In a pre-Christmas presentation,Jeff Vinik rolled out his ballyhooed, billion-dollar, makeover plan for 40 “live, work, play and stay” acres around Amalie Arena. VIPs and local officials were among those who swooned at the Marriott Waterside Hotel presentation and civic game-changer.
Now, fast forward eight months.
Imagine, Jeff Vinikis merely planning the second-biggest and boldest project around downtown Tampa. That’s because Port Tampa Bay just revealed its 45-acre, $1.7 billion plan to develop apartments, hotels, offices, stores, a marina, an urban waterfront park, two gigantic residential towers and bigger cruise ship terminal.
Timing, as Bob Buckhorn well knows, is everything. Especially for a mayor with a vision for a vibrant, millennial-magnet downtown.
“And, by the way,” Mayor Bob would likely add: “Did you see where Money magazine just ranked us as the No. 1 city in the Southeast?”
Sometimes it’s good to be mayor.