Tampanians eager for Mayor Bob Buckhorn to reveal the details of the draft Center City Plan packed into Tampa Prep’s auditorium Tuesday night. Dozens were left with only room to stand, but their anticipation kept them on their toes through the entire presentation.

During the open house, Mayor Buckhorn mentioned the high levels of community engagement that have made this project such a success. He also explained how the Center City Plan focuses on re-centering downtown around the Hillsborough River and connecting area neighborhoods in a pedestrian, transit friendly mannerforward moves Tampa can begin making today.

Then, Pete Sechler of AECOM took the stage to dissect the plan into three main components: a unified vision, five building blocks for smart urban growth and 10 forward moves Tampa can begin making today.

Tampa’s unified vision is for the Center City to be “a community of livable places, connected people, and collaborative progress that embraces and celebrates its river and waterfront.” The five key building blocks that have emerged include a strategic focus on our underutilized waterfront, livable neighborhoods, a strong, mix-use pedestrian environment, sensible linkages between communities and an urban pattern that supports transit.

As Sechler then delved into the 10 forward moves, the crowd’s anticipation noticeably grew with the room’s silence. He opened up with a discussion on Tampa’s waterfront, citing it as a critical opportunity to change the economic fiber of Tampa, link key river places and encourage the public to invest in downtown.

But it wasn’t until Sechler unveiled the opportunity to redevelop Florida Avenue and Tampa Street that the audience’s enthusiasm became apparent.  As he proposed transitioning downtown Tampa’s main arteries from one-way to two-way streets, the crowd began applauding.

We hope you’ll review the full plan here, and feel free to send any questions or comments to InVisionTampa@gmail.com.

Thanks to all who have contributed to this amazing process!

At the concluding session of the Community Design Workshop, the InVision Tampa consulting team presented an idea of creating dedicated cycle track along Nuccio Parkway. The concept reduces the number of lanes to 2 lane (2-way streets), includes on street parking and the dedicated bike trail. In all of our neighborhood charrettes, there was an overwhelming desire to connect neighborhoods to downtown, the river and in particular, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.  If constructed, this bikeway would provide a continuous trail through the urban core connecting residents from Ybor City to North Hyde Park and providing access to the Hillsborough River. A real life example of an urban cycle trail already exists in Indianapolis and such a facility could be in Tampa’s future. Is this a good idea?

http://www.indyculturaltrail.org/

Last week for the first time, Tampanians set eyes on the results of their feedback from last few months.

While they’re far from the final plan, the InVision Tampa team unveiled renderings to help bring downtown’s future into focus. Take a look below.

The first illustration transformed a section of the riverbank near local business Rick’s on the River. It depicts what a new Riverwalk on the west bank of the Hillsborough River might look like.

The team showed off are-imagined Palm Ave.next. Here, it’s been converted from a four-lane to a two-lane road, which provides more space for sidewalks and green spaces.

Above is Florida Ave.redeveloped as a two-lane, two-way street. In its current state, this road has a 20,000 cars per day capacity, but only 9,000 cars use it on a daily basis. Reducing the number of lanes lowers the maximum speed cars can go, making the street safer and more livable for pedestrians and cyclists.

Finally, the planning team saw great potential in Willow St. as a small business incubator. With plenty of sidewalk and outdoor retail space, could create an excellent outdoor urban experience in the future.

You can view the full presentation of findings at the City of Tampa’s website. Also, be sure to check back as we explore these ideas in the coming weeks through this blog. 

The first design workshop began with the InVision Tampa team reviewing five dominant wants from residents and business owners that emerged during neighborhood charettes and Knowledge Exchanges: 

1. Provide more access to the Hillsborough River’s waterfront
2. Protect and expand historic neighborhoods
3. Grow the urban core as an entertainment and residential center
4. Design streets that cater to walkers and bikers, not just cars
5. Invest in more transportation options for downtown neighborhoods

We noticed one overwhelming theme here: balance, whether it’s between pedestrians and cars, or new development and historic preservation. Many of our downtown’s problems can be addressed by striking the right balance.

Later during the workshop, attendees were divided into five smaller groups to tackle these issues. The groups echoed each other saying, if Tampa is to succeed, developments need to keep in mind future end-users and multigenerational growth—no more short-sighted solutions.

At our next workshop, we’ll be unveiling preliminary design sketches and concepts that will lead to a  blueprint for our city center.

Join us Thursday, July 26 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Universityof Tampa Crescent Club(9^th Floor of the Vaughn Center). Be sure to RSVP to InVisionTampa@gmail.com, and we hope to see you there!