Latest news with #SpotlightTampaBay
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After Rays stadium deal fallout, what's next for Tropicana Field?
Now that the Tampa Bay Rays have pulled out of a deal to build a new stadium and redevelop its surrounding acreage in honor of the historically Black community that preceded it, what's next for Tropicana Field? It's the question that has gone asked but not answered for nearly two decades. Join the Tampa Bay Times, in partnership with the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, on Tuesday for a free community conversation in the latest Spotlight Tampa Bay event, Beyond Baseball: New Perspectives and Possibilities for St. Pete's 86 Most Contemplated Acres. Longtime residents, local leaders and place-making experts will participate in a panel discussion reimagining the future of the Trop's land and its effect on St. Petersburg's future. The event will begin at 5 p.m. at the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg's Center for Health Equity, 2333 34th St. S., St. Petersburg. 'We have a rare moment to pause, listen and dream big together,' said Conan Gallaty, chairman and CEO of the Tampa Bay Times. 'Let's imagine what this space can become for everyone in St. Petersburg. By uniting residents, experts and local leaders, the Tampa Bay Times is convening thoughtful ideas of what will benefit our community for generations.' Featured panelists include Mozell Davis, a St. Petersburg resident and longtime educator; Peter Kageyama, author of 'For the Love of Cities'; Erica Hall, a member of the Sierra Club's board of directors; Jillian Bandes, an executive board member at Urban Land Institute Tampa Bay; and Dr. Elizabeth Strom, associate professor at the University of South Florida. The conversation will be moderated by Colleen Wright, who covers the city of St. Petersburg as a reporter for the Times. The event begins with an exhibition of St. Petersburg through the ages from 5 to 6 p.m. Participating organizations include Zulu Painter, Pinellas County Schools, Reimagine 175, Saturday Morning Shoppe, RaceWithoutIsm Inc., Sofia Forte's Catering, the Pinellas County Urban League, The Innovation District and the Florida Small Business Development Center at Pinellas County Economic Development and the Times. 'The environments in which we live, work, play and grow help shape our health,' said Dr. Kanika Tomalin, president and CEO of the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg. 'Right now, we have a tremendous opportunity to reimagine this vital part of our city in a way that honors historic promises and catalyzes a healthier, more equitable future for our city's residents.' The panel discussion, including questions from the audience, will take place from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Attendees should register ahead of time at Admission and parking are free.
Yahoo
08-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How can we grow sustainably? 4 takeaways from Spotlight Tampa Bay event
Just a day before leaders in planning and development gathered to discuss how Tampa Bay can grow sustainably, emergency vehicles surrounded a 12-story Sand Key condominium complex. Residents were evacuated due to potential structural issues, calling to mind South Florida's Surfside condo collapse in 2021. That disaster, plus last year's storms, have made one thing clear: sustainable development can make the difference between life and death, between destruction and security. Thousands of Tampa Bay residents have been asked to rebuild their homes to be more resilient against hurricanes. At a Spotlight Tampa Bay event hosted by the Tampa Bay Times and sponsored by Tampa Electric Wednesday night, panelists discussed how the region can balance its breakneck growth with residents' quality of life and protection against storms. There are now more than 860,000 residences and homes in the region, and those numbers continue to grow, said Stephanie Smith, vice president of state and regional affairs at Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas. Roads, amenities and community resources must keep up with a surge of new residents and neighborhoods. Here's who participated in the panel: Moderator: Rebecca Liebson, real estate reporter Kartik Goyani, principal at Metro Development Group Melissa Zornitta, executive director of Plan Hillsborough Taylor Ralph, the president and founder of Real Building Consultants LLC Casey Ellison, CEO of Ellison Companies Abbye Feeley, administrator for development and economic opportunity with the city of Tampa Panelists weighed in on the future of Tampa Bay, particularly focusing on how to build more densely in a region defined by sprawl. Here are four takeaways from the event. People should be able to choose: do they want an urban, suburban or rural lifestyle while living in Tampa Bay? That's what Zornitta, the Hillsborough planner, emphasized. Hillsborough County is expanding its urban growth boundary, called an urban service area. But Zornitta said the county still wants to preserve a rural lifestyle for those who want it. In suburbs like Brandon and Town 'n Country, the goal is to introduce more mixed-use concepts and connectivity with the rest of the region, she said. That's true for growing suburbs in places like Plant City as well. Meanwhile, developers on the panel highlighted the need for more dense housing in urban Tampa, like the upcoming Gasworx project in Ybor City, for those who want true city living. 'In our urban markets, the more density, the better,' Ellison said. Tampa's Riverwalk and other pedestrian amenities are some of the most important advancements the city has made in recent decades, Ralph said. The market craves more urban housing stock than developers are currently supplying, driving prices up in the region's downtowns, he said. Goyani added that suburbs fulfill an important role: they can offer cheaper rents than the urban core. And they can be walkable, too, he said. Panelists said it's not just a local government problem: developers have a responsibility to help protect residents against storms, too. The city of Tampa is preparing permanent and temporary water pumps, and placing generators high up, to ease flooding and power problems the next time a big one strikes, Feeley said. It will take private-sector redevelopment in places like the University area, where flooding was widespread after Hurricane Milton, to fortify the area, Zornitta said. Building regulations are stronger than ever in terms of protecting structures against flooding, Ralph said. And developers are getting creative about the features they install. At The Central in St. Petersburg, a 2.1-acre project that will include a hotel, office building, retail space and workforce housing, Ellison is putting greenery on the top floor of the parking garage and roofs to prevent stormwater runoffs. Ralph, at the Gasworx redevelopment project, is putting utilities underground so they don't get swamped with floodwaters. New development will help make the region stronger against storms, Ralph said. 'New development and redevelopment should not be a bad word,' he said. 'Bad development should be a bad word.' Panelists shied away from saying there are parts of Tampa Bay, like its vulnerable barrier islands, where future development should be discouraged due to hazards from hurricanes. 'I don't know that there are places that are too risky to develop,' Zornitta said. But local governments discourage adding more density in the first places to evacuate, known as the 'coastal high hazard area,' she said. Insurance companies help inform consumers about the risks where they live, Ralph said. 'It's one of the first questions we get from our builders,' Koyani said. ''Hey, will our future homeowners have to pay a flood insurance premium, or did you raise the home high enough?'' One audience member asked about how old development factors in to all the buzz about new development. Zornitta said planners are updating the code so builders have more requirements to balance the look of new homes with the rest of the neighborhood. 'There's nothing wrong with old neighborhoods,' Feeley said. 'They're great. Protecting what is there is important.' Feeley recounted a small business's struggle to bring an old Ybor City house up to code in order to open a bookstore there. She suggested local leaders should put more thought into how to find new uses for places that are no longer livable. At Gasworx, residents can walk into an apartment building and read about historic Ybor City, Ralph said. He's also fought to preserve old buildings near the development, he said. 'That sense of place and those historic designations bring value to the community,' he said. 'What do you protect and what do you not protect?' --- Find more information about our Spotlight Tampa Bay series, including video recording of Wednesday's event here.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
How can we improve Tampa Bay's water quality? We're about to find out.
TAMPA — From its drinking supply to wildlife habitat to its economic future, the Tampa Bay region's fate is tied to its water. Yet an assortment of threats lurk beneath the surface. Red tide outbreaks. Pollution made worse by hurricanes Helene and Milton. A loss of seagrass and a dwindling water supply. On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Times, in partnership with Tampa Electric, will host a free community conversation on the future of Tampa Bay's water resources. The panel discussion, Diving deep: How we can improve Tampa Bay's water quality, will run from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Shanna & Bryan Glazer JCC, 522 N. Howard Ave. Panelists are: • Ed Sherwood, executive director of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program. • Peter Clark, president and founder of Tampa Bay Watch. • Margaret Mars Brisbin, assistant professor of biological oceanography at the USF College of Marine Science. • Warren Hogg, chief science officer at Tampa Bay Water. • Santino Provenzano, senior director of environmental at The Mosaic Co. 'Our Spotlight series shines a light on the big issues that impact all of us as a region,' said Tampa Bay Times Editor Mark Katches. 'And there may be no bigger issue than the quality of our water. I'm eager to hear what this terrific group of panelists has to say about the prospects for ensuring a safe and plentiful supply in the face of severe risks and threats.' Moderating the discussion will be Justine Griffin, the Tampa Bay Times' economy and health editor. From 5 to 6 p.m., attendees can visit the interactive resource center to engage with educational displays from local organizations, including Tampa Electric's Manatee Viewing Center, Tampa Bay Watch, the Tampa Bay Estuary Program, the Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Southwest Florida Water Management District, The Florida Aquarium, Tampa Bay Water and ZooTampa at Lowry Park. The resource center will offer a hands-on experience for attendees to learn more about what's being done to protect and sustain Tampa Bay's unique ecosystem. 'Water is crucial for our region's resilience, and Tampa Electric is deeply committed to initiatives that help protect and restore vital water resources,' said Carlos Aldazabal, vice president of Energy Supply at Tampa Electric. 'We're proud to support this event, where participants can learn about current challenges and explore ways they can contribute to our region's bright future.' This is the second Spotlight Tampa Bay event in the sustainability series presented by Tampa Electric. The first one, in December, discussed the threat posed by hurricanes and what Florida and the region were doing to prepare for future storms. The panel discussion will include questions from the audience. Those wanting to attend can register at Admission and parking are free.
