Tampa lost a giant last week in Al Austin. To have called him a real estate developer would be like calling Abraham Lincoln a lawyer. He was so much more. His legacy spanned a spectrum ranging from visionary to charity-cause catalyst. He loved Tampa and worked tirelessly–from fighting MacDill AFB closure to recruiting the 2012 GOP Convention–on behalf of anything that would enable it to realize its burgeoning potential.
One other thing. Al Austin was a politically partisan gentleman.