Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn says a $1.18 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will help make his downtown master plan a reality.
The city originally won the federal grant in October 2010 for a corridor study along Nebraska Avenue in anticipation of high-speed rail coming to Tampa. Then Florida Gov. Rick Scott rejected high-speed rail funds.
"With the demise of the rail, we asked HUD to allow us to expand it, so we can look at the entire downtown core," including the area within 2 miles of downtown, Buckhorn said. The plan also is to include recommendations to promote transit-oriented development and an update of city development regulations.
"It came back to us with the okay to do it, so now we"re putting a (request for proposals) on the street for a consultant," Buckhorn said, "and that allow us to create the master plan."
We"ll wait to see more, but for now we rate this promise In the Works.