[egreener]

How huge has the Tampa Bay Lightning been for downtown tampa in terms of development? Would Channelside/ Ybor or all areas of the downtown district have grown to this point if not for the Lightning ? Big props to the folks with vision that brought the lightning to town!

 

[tampamobster21]

I love that the Lightning are downtown. I think it bodes well for future development in the area.

 

[Tampa on the move.]

How huge has the Tampa Bay Lightning been for downtown tampa in terms of development? Would Channelside/ Ybor or all areas of the downtown district have grown to this point if not for the Lightning ? Big props to the folks with vision that brought the lightning to town!

Great points, The Lightning's success has revitalized that area big time.

Also once we bring back the Stanley Cup again this year they are going to start on the Newks property..

 

[tampamobster21]

I hope not. I love that restaurant.

 

[FloridaFuture]

I hope not. I love that restaurant.

The restraunt will be part of the condo tower when its done. It'll only be closed for about 2 years during construction. I think the tower is somewhere between 30-40 floors. Pretty nice renderings too.

 

[John F]

The Trolley directly benefited fromt he Lightning's playoff run in 2003-04. They were making a big deal aobut the Trolley numbers falling off by a few points in 2005 and the reason it did was obvious -- the lack of events nightly at the Arena hurt.

The Lightning's impact on downtown has been huge. It gave people a reason to go down there. The Lightning and the Forum specifically helped spawn restaurants in the area (I doubt Hooters would be in Channelside SHops if the arena wasn't there and the lucrative male fans, beef'o'brady's opened cuz of the sports families coming and going from the games).

There are still a few sore anti-social folks who thought the location needs to be more suburban so they don't have to drive as far. Forget mass transit, forget lucrative land around the arena primed for development and a urban atmosphere. I've seen someone argue that the arena should have been built on Race Track Road in Oldsmar. ANother said it belonged on teh county line between Hillsboorugh and Pasco.

And of course there are the few (that you will never hear from anymore) who bemoan the loss of the Tampa Collesium location next to old Tampa Stadium.

 

[TampaMike]

The restraunt will be part of the condo tower when its done. It'll only be closed for about 2 years during construction. I think the tower is somewhere between 30-40 floors. Pretty nice renderings too.

I thought it was going to be part of it, but didn't want to say, because I thought I would be wrong.

 

[LuvHighrisers]

HUGE! Not just in terms of people coming downtown who have never been there before, but also in a certainly level of comfortability that wasn't there before. I think that is a contributing reason as to why Channelside is doing so well while its cousin (Centro Ybor) is struggling.

 

[tampamobster21]

Centro is not struggling. Where did you hear that?

 

[Jasonhouse]

^That's been well known for over 2 years now.

 

[tampamobster21]

Well it is on its way up.

 

[LuvHighrisers]

The project owners of Centro Ybor cannot pay the Federal loan so the city (aka the taxpayers) is having to bail them out. On the contrary, Channelside is booming. For more info see:
www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2005/12/19/story3.html

 

[FLHawk]

The effect that the Times Forum (formerly known as the Ice Palace) has had on downtown is enormous. Obviously, the Lightning are a big part of that. However, you also have to look at the concerts, the TB Storm games, collegiate tournaments, exhibitions and other special events (like religious programs, inspirational speakers) that draw hundreds of thousands of people into the district.

The direct economic impact is huge, considering the money spent at restaurants, bars and hotels, parking revenues, trolley rides, etc. But the indirect impact, i.e. how the Forum has acted as a catalyst for other types of development along the water in this area, is immeasurable.

 

[TallTampa]

I think the Forum was one of the top 2 or 3 venues in the US in ticket sales last year(I could be wrong). It would be nice to see a solid row of bars and restaurants lining Channelside Dr from the Forum to Channelside though. I don't think there's any doubt that the Lightning have played a big role in the development of this area.

 

[TPAMAN]

It was the number two performance venue in the nation only behind Palace Sports first venue in Auburn Hills, MI. They run a good operation and the numbers prove it.

 

[tampamobster21]

Amazing, just when I thought that YBor City was doing so well with new businesses opening up and music videos being shot here. I had no idea it was doing so badly. Hopefully, they will be able to turn it around.

 

[FloridaFuture]

Amazing, just when I thought that YBor City was doing so well with new businesses opening up and music videos being shot here. I had no idea it was doing so badly. Hopefully, they will be able to turn it around.

Ybor will turn around as condo projects open up. More people, more bussiness.

 

[tampamobster21]

Very true. I just wish that there were most restaurants downtown that were open late.

 

[Hinch]

What has the Lightning's success meant for Downtown? You mean the vibrant, pedestrian-heavy, happy, waving, Bolt-clad, local-business-friendly, uber-urban, attractive, exciting, loud, free-spending-kind of action around the Forum?

It's made the Harbour Island crowd mad.

I live there. Don't get me started.

 

[tampamobster21]

I think the Forum has been a very good thing for the revenue influx to this area.