up and then fill them with tenants.

Once a handful of vacant storefronts are renovated and leased, local landlords and developers will follow along by renovating more ground-level retail spaces, and more tenants will flock to the area, he said.

Different kinds of downtown development corporations have spurred redevelopment and revitalization in cities as disparate as Portland, Ore., Washington, D.C., and Greenville, S.C., he said.

For example, the Portland Development Commission, created in 1958, focuses on improving run-down areas with new infrastructure, parks and transportation facilities. The improvements spark private development, and the increased taxes collected in the area are used to recoup the costs. The group also helps businesses by making investments and assembling land for development.

``We like to say that we're the spark that ignites development in areas,'' said Martha Richmond, the Portland Development Commission's public affairs director.

In downtown Greenville, a downtown revitalization has led to a resurgence in residential development.

Christine Burdick, president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, said she expects her organization will make the creation of a downtown development corporation one of its priorities. The partnership plans to host a planning meeting to discuss the new vision plan March 11.

Partnership leaders need to look at how the new corporation will be run, whom it would report to, how the retail leasing program would work and where the money would come from. Grants may be available through local or national foundations, and some local property owners maybe willing to ante money for a retail leasing program, she said.

Another point for discussion: While Hunter spoke Monday night about a downtown development corporation to revitalize North Franklin Street, Burdick said the partnership probably would want to create an agency that works with landlords and tenants throughout downtown.

Hunter said that a downtown development corporation in Tampa would need about $5 million to start and pay for the leases and building improvements.

The development corporation would need at least two staffers to start, preferably people with experience in leasing distressed properties. He said that its goal should be to lease five properties in its first year, and five more in its second year.

Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at (813) 259-7762.

http://www.tampatrib.com/MGBNE5KVY4E.html

Put the url's please - for convenience and legal reasons. Thanks

That url is http://www.tampatrib.com/Business/MGBNE5KVY4E.html

This is idiotic - either they want something that works or they should not waste the money - include it all:

Central Park Not In Scope Of `Vision'
By ANDY REID areid@tampatrib.com
Published: Feb 9, 2005




TAMPA - One of Tampa's neediest neighborhoods did not quite fit into the city's focus for a new downtown ``vision.''
City and business leaders for the past year repeatedly said the future of Central Park's dilapidated public housing affects hopes for shops and homes on the northern end of downtown as well as Ybor City's economic development.

However, the city and the Tampa Downtown Partnership business group did not include Central Park in the target area used to craft a downtown ``vision plan'' unveiled Monday.

Another plan in the works for Ybor City also does not include Central Park, located between downtown and Ybor, in its focus area.

Tampa Housing Authority officials said the city missed an opportunity to help Central Park.

Housing authority board member Toni Riordan said Central Park deserved to be considered more than just one of the ``areas of influence'' - including Harbour Island, Hyde Park and Davis Islands - in the downtown plan.

The authority made Riordan its liaison to the downtown vision plan, but Riordan said she was told she could not be part of the advisory committee working with the consultant on the study.

``It is wrong,'' Riordan said. ``You are either in or you are out, and we are out. ... You can't have it both ways.''

Limiting the plan's target area to the traditional borders of the downtown business district, which extend north to Scott Street, does not mean Central Park was ignored, said Christine Burdick, president of the downtown partnership, which teamed with the city to produce the plan.

``It is mentioned in the report as an important part of things that need to happen downtown,'' Burdick said. ``We look forward to having some supportive role in what happens there.''

Limiting the scope of the downtown plan allows the city to target specific projects that can be accomplished during the next few years, said Mark Huey, the city's economic development administrator.

``The plan isn't the end,'' Huey said. ``It is part of a process to really try to make things happen.''


Previous Plans Fail

Three plans to replace Central Park's government-assisted housing with new homes failed to materialize last year.

The first two plans, one backed by the Civitas development group, failed after county and federal government refused to support financing deals to help rebuild Central Park with a mix of government-assisted and market-rate housing.

The housing authority scrapped a third plan in November, at the city's urging, because of concerns that it would leave a high concentration of poor residents in one area and hurt development efforts downtown and in Ybor.

Instead, the authority went along with a plan for a committee to find a developer that could build homes for a mix of incomes in Central Park.

That proposal could come in June, at the earliest, officials said.


Downtown Plan A Guide

The downtown plan unveiled Monday is intended to serve as a guide to redevelopment efforts.

Representatives of the consulting company Hunter Interests Inc., of Annapolis, Md., shared details of their plan at a community meeting Monday but have yet to produce a final version.

The plan includes suggestions such as creating a ``cafe district'' along North Franklin Street and forming a development corporation to oversee revitalization efforts.

It also includes a recommendation to support efforts to encourage converting public housing in Central Park into a mixed-use and mixed-income neighborhood.

That was an affirmation of efforts already under way, Huey said.

Burdick said the housing authority did not get a seat on the advisory committee that worked on the study because the committee was intended to be a technical group. Representatives included a developer, architect and arts advocate.

The consultants that prepared the plan interviewed housing authority representatives, including Riordan and housing authority Executive Director Jerome Ryans.

Ryans applauded the plan for considering affordable housing needs downtown but said Central Park should have been included in the target area.

``All of the areas are connected,'' Ryans said about Central Park, Ybor City and downtown. ``It makes sense. You blend it all together.''

Affordable housing, job creation and transportation are all issues that link Central Park and downtown, and they are reasons the low-income area should have been a bigger part of the plan, Riordan said.

``There needs to be someone at the table who raises these issues,'' she said. ``Just awareness would be helpful.''


Central Park Push

A group called the Central City Community Development Corporation launched its own effort to pay for a study intended to help Central Park.

The group, representing 10 neighborhood associations north of downtown, has raised about half of what it needs to pay for a $50,000 study intended to help show that Central Park should be designated a community redevelopment area.

That designation could serve as an incentive to developers because it allows a portion of tax revenue generated in Central Park to be dedicated to paying for roadwork, water lines and other infrastructure improvements needed there.

Huey said Tuesday that there were no immediate plans to do the same for Central Park.

The city, which committed about $65,000 to the downtown plan and $50,000 to the Ybor vision plans, has not agreed to help pay for the Central Park study, said David Foster, president of the community development corporation.

``We need the city's support,'' Foster said. ``We need to do something for the residents of Central Park.''


Reporter Andy Reid can be reached at (813) 259-8409.

http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGB2XLG3Z4E.html

Hopefully, information about this vision plan will become more readily available in the coming weeks.

I'm very interested to see if anything comes of the USF project to map DT in 3-D, and offer up several visions for the future. They did a similar modelling project several years ago, which was pretty interesting.

The Downtown Partnership plan for revitilization is not exactly revolutionary. I suppose the idea of a "cafe district" specifically on Franklin is a good one, although it sounds a bit contrived. Plus I have this vision of penant shaped flags on all the streetlamps adorned with tropical colors and the words "Franklin Street Cafe District!" in Disney-esque font all the way up and down the road. *Shudders*...hopefully it won't come to that. What I don't get, though, is how it took them 6 months to come up with this. I mean, if it took them that long to pretty much reiterate all the general proposals from the last decade, how long will it take to implement them?

The Downtown Partnership plan for revitilization is not exactly revolutionary. I suppose the idea of a "cafe district" specifically on Franklin is a good one, although it sounds a bit contrived. Plus I have this vision of penant shaped flags on all the streetlamps adorned with tropical colors and the words "Franklin Street Cafe District!" in Disney-esque font all the way up and down the road. *Shudders*...hopefully it won't come to that. What I don't get, though, is how it took them 6 months to come up with this. I mean, if it took them that long to pretty much reiterate all the general proposals from the last decade, how long will it take to implement them?

What, kinda like this (http://www.bayciti.net/huh/1_rendering.jpg)? (Harbour Island rendering 1980)

The downtown plan they came out with is basically the same one that they put out in 1990, 1986, 1980, and 1976. With varying degrees of difference in mentioning automated people movers and downtown stadiums. There really is not a lot of difference with this new one, it's sad. The difference with this one is that there is actually some tangible evidence of downtown rebirth like the knocking down of the TECO parking garage for Novare or the groundbreakings in Channelside...

Like I said, pay me $150,000 and I'll write this in two hours.

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]
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/02/11/Citytimes/Study_calls_for_shops.shtml

Tampa's Downtown Vision and Action Program:
Report Highlights
The Vision:
To reinforce and expand downtown Tampa's role as the primary business, government, cultural, entertainment, and activity center of the Tampa Bay Metropolitan Area. The focus is the development of a variety of residential neighborhoods throughout downtown Tampa that ease live/work/play relationships and return people to the streets of downtown Tampa in the evenings. It includes revitalization of downtown Tampa's waterfront edge as a unique people place, adding more parks and usable open space to downtown destinations. The vision is to make downtown Tampa the place people truly want to be-to live, work, visit, and enjoy.

The 10-year action program reinforces the Mayor's top priorities for downtown residential development and completion of the RiverWalk and Cultural District.
A detailed market analysis was conducted to clearly identify the limits of market support and ensure that the Vision and Action Plan are realistic and achievable.
Three complementary entertainment districts at Ybor City, Channelside and on North Franklin Street can be market supported if properly developed.Residential development is the strongest market for downtown revitalization during the immediate future.
The North Franklin Street corridor should be the focus of the downtown action program, creating a downtown "Café District" that puts people back on the streets in the evening.
An innovative retail leasing program to convert much of the street level space along North Franklin Street into food/beverage, entertainment, and culturally oriented retail establishments is proposed.
The Floridan Hotel should be renovated into moderate-rate rental apartments. Achieving the moderate cost price point may necessitate public financial assistance in property acquisition and/or a shared parking structure.
A downtown development corporation, similar to those formed for other cities' successful downtown revitalizations, should be formed for the sole purpose of managing the activities associated with revitalization.
A new public/private initiative for the historic Central Park village area is encouraged to convert obsolete public and subsidized housing developments into a mixed use, mixed income neighborhood.
Create a pedestrian oriented, vibrant environment that successfully connects people to places through a safe and effective transportation network supporting all modes of travel.
Other aspects of downtown development include:
an emphasis on affordable housing and workforce housing combined with market rate housing;
identifying ways to grow the hospitality and attractions sectors, particularly expanding the meeting and visitor markets.
support for a broad cross section of educational institutions throughout downtown Tampa;
leveraged and incentivized mixed use and mixed income developments utilizing publicly owned property;
aggressively seeking public/private partnerships for successful downtown revitalization.
With projected growth during the next 10 years, potential public funds can be made available for allocation to downtown revitalization from existing sources such as the Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs), Community Investment Tax (CIT) funding, and intergovernmental relationships. Private sector investment will also climb dramatically.
The Downtown vision and action program should be revisited, adjusted and updated annually. To this end, the Partnership and public stakeholders should maintain their cooperative relationship as "keepers of the Downtown plan."
Community Forum, Monday, February 7, 2005
5 - 7 PM at the Tampa Theater, 711 N. Franklin Street
http://www.tampasdowntown.com/visionplan.htm

http://media.tbo.com/photos/trib/2005/feb/0212frn2.jpg
Note: I saw a city meeting where the owners of this block claimed htat they really do have a plan which they will bring out soon, which will involve some demolition but saving some buildigns. Also see bolded portion below:

Franklin Envisioned As Hub For Downtown
By ELLEN GEDALIUS egedalius@tampatrib.com
Published: Feb 13, 2005




TAMPA - The number of yellow and green ``condemned'' stickers along North Franklin Street easily rivals the number of ``open'' signs on the once- bustling shopping strip.
City officials, Tampa Downtown Partnership, developers and business owners envision something more.

The musty smell would vanish. The boards on shop windows would come down.

People would work on Franklin, and they also would live in condos there. After work, they would grab a drink, eat at a midpriced restaurant, see a flick at Tampa Theatre, admire the arts on Ashley Drive and walk - not drive - home to their urban lofts.

Today's sleepy and desolate Franklin would be tomorrow's hip and hopping place to be.

Why North Franklin Street? Why now?

Last week, representatives of the consulting company Hunter Interests Inc. told about 200 people gathered at Tampa Theatre of their plan to revitalize Tampa's urban core. Part of that vision plan centers on North Franklin, loosely between Kennedy Boulevard and Interstate 275. Company President Don Hunter proposes turning the corridor into an outdoor cafe district that would lure people to the streets after dark.

``You've got red brick, narrow lanes, landscaping,'' Hunter said. ``It's the kind of environment where if I was opening a cafe with umbrellas, it's exactly the kind of street I'd want to be on. A lot of the steppingstones to do this are in place.''

Consider:

* Franklin is home to Tampa Theatre, a historic movie house. People often look for a place to eat before or after the movie.

* TECO Plaza sits on Franklin, with the utility employing more than 700 people. Much of Franklin's revival depends on pedestrian traffic - people spilling out of the offices after work into restaurants nearby.

* Condos - and people - are coming. The condo project called Residences of Franklin Street will break ground in a few weeks. Construction is slated to begin on The Arlington, where condos sold out in a day and a half. Pradip C. Patel purchased the Maas Bros. department store buildings and, although he has no specific plans, residences and retail are options.

Those projects are in addition to the proposed Trump Tower Tampa, a condo project along Whiting Street and Ashley Drive.


The Forgotten Area

Franklin, a pedestrian mall between Jackson and Twiggs streets, has been ``Tampa's sort of forgotten area,'' said Stephanie Ferrell of Arlington Partners, the group converting the Arlington Hotel into 11 condos and eight offices. ``We're just beginning to do those interesting and exciting things that make a city vibrant and vital.''

In the cafe district, Hunter envisions a sushi bar next to a Greek restaurant next to an Italian eatery.

They don't have to be large restaurants, he said. Most could be mom-and pop places, although he speculates that some of the area's bigger restaurants might be interested in opening smaller spots on Franklin.

Large chain restaurants wouldn't be ideal, Hunter said. There's not enough room to park. Keep them in the suburbs, he said.

Retail also would be an important part of the mix, Hunter said.

Again, he doesn't anticipate high-end chain clothing stores. Rather, there would be art galleries and specialty shops, perhaps a florist or shirt and tie store.

To make that happen, Hunter would create a downtown development corporation, which would be charged with setting up a storefront office in the North Franklin area. The agency would try to lease five retail properties in its first year and another five a few years later. Old buildings would be rehabilitated and leased.

A foundering economy could jeopardize these dreams, said Rodney Kite- Powell, a historian at Tampa Bay History Center. Interest rates would climb. People would be less likely to invest in new condos. Banks would lose their ability to finance projects.

Besides renewing Franklin, the Tampa Downtown Vision and Action Plan outlines ways to boost the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center area and the city's proposed riverwalk along the Hillsborough River. area.

Christine Burdick, president of Tampa Downtown Partnership, hopes those districts play off one another: People could head to a restaurant on Franklin after watching a show at the performing arts center or walking their dogs along the riverwalk.


Past And Present

The Franklin corridor was at its business peak in the 1940s and early 1950s, Kite-Powell said. But by the 1960s, it had fallen victim to the suburbs. As people moved to Town 'N Country and Carrollwood, businesses and malls opened.

By the 1980s and early 1990s, more malls opened. With little population growth downtown, Woolworth's and other stores along Franklin struggled, Kite-Powell said.

With the influx of residences downtown, though, the historian predicts a revival.

``The key is people,'' he said. ``If people move into downtown Tampa, businesses will follow. There's not a Publix on the Pasco County line because cows want to shop there. People do.''

Current business owners look forward to more vibrancy on Franklin.

Leland Cool of the Nature Shop wishes Franklin would resemble lower Manhattan. When Tampa residents see boarded-up businesses on Franklin, he said, they steer clear. His flower store relies heavily on Internet and phone orders.

``It affects us because people don't come into the area,'' Cool said. ``If there's just one or two businesses, there's no reason, no destination point'' for shoppers.


`A Good Time To Get In'

When Elliott Acosta laid the groundwork for opening his casual eatery, Mr. Empanada, on Franklin, he noticed a strong, moldy odor and water leaking from the Maas Bros. building next door. The problem was mostly fixed, although a smell lingers.

``You can't put a table out there because they'd get dripped with moldy water,'' Acosta said. But, of opening a restaurant on Franklin, he said, ``It's a good time to get in.''

Ferrell, when talking about her condo and business plan for The Arlington, feels the same way.

``We want to do something that's very good and make money at it,'' Ferrell said.

Having a downtown development corporation coordinating efforts should help spur revitalization, Burdick said. Until now, landowners have been operating independently, she said.

``It's difficult for a single retailer to go in there and be successful,'' Burdick said. ``And I'm not sure they've all been trying. Successful retail requires synergy.''

Before long, she and Hunter hope, Franklin will thrive the way it did when people shopped at Woolworth's and Maas Bros.

``There's no reason some of this community development can't happen in Tampa,'' Hunter said. ``We think that's a reasonable thing.''


Researcher Diane Grey contributed to this story. Reporter Ellen Gedalius can be reached at (813) 259-7679
http://www.tampatrib.com/MGB2MGMM45E.html

I'm sure that the Tampa/St. Pete/Clearwater area will blow-up in the coming years! :)