Category: Tampa Bay

Recently the TECO Line Streetcar System celebrated its fifth anniversary. It was an occasion to reflect on more than the record ridership that exceeded 437,000.

It was also an opportunity to ponder the role of the streetcar, an easy, controversial target of criticism for certain pundits and politicians.

The point is this, and it’s worth reiterating: the streetcar is a key economic development tool. Ask Tampa Bay & Company. Ask the developers and merchants in the Channel District. And, yes, it is a mass transit starter set. And, yes, that is good for Tampa.

Ask Joe Cortright.

Attention all non-profit organizations that have specific needs. And who among you doesn’t? Well, some of those needs could be met by the Junior League of Tampa.

One of the JLT’s annual projects is the Treasures for Tampa. It is merchandise — from new to “gently used” — that has been requested by organizations in need.

But applications for this free service are down this year – and the JLT would like to hear from you if you’re in need. An application is available at the JLT website (www.jltampa.org). Additional TFT information is available at 254-1734.

Maybe you’ve had this experience. My wife Laraine and I certainly have.

You make dinner-for-two plans. It’s special. It’s special because the company is still special.

And the occasion still mandates all the traditional touches. A favorite restaurant, where the view, interior ambience and menu are perfect complements. Where countryclub-casual attire looks — and feels — just right. Where a good Merlot matters.

And then the 20-something waiter (oops, “server”) welcomes you on your special date: “Good evening, my name is Justin. What can I start YOU GUYS with?”

Call it the rhetorical equivalent of fingernails on a blackboard. My knee-jerk, mental rejoinder is: “This just in, Justin. I am not with a buddy or a partner or a lodge brother. I’m with my wife, who looks like a million bucks tonight. We plan to linger long and even order dessert. You can start us off with a more appropriate introduction.”

Of course, I’m accused (but not by Laraine) of making much ado over nothing more than a familiar mainstream colloquialism. “Get over it” is the usual injunction.

But I’m not taking a pop-culture chill pill on this one. Look, it’s a special night out. We are a heterosexual couple enjoying all the little touches of an intimate dinner for two.

And, oh yeah, that off-putting intro was followed by: “Are YOU GUYS ready to order?” And “How YOU GUYS doing?” And “Can I get YOU GUYS anything else?” And “Was it YOU GUYS who ordered the Bud Lights?” (OK, I made up that last one.)

So, get it right, Justin & Co. You guys make the accommodation, not the customers you serve. You’re, alas, part of the dining-out experience. And if this seems unduly constraining, please look for a sports bar that’s short-handed.

Hopefully, it’s not yet politically incorrect to acknowledge gender and romance in a nice restaurant. And presumably this doesn’t have First Amendment implications.

And another thing, Justin, the correct response to “thank you” is “you’re welcome.” Not “no problem” – unless it truly is problematic to do your job.

Thank you.

Ybor City, to be sure, remains a work in progress.

It is, of course, the historic, immigrant soul of Tampa, but since the oxymoronic heyday of urban renewal, it has been in identity-crisis mode. No need to re-chronicle that here, but suffice it to say that wooing business relocatees, residents, shoppers and diners to a wet-zoned venue frequented by drunks and punks is quite the challenge.

One that, quite arguably, warrants curfews, decibel-ordinances and a high-profile police presence.

It also involves proactive marketing or “branding” of Tampa’s venerable historic — and entertainment — district.

But there’s been recent talk of “re-branding,” and it has created a stir among some vested Ybor interests. They’ve not taken kindly to elements of the gay community aggressively promoting Ybor as “Gaybor.”

In the Ybor-based, weekly newspaper La Gaceta , publisher-editor Patrick Manteiga took the gay-themed re-branding move to task. He said that a “Gaybor” gambit “will only confuse the consumer and disrespects the area’s historic name

Much has been made of the University of Tampa’s rapidly ratcheting enrollment. It’s now at 5,600, including more than 700 graduate students.

Put into context, the overall enrollment is nearly double that of a decade ago.

More to the point, UT’s enrollment was less than a third of today’s total in the early 1990s. It had reached the point where talk about UT turning into the downtown campus of USF was more than the usual, self-serving speculation. It was that serious.

With new residence halls, beefed-up academics and better-targeted recruiting, UT has more than survived, thank you. And it’s more than an academic amenity.

It’s a key component in the ongoing upgrading of the Hillsborough River’s west bank. It’s also what any major city worth its civic salt must have: a first-class university in its downtown.

A lot of eyebrows were arched when it was learned that former Tampa Bay Buccaneer linebacker Shelton Quarles was Gov. Charlie Crist’s choice to chair the newly formed Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority board. This is the entity entrusted with producing a 7-county mass transit strategy by July 2009. A lot — as in quality of life and future economic growth — quite literally rides on TBARTA’s success.

The Quarles selection is a surprise because he has no background in transportation — other than having commuted to One Buc Place for 10 years.

To his credit, Quarles, a Vanderbilt University grad, has always defied the dumb jock stereotype. He’s also been involved and generous with his time when it comes to the Tampa Bay community. He’s also a nice guy.

Having said that, however, Quarles couldn’t possibly be the best choice for TBARTA point man, a position that entails briefing elected officials and the public and helping forge a consensus among members. It also presupposes more than a novice’s knowledge of mass-transit issues. Monte Kiffin won’t be able to help him on this one.

And it wasn’t as if there were a dearth of candidates for Gov. Crist to appoint unless he wanted a figurehead. Among the unappointed applicants: Ed Turanchik, the long-time regional rail advocate who still wants to fight the good fight.

Put it this way, it would make no less sense if Turanchik were named Bucs’ starting middle linebacker by Jon Gruden.

Talk about changing the rules of the game.

These are obviously frustrating, uncertain times for local officials trying to figure out budgets, priorities and protean property-tax scenarios, without the state Supreme Court messing with their tool box. In this case – Strand v. Escambia County, to be precise – the Florida Supremes have unanimously decided to fundamentally alter the way TIF – or tax increment financing – money can be spent.

It’s a very big deal.

TIF is a special taxing structure, dating to the early 1980s, which helps finance projects in designated areas (with “blight”). In principle, it’s a proactive way for government to partner and help areas help themselves by broadening their tax base and strengthening their communities. These venues (Community Redevelopment Areas) are permitted to take increases in tax revenues resulting from increased property values to re-invest back into the CRAs. A key corollary is debt that is backed by TIF dollars.

The Florida Supreme Court now says any such debt scenarios have to be approved in a referendum. And referenda votes on anything that includes the words “tax revenues” are inherently problematic. That’s particularly dicey for a city such as Tampa, which has already approved a $40-million line of TIF-backed credit to underwrite a passel of projects – from Drew Park storm water improvements and Ashley Drive changes to The Heights, Central Park Village and Curtis Hixon Park. And more.

To a person, City Hall officials feel blindsided – and TIFfed off. Big time. And the ripple effects include the bond market, which can’t be pleased with such a financial flip-flop.

“This issue came from nowhere,” says Tampa City Council member Linda Saul-Sena, who is also vice-chairwoman of the Community Redevelopment Agency. “We had been planning our strategies premised upon bonding the money. Now no one knows. The ramifications for engineers, architects, etc. are huge. Especially schools. This isn’t what Tampa needs; this isn’t what the state needs.”

For the record, Tampa has 9 CRAs, including two downtown; Florida more than 175.

As for Mayor Pam Iorio, who was poised to spend $40 million for mostly downtown improvements, it means a holding pattern for everything but Curtis Hixon Park. The city, says the mayor, will “front the money” for the park, meaning that reserve funds will likely be tapped for the $15-million project. The park, which Iorio calls an “entertainment environment,” is scheduled for a February groundbreaking. The mayor considers it a critical, synergistic linchpin for the downtown waterfront area. One that will include two museums and the Riverwalk.

“Not to sound like ‘Roseanne Rosannadanna,’ but ‘It’s always something,'” noted Iorio. “And something we’ll get through. But this would not be an increase in anyone’s taxes. It’s a way to help blighted areas. You take revenue streams and borrowing to get rid of blight. Everyone benefits. Remember, this is how (former Mayor) Bob Martinez did the convention center. Do you think we’d have a convention center today if it had gone to a referendum?”

The city’s hopes now lie with Supreme Court clarifications. Will there be any grandfathering of financial plans? Exactly who would vote in a TIF referendum? The whole city? Only the impacted CRAs? And how would Harbour Islanders vote?

“I think in most of the (CRA) areas, if we have to go to a vote, it would pass,” says Tampa City Council member John Dingfelder. “If we go citywide, that’s asking for failure.”

Andy Savage, the Charleston, S.C., attorney for Youssef Megahed, one of the two indicted USF students, recently complained that his Muslim client was the victim of profiling. That’s, of course, as much a prerogative as it is a public ploy.

In do doing, Savage said this: “If this had been my son, if it was an Irish-American kid who had been stopped in Berkeley County going 60 mph, he might have been ticketed. More likely they would say, ‘Slow down, son. Keep on going.’ But they would never been viewed as suspicious individuals.”

Let’s put this into a broader, real-world context. Try this analogy.

Suppose you were an Irish-American kid traveling with a dubious itinerary, “fireworks” in the trunk, et al in Belfast, Northern Ireland during “The Troubles.” And you were stopped for speeding.

“Slow down, son” and “Keep on going” are not among the things that local police would likely say to the two Irish-American kids from Charleston. And an askance look of suspicion and a car search would be givens.

Nice try, counselor.

Andy Savage, the Charleston, S.C., attorney for Youssef Megahed, one of the two indicted USF students, recently complained that his Muslim client was the victim of profiling. That’s, of course, as much a prerogative as it is a public ploy.

In so doing, Savage said this: “If this had been my son, if it was an Irish-American kid who had been stopped in Berkeley County going 60 mph, he might have been ticketed. More likely they would say, ‘Slow down, son. Keep on going.’ But they would never have their car torn apart. They would never have been viewed as suspicious individuals.”

Let’s put this into a broader, real-world context. Try this analogy.

Suppose you were an Irish-American kid traveling with a dubious itinerary, “fireworks” in the trunk, et al in Belfast, Northern Ireland during “The Troubles.” And you were stopped for speeding.

“Slow down, son” and “Keep on going” are not among the things that local police would likely say to you. And an askance look of suspicion and a car search would be givens.

Nice try, counselor.

This month marks the groundbreaking for the $52 million Tampa Bay History Center on Garrison Channel. The 60,000-square-foot museum, which is scheduled to open in December 2008, will be interactive and hands-on. The building will be certifiably “green.” It will debut with 30,000 artifacts, some pre-dating Jamestown.

A suggestion: One prominent exhibit should be dedicated to how this project was accomplished. From the $19.5 million in community investment public money to the History Center’s hustle, community education, professionalism and business plan – one that already has resulted in nearly $23 million raised.

And not only did the Hillsborough County Commission find the downtown project worthwhile and approve that $19.5-million construction contract, but it did so with praise and without posturing.

Now that’s historic.