Dick Greco loved being mayor of Tampa. All four times. It defined him.
Of course, he also had those successful runs with the Edward DeBartolo Co. and Lindell Properties, and now he’s a high-profile consultant. But nothing was as challenging or satisfying as being City Hall CEO in his home town. He was a 34-year-old whiz kid when he defeated incumbent Nick Nuccio in 1967, and he was a folksy, 69-year-old political icon when he stepped down in 2003. He has his own statue at the eponymous Dick Greco Plaza transportation center downtown.
But with Mayor Pam Iorio stepping down in six months, rumors remain rife that among those who will ultimately vie for the vacated position in 2011 will be the 77-year-old-Greco. Tampa’s 50th and 56th mayor just may want to be its 58th as well.
For his part, Greco has certainly done nothing to discourage such speculation.
“Nothing I love more than being mayor,” gushed Greco over an animated lunch at the tony Mise en Place restaurant, where he’s still accorded the godfather’s table in the corner. The telltale, tactile approach is more than manifest. Still the warm, gregarious political animal who misses his favorite arena.
Anybody who’s anybody, especially in the (fund-raising) business community, knows Greco. His name recognition, which is any candidate’s lifeblood, courses everywhere. Almost on cue, prominent attorney David Mechanik stopped by on his way out to pay his respects.
“More people have asked me to run in just the last several months than any time in my life,” said Greco. “But there’s no real push yet. I’ve been around a while. People know me. I’m blessed with good health.”
One reason for deferring a rumored August announcement, explained Greco, is that he didn’t want to eclipse his son, Dick Greco Jr., in his (successful) campaign for county judge. “Wanted to avoid any confusion,” he deadpanned. Now, he added, he wants to get past the (Nov. 2) elections. Clearly, Greco’s enjoying the sort of speculation spotlight no mere real estate consultant could ever command.
“I’ve been bombarded with calls, but, no, it’s not an ego thing with me,” stressed Greco.
Or a nostalgia thing either, he insisted.
“Sure, times are different,” he acknowledged with a smile. “Each time I’ve been mayor they’ve been different.”
His first two terms were characterized by an eclectic mix of issues ranging from rising racial tensions to limited revenues. Greco was instrumental in closing down bolita, hustling for Model Cities money and working to secure county funds to enlarge Tampa Stadium to improve the city’s chances for an NFL franchise.
His post-DeBartolo years had a more flush context.
He’s remembered for having presided over the development of Centro Ybor, Channelside and the streetcar, for having bought up riverfront property and for helping bring in the Marriott Waterside Hotel and Stetson Law School satellite campus. He was also hands-on in re-directing Kforce Inc. to Ybor instead of Orlando and campaigning across the city for the Community Investment Tax.
Should he run, however, opponents will not treat him as a bronzed icon. They–and the media–will bring up Steve LaBrake and municipal debt. That’s politics. And those reliable endorsements of eight years ago are no longer such a given. Already, announced candidate Bob Buckhorn has earned the support of the firefighter’s union. And City Council Chairman Tom Scott, who wants to be Tampa’s first black mayor, is on the generational record saying the city needs a “fresh face” more than a septuagenarian, fifth-term icon.
Would Run On Record
But on balance, history will be kind to the legacy of Greco. The man who bridged generations. The man who dined with presidents, generals and foreign leaders. The man who met John F. Kennedy at the International Inn and Fidel Castro in Havana. The man who was every cop’s favorite mayor. Statues outlast political campaigns.
“I would be running on my record,” emphasized Greco. “There’s never been a worse time to have to learn on the job. Who’s running that ever brought jobs?”
And speaking of jobs, it hardly hurts that Greco’s current one does more than keep him in the news. He is representing a well-connected developer who would like to convert part of the Florida State Fairgrounds into a large-scale, gateway-to-Tampa, entertainment complex. The land is directly across Interstate 4 from the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, a property that has become a major regional drawing card. Some figures put the estimate as astronomically high as 7 million people annually. Economic-impact scenarios project as many as 13,000 construction-related jobs and 6,000 permanent ones.
The combination of such critical mass and the convergence of I-4 and U.S. Highway 301 has understandably whetted the appetites of developers–even during the Great Recession that has ravaged this area.
“It will work,” contended Greco. “There’s so many people. It’s got to happen. But it needs to be well planned–from drainage to traffic.”
And, yes, Greco’s an advocate of mass transit, notably light rail, and supports the upcoming transit-tax referendum. “Hopefully it will pass,” said Greco. “It’s more than important; it’s a necessity.”
On a more managerial level, Greco feels that these uniquely challenging economic times would prompt him–provided, that is, he were to run and be elected mayor–to recruit some of the best and brightest and most accessible to help out City Hall.
“I want to tap into all the talent that is here,” he explained. “I’d pick the best people to chair committees and report to me. Like a David Straz. He’s a genius in finance. There are a lot of people who could–and would–serve. Who could devote time to their area of expertise.” Other committees, according to Greco, could range from business recruitment to the environment.
And if Greco, a registered Democrat and a practicing pragmatist, does decide to take the mayoral plunge–not just a dip in the coy pond–his campaign would likely be distinguished more by shoulder squeezes, back pats and feel-your-pain hugs than divisive rhetoric. That in itself would be a refreshing upgrade of the political landscape.
“I keep hearing that politics has changed,” pointed out Greco. “How you need ‘catchy’ slogans. Well, that won’t bring jobs. You hear candidates saying: ‘I’m not a career politician.’ What does that accomplish? I go to career doctors.
“I want to see people believe in politics again,” he said. “It’s not about Democrats or Republicans. It’s about right and wrong. It’s about what works. That’s the real American way, and it’s critical that we come back together. There’s a reason it’s called the UNITED States.”
Sure, Dick Greco’s never been 77 before, and maybe it’s a younger man’s economic challenge and political pressure cooker. But maybe, just maybe, a weary electorate–in a “nonpartisan” race–would more than welcome a throwback candidate worthy of a downtown statue.