State of the City

April 2009 - March 2010

“Our city is strong and our

constant progress will make
us even stronger.”
Mayor Pam Iorio
State of the City Presentation 2010

City Council: Gwen Miller, Chair Pro-Tem, District One; Mary Mulhern, District Two; Linda Saul-Sena, District Three;
John Dingfelder, District Four; Thomas Scott, Chair, District Five; Charlie Miranda, District Six; Joseph Caetano, District Seven
Progress in Neighborhoods
The Tampa Police Department
reported a 15.8% reduction in Part 1
crimes for 2009. This brings Tampa’s
crime reduction to 56% over the
past seven years. Jane Castor, who
Part I Crimes
was named Tampa’s new police chief
in September, continues to follow
the department’s Focus on Four
philosophy. In addition to current
efforts to reduce crime, TPD also
created Rapid Offender Control
squads by combining QUAD,
SAC, and district detectives.
The $100 million 40th Street project is
nearing completion. Work began on the
fifth and final segment of the project and
is expected to be completed in spring
2011. This portion of the project also
includes roadway, stormwater, water, and
wastewater improvements; street lighting;
sidewalks; landscaping; and irrigation.
Mayor Iorio was joined by General
David Petreaus for the dedication of
Heroes Plaza. The new plaza, located
at the east end of Cotanchobee Fort
Brooke Park, features a series of glass
panels that uniquely honor our heroes.
This was the final phase of the expansion
and development of Cotanchobee Fort
Brooke Park and includes many new
amenities. The $4.4 million project was
funded with Community Investment
Tampa’s Crime Rate 2003-2009
40,000
35,000 34,182
30,013
30,000
24,968
25,000
22,627
20,000
15,000
10,000
5,000
2003 2004 2005
Tax dollars and includes $1 million
from the Hillsborough County Board
of County Commissioners.
The Cass Street Bridge in downtown,
originally constructed in 1926,
underwent $2.1 million in repairs
and renovations. The project included
structural repairs to the concrete, repair
and painting of the steel, and repairs on
the trunnion mechanism.
As part of the 2009 American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act, the City of
Tampa received a $2.5 million grant
for water main replacement.
The City of Tampa was allocated
$13.6 million to acquire foreclosed
properties as part of the U.S. Housing and
Urban Development’s Neighborhood
Stabilization Program. Neighborhoods
identified as target areas for homeownership
activity are Sulphur Springs, North
Tampa Community, University Square
and Old West Tampa.
Giddens Park, located in the Southeast
Seminole Heights neighborhood,
has undergone major improvements
including a new splash pad, which was
made possible through a donation from
the F.E. Lykes Foundation.
The City of Tampa received $1 million
in additional Community Development
Block Grant (CDBG) funds as well
as over $1.5 million for homeless
prevention through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
20,350
18,473 The City of Tampa announced its
15,557
Tampa Homeownership Opportunity
Program for first-time home buyers.
The program is a tax-credit, advance
loan that allows qualified first-time
buyers to obtain up to $8,000 at the
2006 2007 2008 2009
time of purchase to be used as down
payment assistance or closing costs.
The Tampa Housing Authority received
$28 million in funding from the U.S.
Department of Housing and Urban
Development as part of the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Working
with the Banc of America Community
Development Corporation, Tampa
Housing Authority will use the funds
for Central Park’s Encore development,
a priority redevelopment project for the
City. The City of Tampa received an
additional $10 million for neighborhood
stabilization in Ybor City and East Tampa.
A new skate park opened at the New
Tampa Community Park. The $694,000
project, funded through Community
Investment Tax, features a concrete
bi-level street course with pyramids,
stairs, wedges, grind rails, and a series
of quarter-pipe turns.
 replacement project helps ensure reliable
wastewater service for Tampa customers.
The $19 million project included state-
of-the art tunnel crossings under the
Hillsborough River, Hillsborough Avenue,
and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard.
pipeline will help improve water-service
reliability, water pressure, and fire
protection for residents and businesses
along the route. The new pipeline will
also help position the City to serve both
redevelopment and future growth.

Tampa Fire Rescue’s newest piece of

Renovations for the Ballast Point Pier
have been completed. The project
included replacing structural pilings,
deck boards, and railings. Repairs were
made to the existing shade structure and
a new shade structure was added along
with fish cleaning stations and benches.
The 22nd Avenue Water Pipeline
replacement project, part of the City’s
Utility Capital Improvement Projects
(UCAP) program, upgraded the existing
undersized pipelines and installed
10 new fire hydrants. The $616,000
investment, funded through utility
rates, not only improved water pressure
and service reliability for residents, but
also improved fire protection with the
installation of the fire hydrants.
One of the Utility Capital Improvement
Projects, the 12th Street Force Main,
is now complete. The five-mile pipeline
equipment, the Patriot, is a 69-foot,
52-ton fireboat. The new boat gives TFR
the ability to respond to emergencies
from the Port of Tampa to Port
Manatee, through the Tampa Bay
shipping channel and past Egmont Key.
The $3.8 million fireboat was funded
through a Homeland Security Urban
Area Security Initiative grant.
Installation began for a new 6.2-
mile pipeline, one component of the
City’s UCAP program. Funded by
Contribution in Aid of Construction
(CIAC) monies, the new $29.5 million
The Tampa Riverwalk added two new
segments this year. South Plaza, which
features the 40-foot mural Riverwall
includes land donated to the City of
Tampa by Harbour Island Community
Services Association and the Tampa Bay
Lightning. A second segment located
at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, was
refurbished and now includes a donor
wall, recognition plaques and wayfinding
signage. Additionally, the crosswalk to
the Straz Center was modified for better
access along the river.
The City of Tampa received $1.6 million
of American Recovery and

Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park - Opening the River to the People

More than 1,000 people came out to

enjoy Sunday in the Park, the grand
opening celebration for the new Curtis
Hixon Waterfront Park. Located
downtown on the Hillsborough River,
the new park features a Great Lawn,
a dog run with an obstacle course, a
Neos playground, and two interactive
fountains. The park now has an
additional 3.5 acres of green space and
a new segment of the Tampa Riverwalk
connects the park to the Straz Center.
Reinvestment Act funding to aid in
the construction of the future Cross
Creek Tampa Fire Station #22. The new
fire station will help reduce response
times to New Tampa and also provide
service to portions of unincorporated
Hillsborough County.
Progress in Customer Service
federal government’s Making Home Northview Hills, and Rainbow
Affordable Program. Heights neighborhoods.
A new automated scale lane for City of
Tampa vehicles opened at the McKay
Bay Weigh Station. By diverting City
vehicles to the automated lane, wait time
decreases for all other users. The lane,
which does not require an attendant,
interfaces with a SmartPass reader and
vehicle weighing software.

This year the City of Tampa launched a

The City of Tampa’s Department
of Solid Waste and Environmental
Program Management discontinued
holiday make-up days for the collection
of residential waste following single-
day observed holidays. This saves over
$500,000 a year.
Responding to customer requests and
concerns about long waiting times, the
Household Chemical and Electronics
Collection was moved to a new site in
order to streamline the process. A record
number of people took advantage of the
opportunity to safely dispose of 42 tons
of hazardous waste, and recycle over 27
tons of electronics.
The City of Tampa installed a new
automated pay station in the Ybor City
surface lot three, allowing customers to
pay by credit card, debit card, currency,
or coin.
The City of Tampa now offers
counseling services for homeowners
that need assistance with the foreclosure
process. These counseling services help
educate and guide families through the
Twitter and a Facebook account.
The City of Tampa completed a contract
study for the effective utilization of
its vehicle and equipment fleet to
identify potential cost savings. The
City has begun to implement the
recommendations and has removed
over 80% of the underutilized vehicles
identified. Not only will the City realize a
significant savings by not replacing these
vehicles, but it has also received over
$560, 000 from the sale of the vehicles.
The City of Tampa Water Department’s
preventive maintenance program,
an aggressive pipeline replacement
initiative, and water theft prevention
have all helped to reduce the City’s
water loss. The City is now operating on
average at an 8.5% loss, which exceeds
the industry standard of 10%. Since the
program’s inception in October 2007,
the City has changed out 43,611 meters;
rehabilitated 23,506 valves; and replaced
more than 50 miles of aging pipe - saving
$14.1 million.
Progress in East Tampa
East Tampa received a new Weed and
Seed grant. Sponsored by the U.S.
Department of Justice, the grant will
help fund additional law enforcement
resources in East Tampa. The new
Weed and Seed community includes
the Highland Pines, Grant Park,
The Bible Truth Ministries HOPE
Community Center opened in East
Tampa on Lake Avenue and 29th Street.
The newly constructed, 1,500-square-
foot facility will house after school
programs for neighborhood youth and a
job training center.
A new 125-room Quality Inn &
Suites opened on 18th Avenue in
East Tampa. The hotel is the newest
public/private partnership in East
Tampa. Additionally, $550,000
of Tax Increment Financing funds
were invested to upgrade the streets,
landscaping, and walkways throughout
the surrounding neighborhood.
The Robert L. Cole, Sr. Community
Lake is the second stormwater pond
in East Tampa to be transformed
into a passive recreational area for
neighborhood residents. The lake was
named in honor of Cole, a prominent
East Tampa business owner and
community activist. The $959,573
project, funded through the East
Tampa Tax Increment Financing funds,
included boardwalks, sidewalks with
in-laid granite panels, a covered pier,
and an exercise station.
The 18th Avenue Park in East Tampa
was officially renamed in honor of
Alfred “Al” Barnes, Jr. who was an
educator for nearly 40 years and was an
inspiration to many.
Fair Oaks Community Lake was renamed
in honor of Herbert D. Carrington, Sr.,
a resident and community leader in East
Tampa, who passed away in 2006 at the
age of 107.
Fifth Third Bank opened a new branch
on Hillsborough Avenue in East Tampa.
The $4 million facility is the first bank to
be built in this community in over 30 years.
Progress in Economic
Development
Ybor City was one of 14 communities to
host a Nighttime Economy Forum. The
summit is the first in the country designed
to develop collaborative partnerships
on enhancing nighttime economies.
Tampa is now a part of a Sociable
Cities network that shares information
regarding planning, managing, and
policing hospitality zones.
The Tampa Convention Center opened
Sail Pavilion on the Tampa Riverwalk. The
new pavilion offers food and drink, and
an opportunity to enjoy the river. Public
docking space is also available and the
pavilion includes a dog-friendly retreat.
IKEA Tampa’s grand opening attracted
thousands of eager shoppers and brought
400 new jobs to Tampa. The 335,000-
square-foot store includes a 300-seat
restaurant. Situated on 29 acres along
Adamo Drive at 22nd Street, it is the
company’s 37th IKEA store in the
United States.
Tampa participated in Florida’s Backyard
Economics Campaign to assist local
businesses by encouraging the purchase
of goods and services in the state.
The Channel District is now home
to Powerhouse Gym. The new
25,000-square-foot fitness center
is located in the Grand Central at
Kennedy condominium.
Four new establishments opened in
Centro Ybor: Hamburger Mary’s
Bar & Grille; Tribeca Color Salon;
Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Co.; and Wear
Me Out. The new stores occupy space
in the 200,000-square-foot Centro
Ybor complex, which features a
mix of entertainment, retail, and
restaurant venues.
Stageworks Theatre broke ground on
its new location. Donated by Mercury
Advisors, the 8,000-square-foot, 99-seat
theater space is located in Grand Central
at Kennedy in the Channel District.
The TECO Line Streetcar System broke
ground on its $5 million extension. The
new station stop will extend the streetcar
line north on Franklin Street to Whiting
Street next to the Fort Brooke parking
garage. The extension will connect the
more than 35,000 people who work
in the downtown area to the Channel
District and Historic Ybor City.
Located in Ybor City, the Lions Eye
Institute for Transplant and Research
opened a new Ocular Research Center,
which is the largest research center of its
kind. It is also the first research center in
the world to be directly combined with
an eye bank, providing a repository
of both healthy and diseased tissue
for research.
Norwegian Cruise Lines announced its
2,240 passenger ship, the Norwegian
Star, will call Tampa its seasonal
homeport next year. This is the first
time Norwegian has initiated a voyage
from Tampa, which will be a seven-day,
Western-Caribbean cruise.
Sage Partners of Tampa announced plans
to construct 120 units of workforce
housing in downtown Tampa. The
project is planned for the property on
Marion Street, south of the HART
downtown bus station. The proposed
project will offer one, two, and three
bedroom residences with rental rates
that will make the units affordable
for downtown workers. Additionally,
the plans for this project include the
restoration of St. Paul’s AME Church.
Progress in the Arts
For the fifth year in a row Tampa
has been voted one of the Top 25
Arts Destination by American Style
magazine’s readers’ poll. Readers
recommended Tampa as a top destination
for collectors and travelers who love art
galleries, museums, and festivals.

Riverwall, an iconic entrance on the
Tampa Riverwalk, is a quilt of images
that celebrates and documents the
Hillsborough River. The 40-foot mural
consists of 550 photographic images
of the Hillsborough River fired on
steel plates in porcelain enamel. The
$150,000 mural was funded through a
State grant and is just one of the many
unique cultural components integrated
into the Riverwalk.
The David A. Straz, Jr. Foundation
presented the Tampa Bay Performing
Arts Center with the largest individual
philanthropic gift made to a cultural
institution in the Tampa Bay area. In
recognition of the gift, the center was
renamed the David A. Straz, Jr. Center
for the Performing Arts.
Frank Wildhorn’s musical Wonderland:
Alice’s New Musical Adventure, an
original production created by the Straz
Center, made its world debut in Tampa.
The estimated local economic impact of
Wonderland is over $8.1 million.
Cotanchobee Fort Brooke Park is now
home to a cenotaph and a new public art
installation, Ceremonial Space. Apache
artist Bob Haozous created Ceremonial
Space, a 15’ 6” high stainless-steel
structure that sits within the cenotaph.
Located along the Tampa Riverwalk, the
installation includes panels with historic
texts, eye-witness accounts of the history,
and the Seminole Song of Removal. Both
the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the
City contributed funds for the project.
Progress in Mass Transit
More than 3,000 people attended the
town hall meeting hosted by President
Barack Obama and Vice President Joe
Biden. During the meeting, held at
the University of Tampa, the president
announced a $1.25 billion federal grant
for Florida’s high-speed rail system that
will run between Tampa and Orlando.
Ultimately, when the Tampa – Orlando –
Miami route is complete, it will cover 67%
of Florida’s population and five airports.
The Board of County Commissioners
has cast preliminary votes to place a
one-cent sales tax referendum on the
ballot for November to fund a modern
transportation system of transit and roads.
Progress Through Partnerships
A citizen taskforce was created to work with
the City of Tampa and TECO Energy to

Tampa Museum of Art

The new 66,000 square-foot Tampa

Museum of Art Cornelia Corbett
Center is now open. The museum,
designed by San Francisco architect
Stanley Saitowitz, features a shimmering,
pierced-aluminum exterior, state-of-
the-art gallery spaces, seven interior
galleries, an exterior sculpture gallery, and
educational classrooms. Adjacent to the
Tampa Riverwalk, the museum overlooks
the Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park and
features an LED installation on its south
facade by digital-light artist Leo Villareal
that turns the space into a kaleidoscope
of patterns and colors at night.
help develop energy conservation policies
for our community. The group is charged
with recommending proposals for energy
conservation, renewable energy, and climate
change initiatives that can be implemented
by the City, TECO Energy, and the
general public.
This year, 3,000 volunteers participated
in 68 clean-up and beautification projects
for the City of Tampa’s Third Annual
Clean City Day. This citywide clean-up
effort resulted in the removal of 2.7 tons
of litter and recyclables.
The City of Tampa partnered with
Rampello Downtown Partnership
School to kick off Earth Day with a tree
planting. Donated by the Community
Tree Program, the school planted a
native Dahoon Holly and utilized a
water-conserving irrigation method.
The City of Tampa worked with the
Tampa Downtown Partnership to
implement a new recycling program.
Receptacles designed for recycling plastic
and aluminum were placed throughout
Downtown and the Channel District
along popular pedestrian corridors making
it easier for visitors and residents to recycle.
The City of Tampa held a Community
Covenant signing ceremony in
support of the U.S. armed forces.
Tampa, a community that values its
relationship with MacDill Air Force
Base and local service members, is
further demonstrating its support of
the military and military families by
signing the Community Covenant.
Metropolitan Ministries opened its new
12-unit Sanctuary Town Homes. The
$2.5 million facility, designed to foster
independent living and life skills for
home ownership, was funded in part with
a grant from the City of Tampa State
Housing Initiative Partnership Program.
Over 2,500 volunteers participated in
the 21st Annual Paint Your Heart Out,
Tampa! event including City employees
and members of the Mayor’s Youth
Corps. Started in 1988, Paint Your
Heart Out, Tampa! and its volunteers
have beautified over 2,000 homes.
For the second year, the City of Tampa
partnered with Hillsborough County
and the Museum of Science and
Industry to present the 2009 Hurricane
Expo. Over 3,500 residents attended
the expo and learned ways to prepare
themselves, their homes, and their
families for the hurricane season.
The Tampa Police Department and
the Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s
Office joined forces to launch a new
anti-gang campaign, Tampa Bay Gangs.
The campaign, which includes 27
billboards and 30 buses, promotes a new,
interactive website: tampabaygangs.com.
Funding for this initiative was through
a Department of Justice grant and the
private sector.
The City of Tampa implemented a
program to recognize businesses that
adopt energy efficiency and sustainable
practices. Administered by the Sustany
Foundation, the program has already
certified three business with more
under review.
More than 200 volunteers from Mutual
of Omaha, Friends of Tampa Recreation,
and the community came out to build
a playground for the children of the
Wellswood neighborhood. Mutual of
Omaha partnered with KaBOOM! to
inspire communities everywhere to take
positive action for children. Tampa was
one of six communities in the country
selected to participate.
Over 1,300 volunteers gathered for the
22nd Annual Mayor’s Hillsborough
River and Waterways Cleanup.
Organized by the Mayor’s Beautification
Program, participants of all ages helped
with shoreline restoration and clean
up at 32 sites along the Hillsborough
River. This year, volunteers collected five
tons of trash and debris, and 25 tons of
invasive plants.
As part of Tampa’s continued
commitment to youth, Mayor Iorio
participated in three reading events with
students during the holiday season. The
West Tampa Elementary School Chorus
performed for City employees and was
then treated to a story when they visited
with the mayor in her office. Third
grade students from Just, Potter, Edison,
and West Tampa elementary schools
participated in the Mayor’s Annual
Reading Circle, and the mayor stopped
by Metropolitan Ministries to read to
over 100 children.
The Holiday Food Basket program is an
annual food drive coordinated by the
Community Affairs Department and
supported by City of Tampa employees.
This year, City employees generously
donated to the program providing 155
households with 188 food baskets – a
10% increase from last year.
This year the City of Tampa honored
several hometown champions from the
six-year-old players on the Wellswood
Red Shetland T-Ball team who won
the Cal Ripken T-Ball World Series
to the University of South Florida
Women’s Basketball team who brought
home the school’s first postseason
championship by winning the 2009
Women’s National Invitational. The
City of Tampa also held a victory rally
for the Plant High School Panthers
and hoisted a banner in honor of
their state championships in football,
volleyball, and tennis.
The Friends of the Riverwalk kicked
off a new campaign, Paving the Way,
to help raise funds through the sale of
personalized, commemorative, granite
pavers on the Tampa Riverwalk.
The City co-sponsored 106 events and
was host to 690 special events this year
including the NCAA Women’s Final
Four, the Florida Orchestra Pops in
the Park Concerts, and the Haitian
community memorial service.
Since its inception, over 250 students
from Tampa high schools have
participated in the Mayor’s Youth
Corps. This year, the Class of 2009
contributed 787 hours to local charities
including Paint Your Heart Out Tampa!
and the Trinity Café.
Recognitions
The City of Tampa was awarded a Class
6 rating for the Community Rating
System administered by FEMA. This
new rating reduced flood insurance
premiums by 20% for over 26,000
households in Tampa. The total savings
amount to almost $3.7 million per year
for flood insurance policy holders in the
city, one of the highest average savings
in the nation.
Editors for This Old House magazine
named Tampa’s Seminole Heights
Best Old-House Neighborhood in
Florida. Neighborhoods are selected
on criteria such as architectural
diversity, craftsmanship, walkability,
and community.
Moody’s Investors Service affirmed a
number of the City of Tampa’s issuer-
bond ratings, despite the economically
challenging environment in which
many jurisdictions are facing rating
downgrades. This solid financial
rating will favorably impact the City’s
borrowing capacity and its interest
rates in the future.
The City of Tampa Department of Solid
Waste and Environmental Program
Management was the recipient of a 2009
Solid Waste Association of North America
(SWANA) bronze award in the Waste-to-
Energy category. The award was presented
to the City for the McKay Bay Refuse-to-
Energy Facility. The SWANA Excellence
Awards program encourages innovation
and recognizes facilities, operations and
programs that are committed to the
environmentally and economically sound
management of solid waste.
The Drew Park CRA won the Best
Management Program/Creative
Partnership Award from the Florida
Redevelopment Association for its
Drew Park Adult Use Enforcement
Program. The program is a combined
effort with the Drew Park CRA and
the Tampa Police Department.
Ybor City won the Best Out of the
Box Award from the Florida
Redevelopment Association for its
“Experiencing Ybor City” television
commercial. Produced by the Ybor
City Development Corporation, it is
one of 12 top development projects
recognized this year by FRA for
outstanding achievements in
community improvement.
The City of Tampa is now ranked as the
53rd largest city in the United States.
Tampa’s new population estimate,
340,882 persons, is based on the
recently released census population
estimate of July 1, 2008.
www.TampaGov.net