Franklin Street - Page 4

Outsidethebox · September 23rd, 2011, 06:21 PM

Thats a great photo, thanks for sharing!

jonknee · September 25th, 2011, 06:16 AM

Thought you guys might want to see the garden I'm working on the corner of Franklin and Polk. This is right above Duckweed, so it's technically fronting Polk but the entrance is on Franklin. I have been enjoying it and want to expand it quite a bit, but have been too busy with actual work.

jonknee · October 10th, 2011, 03:30 PM

Work has [temporarily] stopped at the old Club 112 site. I still haven't figured out what's going in there, but from what they're doing I'd assume another club or music venue (they're leaving the bar intact).

TPAMAN · October 10th, 2011, 04:37 PM

It looks like it's for failing to have the proper insurance coverage at the site

jonknee · October 10th, 2011, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TPAMAN

It looks like it's for failing to have the proper insurance coverage at the site

Yup, no workers comp.

Outsidethebox · October 12th, 2011, 07:36 PM

Just drove by and saw people working on the Club 112 site. Maybe the issues have been resolved.

TampaMike · October 12th, 2011, 09:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonknee

Thought you guys might want to see the garden I'm working on the corner of Franklin and Polk. This is right above Duckweed, so it's technically fronting Polk but the entrance is on Franklin. I have been enjoying it and want to expand it quite a bit, but have been too busy with actual work.

Do they have garden space for people to rent up there or something? I've been thinking of that idea, having some projects that have gardens for residents to rent or allowing restaurants to use to get cheaper produce, which would mean (in some cases) cheaper prices.

jonknee · October 12th, 2011, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Outsidethebox

Just drove by and saw people working on the Club 112 site. Maybe the issues have been resolved.

Yep, they're back at work. Making large windows on the Franklin street side of the building (knocking out concrete block with sledge hammers). If nothing else, it should be a nicer looking block when they're done.

jonknee · October 12th, 2011, 09:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TampaMike

Do they have garden space for people to rent up there or something? I've been thinking of that idea, having some projects that have gardens for residents to rent or allowing restaurants to use to get cheaper produce, which would mean (in some cases) cheaper prices.

No, it's the roof access portion of the space we rent on the second floor of the same building Duckweed is in. It's a shared office space, the garden is just a fun hobby.

TampaMike · October 12th, 2011, 10:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonknee

No, it's the roof access portion of the space we rent on the second floor of the same building Duckweed is in. It's a shared office space, the garden is just a fun hobby.

Gotcha. What you have growing? Looks like some herbs and maybe a tomato plant?

jonknee · October 13th, 2011, 06:51 AM

Bell peppers, cherry hot peppers, jalapenos, Japanese eggplant, strawberries, tomatos, basil, mint, green onions, parsley and a few random not edibles. I've been working a ridiculous amount and not able to do much outside, but I'd love to get a bunch of bamboo and other tropicals going. We don't have a ton of sun in the fall/winter thanks to the Tampa Theatre building blocking the lower sun, but I think it can work. The recent spats of tons of rain and wind have taken a few victims, but what can you do?

jonknee · October 14th, 2011, 05:32 AM

Duckweed made the SP Times today.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...ake-it/1196697

TAMPA — The wishes of urbanites living downtown have finally come true.

They have a grocery store — albeit, one the size of a small storage unit.

"It's the best thing we've got," said Brandon Kanter, 27, who lives in the SkyPoint high-rise on Ashley Drive.

Mayor Bob Buckhorn is scheduled to cut the ribbon today at the grand opening of the Duckweed Urban Market, signifying the role this shoebox could play in downtown's long evolution into a thriving home for young professionals.

First came hip places like Fly Bar on N Franklin Street. Then came high-rises like SkyPoint and Element, mid-rise neighborhoods in the Channel District, a Riverwalk, two sleek new museums and a dramatically overhauled Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. There are now more than 70 restaurants downtown brave enough to stay open for dinner.

A tide of residents came with the sea change. After years of high vacancies, the Tampa Downtown Partnership reported this spring that 85 percent of downtown's 4,325 homes are occupied.

The survey also reported what 93 percent of those urban dwellers felt was missing most: a grocery store.

Michelle Deatherage agreed. She's lived with her husband, Brent, downtown for 31/2 years.

"I hated waking up Sunday morning and saying 'let's cook bacon,' " she said, "and there was nowhere to get bacon."

They would drive about a mile to Publix on Bayshore Boulevard or Wal-Mart just south of the University of Tampa. For a toothbrush or candy bar, they could walk to a convenience store on E Madison Avenue.

"CVS is the closest to get your milk," Deatherage said. "They're actually not bad, all things considered, but wouldn't it be great to have a place dedicated to groceries plus beer and wine?"

So the Deatherages opened one. They leased 400 square feet at 305 E Polk St. that once housed a pen shop, painted the floor red and began stocking gourmet, local and organic produce, meats and cheeses, as well as common merchandise like Pringles chips and Snickers bars.

Michelle Deatherage, 39, a Lowe's Home Improvement director, and Brent Deatherage, 43, a physician associate, named the store Duckweed after a tiny flowering plant that grows in Florida and feeds livestock in some countries.

They set out a bright red awning, a flower box full of herbs and a friendly sidewalk sandwich board. They slapped rubber duckie outlines on the walls and stocked tight shelves with Oregon Chai, Cafe DuMonde chickory, white and black truffle oil, Romanoff caviar, Sriracha hot sauce, Blackstrap molasses, fine herb goat cheese, Bar S turkey bacon and locally baked Baker Pilgrim pumpkin muffins still warm upon delivery.

With the possibility of a grocery store opening some day blocks away in the 40-acre Encore housing project, Michelle Deatherage wanted to concentrate on specialty products to stand out and lure sophisticated urbanites.

The store has been quietly open for two months, and some people have noticed. Customers next door at the Hub, a dive bar institution downtown for more than 60 years, have bought cans of salsa to split with chips at the bar, daytime manager Jeanne Robinson said.

Robinson has worked at the Hub for 24 years and remembers downtown's last grocery store, a U-Save, that closed decades ago.

"Everybody wants one," she said.

Duckweed in no way alleviates downtown's desire for a full-service grocery store, residents said. But it does give their big, urban appetites a small snack while they wait.

"It's awesome they're actually thinking about the residents more," said Can Us, 28, who has lived in SkyPoint for the past three years and recently walked over to the Duckweed for a cucumber soda.

jonknee · October 15th, 2011, 09:48 PM

I might add that with the grand opening at Duckweed they have introduced beer and wine. If you want some selections you can't find at The Hub's package store, Duckweed is probably your best bet in the area.

jonknee · January 24th, 2012, 11:35 PM

I heard a rumor that the Club 112 site will be operated as a Live Nation venue. Anyone know more? That would be a big addition to DT, Live Nation brings a lot of acts.

Also now open (and across the street from 112) is Martini Republic. They're still working things out, but the ground level area is open. To come a very large outdoor deck and upstairs "VIP" area. Bar only, no food.

ATampaArnold · January 25th, 2012, 05:03 AM

The martini republic is nice and relatively cheap. Bar and couches are nice. Wish they had food.

Del Mayberry · February 27th, 2012, 05:39 PM

By LAWRENCE SULLIVAN | Tbo.com
Published: February 27, 2012 Updated: February 27, 2012 - 6:00 AM
» 6 Comments | Post a Comment
TAMPA --
The lighting is dim at night. Stones along the walkways are cracked, and several businesses are boarded-up.
But thanks to a city plan to spruce up the stretch of Franklin Street downtown between Polk and Fortune streets, as well as the addition of two new businesses, the area is poised for redevelopment.
"It's a pedestrian gateway to our city, so it's important to us," said Bob McDonaugh, the city's administrator for economic opportunity.
The area itself is great, and the city's improvements will be a boon to the nearby businesses, said Mark Culbreath, manager of Fly Bar & Restaurant, at 1202 N. Franklin St.
"Improvements alone might attract more businesses to the area, which downtown needs," Culbreath said.
"Every piece helps something else start," said architect Stephanie Ferrell, who owns a business at 1213 N. Franklin St. "Redevelopment is a synergistic process."
The city wants to improve street lighting, widen walkways and add trees.
A fountain will be removed.
There have been issues with vagrants because of the dim lighting, Culbreath said. While he said the area is safe, a perception exists that it is dangerous because of the poor lighting.
The Franklin Street improvement project likely will begin soon and be completed by summer, McDonaugh said.
The stretch also will be improved thanks to businesses Tampa Live and Martini Republic, which have recently opened or are set to open in the 900 block of North Franklin. Tampa Live will be a live music venue; Martini Republic is an upscale martini bar.
Plus, in the past few years more people have moved to the neighborhood, McDonaugh said.
Despite some planned condominiums never coming to fruition because of the housing market bust, SkyPoint and Metro 510, among others, have added vibrancy back to the area.
The Franklin Street corridor was at its business peak in the 1940s and '50s. But in the 1960s, residential flight to the suburbs hurt Franklin Street businesses. In the 1980s and '90s, suburban shopping malls lured away even more shoppers.
The stretch only recently started picking back up.
Josh Croy, a Martini Republic owner, said he wanted to bring the area back to where it was 20 years ago.
"We just figured if we came in there, it would ignite something and something more would come," he said.
Several years ago the city improved Franklin from Polk Street to Kennedy Boulevard, widening or replacing walkways, increasing the size of flower beds and adding lighting.
Franklin isn't the only downtown street being improved. A $1.2 million project is under way to turn a portion of Zack Street into an artsy, pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare leading to the banks of the Hillsborough River.

jonknee · February 27th, 2012, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Del Mayberry

The stretch also will be improved thanks to businesses Tampa Live and Martini Republic, which have recently opened or are set to open in the 900 block of North Franklin. Tampa Live will be a live music venue; Martini Republic is an upscale martini bar.

Well that seems to confirm the Live Nation music venue rumor I heard. It's supposed to be where Club 112 was, which is a big space. Anyone have more info?

TampaMike · February 27th, 2012, 09:14 PM

Great News! It'll be great to have another area of the city with life pretty much 24/7. The whole Franklin area is really impressing me and I hope more good news comes for the area and the residents at Element and Skypoint. And I wonder with the increase in amenities along Franklin, will the city wait too long to extend the streetcar? The city really needs to throw away trying to grab TIGER funding for the Riverwalk and go after funding to fund the streetcar. The streetcar has far more potential, benefits, and credibility to obtain funding, not bashing the Riverwalk.

And Del Mayberry, thank you for the article but can we please attach the links to the articles?

Jasonhouse · February 28th, 2012, 12:02 AM

Exciting stuff

***I-275westcoastfl*** · February 28th, 2012, 12:27 AM

Tampa doing something in the right direction? No shit..

September 25th, 2011, 06:16 AM	#62
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,285 Likes (Received): 0	Thought you guys might want to see the garden I'm working on the corner of Franklin and Polk. This is right above Duckweed, so it's technically fronting Polk but the entrance is on Franklin. I have been enjoying it and want to expand it quite a bit, but have been too busy with actual work. __________________ What I've been up to in the kitchen

October 10th, 2011, 03:30 PM	#63
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,285 Likes (Received): 0	Work has [temporarily] stopped at the old Club 112 site. I still haven't figured out what's going in there, but from what they're doing I'd assume another club or music venue (they're leaving the bar intact). __________________ What I've been up to in the kitchen

October 13th, 2011, 06:51 AM	#71
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,285 Likes (Received): 0	Bell peppers, cherry hot peppers, jalapenos, Japanese eggplant, strawberries, tomatos, basil, mint, green onions, parsley and a few random not edibles. I've been working a ridiculous amount and not able to do much outside, but I'd love to get a bunch of bamboo and other tropicals going. We don't have a ton of sun in the fall/winter thanks to the Tampa Theatre building blocking the lower sun, but I think it can work. The recent spats of tons of rain and wind have taken a few victims, but what can you do? __________________ What I've been up to in the kitchen

October 14th, 2011, 05:32 AM	#72
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,285 Likes (Received): 0	Duckweed made the SP Times today. http://www.tampabay.com/news/busines...ake-it/1196697 TAMPA — The wishes of urbanites living downtown have finally come true. They have a grocery store — albeit, one the size of a small storage unit. "It's the best thing we've got," said Brandon Kanter, 27, who lives in the SkyPoint high-rise on Ashley Drive. Mayor Bob Buckhorn is scheduled to cut the ribbon today at the grand opening of the Duckweed Urban Market, signifying the role this shoebox could play in downtown's long evolution into a thriving home for young professionals. First came hip places like Fly Bar on N Franklin Street. Then came high-rises like SkyPoint and Element, mid-rise neighborhoods in the Channel District, a Riverwalk, two sleek new museums and a dramatically overhauled Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park. There are now more than 70 restaurants downtown brave enough to stay open for dinner. A tide of residents came with the sea change. After years of high vacancies, the Tampa Downtown Partnership reported this spring that 85 percent of downtown's 4,325 homes are occupied. The survey also reported what 93 percent of those urban dwellers felt was missing most: a grocery store. Michelle Deatherage agreed. She's lived with her husband, Brent, downtown for 31/2 years. "I hated waking up Sunday morning and saying 'let's cook bacon,' " she said, "and there was nowhere to get bacon." They would drive about a mile to Publix on Bayshore Boulevard or Wal-Mart just south of the University of Tampa. For a toothbrush or candy bar, they could walk to a convenience store on E Madison Avenue. "CVS is the closest to get your milk," Deatherage said. "They're actually not bad, all things considered, but wouldn't it be great to have a place dedicated to groceries plus beer and wine?" So the Deatherages opened one. They leased 400 square feet at 305 E Polk St. that once housed a pen shop, painted the floor red and began stocking gourmet, local and organic produce, meats and cheeses, as well as common merchandise like Pringles chips and Snickers bars. Michelle Deatherage, 39, a Lowe's Home Improvement director, and Brent Deatherage, 43, a physician associate, named the store Duckweed after a tiny flowering plant that grows in Florida and feeds livestock in some countries. They set out a bright red awning, a flower box full of herbs and a friendly sidewalk sandwich board. They slapped rubber duckie outlines on the walls and stocked tight shelves with Oregon Chai, Cafe DuMonde chickory, white and black truffle oil, Romanoff caviar, Sriracha hot sauce, Blackstrap molasses, fine herb goat cheese, Bar S turkey bacon and locally baked Baker Pilgrim pumpkin muffins still warm upon delivery. With the possibility of a grocery store opening some day blocks away in the 40-acre Encore housing project, Michelle Deatherage wanted to concentrate on specialty products to stand out and lure sophisticated urbanites. The store has been quietly open for two months, and some people have noticed. Customers next door at the Hub, a dive bar institution downtown for more than 60 years, have bought cans of salsa to split with chips at the bar, daytime manager Jeanne Robinson said. Robinson has worked at the Hub for 24 years and remembers downtown's last grocery store, a U-Save, that closed decades ago. "Everybody wants one," she said. Duckweed in no way alleviates downtown's desire for a full-service grocery store, residents said. But it does give their big, urban appetites a small snack while they wait. "It's awesome they're actually thinking about the residents more," said Can Us, 28, who has lived in SkyPoint for the past three years and recently walked over to the Duckweed for a cucumber soda. __________________ What I've been up to in the kitchen

October 15th, 2011, 09:48 PM	#73
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,285 Likes (Received): 0	I might add that with the grand opening at Duckweed they have introduced beer and wine. If you want some selections you can't find at The Hub's package store, Duckweed is probably your best bet in the area. __________________ What I've been up to in the kitchen

September 23rd, 2011, 06:21 PM	#61
Outsidethebox Channelside Resident Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Tampa Posts: 30 Likes (Received): 0	Thats a great photo, thanks for sharing!

October 10th, 2011, 04:37 PM	#64
TPAMAN Registered User Join Date: Aug 2005 Posts: 430 Likes (Received): 3	It looks like it's for failing to have the proper insurance coverage at the site

October 12th, 2011, 07:36 PM	#66
Outsidethebox Channelside Resident Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Tampa Posts: 30 Likes (Received): 0	Just drove by and saw people working on the Club 112 site. Maybe the issues have been resolved.

January 24th, 2012, 11:35 PM	#74
jonknee Downtown resident Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Tampa Posts: 2,285 Likes (Received): 0	I heard a rumor that the Club 112 site will be operated as a Live Nation venue. Anyone know more? That would be a big addition to DT, Live Nation brings a lot of acts. Also now open (and across the street from 112) is Martini Republic. They're still working things out, but the ground level area is open. To come a very large outdoor deck and upstairs "VIP" area. Bar only, no food. __________________ What I've been up to in the kitchen

January 25th, 2012, 05:03 AM	#75
ATampaArnold Registered User Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Tampa/Miami Posts: 355 Likes (Received): 1	The martini republic is nice and relatively cheap. Bar and couches are nice. Wish they had food.

February 27th, 2012, 05:39 PM	#76
Del Mayberry Registered User Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 495 Likes (Received): 0	Improvements aim to revive Franklin Street downtown By LAWRENCE SULLIVAN \| Tbo.com Published: February 27, 2012 Updated: February 27, 2012 - 6:00 AM » 6 Comments \| Post a Comment TAMPA -- The lighting is dim at night. Stones along the walkways are cracked, and several businesses are boarded-up. But thanks to a city plan to spruce up the stretch of Franklin Street downtown between Polk and Fortune streets, as well as the addition of two new businesses, the area is poised for redevelopment. "It's a pedestrian gateway to our city, so it's important to us," said Bob McDonaugh, the city's administrator for economic opportunity. The area itself is great, and the city's improvements will be a boon to the nearby businesses, said Mark Culbreath, manager of Fly Bar & Restaurant, at 1202 N. Franklin St. "Improvements alone might attract more businesses to the area, which downtown needs," Culbreath said. "Every piece helps something else start," said architect Stephanie Ferrell, who owns a business at 1213 N. Franklin St. "Redevelopment is a synergistic process." The city wants to improve street lighting, widen walkways and add trees. A fountain will be removed. There have been issues with vagrants because of the dim lighting, Culbreath said. While he said the area is safe, a perception exists that it is dangerous because of the poor lighting. The Franklin Street improvement project likely will begin soon and be completed by summer, McDonaugh said. The stretch also will be improved thanks to businesses Tampa Live and Martini Republic, which have recently opened or are set to open in the 900 block of North Franklin. Tampa Live will be a live music venue; Martini Republic is an upscale martini bar. Plus, in the past few years more people have moved to the neighborhood, McDonaugh said. Despite some planned condominiums never coming to fruition because of the housing market bust, SkyPoint and Metro 510, among others, have added vibrancy back to the area. The Franklin Street corridor was at its business peak in the 1940s and '50s. But in the 1960s, residential flight to the suburbs hurt Franklin Street businesses. In the 1980s and '90s, suburban shopping malls lured away even more shoppers. The stretch only recently started picking back up. Josh Croy, a Martini Republic owner, said he wanted to bring the area back to where it was 20 years ago. "We just figured if we came in there, it would ignite something and something more would come," he said. Several years ago the city improved Franklin from Polk Street to Kennedy Boulevard, widening or replacing walkways, increasing the size of flower beds and adding lighting. Franklin isn't the only downtown street being improved. A $1.2 million project is under way to turn a portion of Zack Street into an artsy, pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare leading to the banks of the Hillsborough River.

February 27th, 2012, 09:14 PM	#78
TampaMike Moderator Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Tampa, Florida Posts: 6,142 Likes (Received): 5	Great News! It'll be great to have another area of the city with life pretty much 24/7. The whole Franklin area is really impressing me and I hope more good news comes for the area and the residents at Element and Skypoint. And I wonder with the increase in amenities along Franklin, will the city wait too long to extend the streetcar? The city really needs to throw away trying to grab TIGER funding for the Riverwalk and go after funding to fund the streetcar. The streetcar has far more potential, benefits, and credibility to obtain funding, not bashing the Riverwalk. And Del Mayberry, thank you for the article but can we please attach the links to the articles? __________________ Corporations Are People Too - Mitt Romney For the People that dress up like Corporations.

February 28th, 2012, 12:02 AM	#79
Jasonhouse Registered User Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 12,272 Likes (Received): 8	Exciting stuff

February 28th, 2012, 12:27 AM	#80
*I-275westcoastfl* Jestem Hardkorem Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Clearwater, Florida Posts: 5,541 Likes (Received): 30	Tampa doing something in the right direction? No shit..

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