OK, so Tampa’s tumbler looks half empty. Unemployment remains in unacceptable double digits. Declining property values haven’t bottomed out. Panhandlers have squatters’ rights at major intersections. The Channelside Bay Plaza, run by a court-appointed receiver, continues to bleed tenants. And the business community — and a lot of other city voters — are still ticked that catalytic light rail remains a chimera and downtown will not feature a high-speed rail terminal.
But it’s not as if half-full scenarios are out of the question. Sometimes, especially in the midst of a recession that won’t quite quit, we need to remind ourselves of context. Consider:
*Tampa is two years removed from its fourth Super Bowl and less than a year out from hosting the Republican National Convention. By whatever economic gauge employed, the GOP gathering means a nine-figure economic impact during the off-season. It also means the sort of national and international exposure no chamber of commerce could ever afford.
*The Florida Aquarium, the Channel District’s development linchpin, recently announced plans for a major, $15-million expansion. Moreover, the Mosaic Co. is already on board with a record gift, the largest one in the aquarium’s history: $2.5 million. Those with community and corporate-image priorities can only afford to back winners.
*The St. Pete Times Forum is in the homestretch of a $40-million facelift. It will do more than upgrade the home digs of the Tampa Bay Lightning. It will further showcase the area, most notably as the venue for the aforementioned 2012 GOP convention.
*The Towers of Channelside have sold out — even if real estate flippers took a bath. Residents, as we know, matter more than residential units.
*USF’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS) is on schedule for completion early next year. Cutting-edge medical technology — and all its synergistic scenarios — is a major addition as well as a marketing coup.
*For the first time seemingly in memory, there has been a spate of development plans announced for the downtown area. And it’s more than the deep-pocketed Brownstone Tampa Partners, who are looking mixed-use and long-term, becoming the new owner of the erstwhile Trump Tower site. If nothing else, it’s a vote of confidence by savvy business people, including partner DeBartolo Development, LLC, who recognized a bargain — and know the market.
*In what could be the first tangible return on CAMLS, Trammel Crow is eyeing land near the USF project for Southgate, a 20-story office building and upscale hotel.
*An upside of the housing downturn has been the rise of rental opportunities. Crescent Resources expects to break ground by the end of the year on a 370-unit apartment complex on Bayshore Boulevard at Platt Street.
*And let’s not forget Encore, the Floridan and the ongoing infilling of the signature Riverwalk. Restaurants are no longer a rarity, and museums and a true “gathering place” downtown are now givens.
No, these are arguably not the best of times for Tampa. But when you can make a case for that tumbler being half full, you know it’s not the worst of times either.