Latest news with #SteakHouse
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Flood relief for Tampa's SoHo neighborhoods still stirring rancor
A South Tampa business alliance is accusing the city of ignoring other, less disruptive options to provide eagerly sought flood relief for neighborhoods along the South Howard Avenue corridor. Its members are pleading with the city to slow down plans for the $64.5 million project, given initial approval in November, which calls for tearing up parts of South Howard to install new drain pipes. They want other options to get an airing. But some residents along the corridor, one of whom said his family had drained its life savings to repair its flooded home, urged the city to plow ahead Thursday. The tension spilled into the open after the City Council heard an update on the project, which the board approved in a contentious 5-2 vote in November. Council member Bill Carlson, whose district includes the area where the work would take place, called on the project to be canceled. He said it was approved under 'false pretenses,' and said other routes and solutions need to be considered. 'The other engineers and experts who have looked at this … they not only laugh at the process because it's so incomplete and not scientific,' he said, 'but they also laugh because putting culverts down the street is like 50 year old technology." Business owners are objecting to the project because it would close busy, two-lane South Howard to traffic for a couple of blocks at a time. It is intended to reduce flooding in South Tampa neighborhoods including Parkland Estates and Palma Ceia Pines that have seen devastating flood levels even prior to recent hurricanes, On Wednesday, a lawyer representing the SoHo Business Alliance, LLC, which includes establishments like Bern's Steak House, Epicurean Hotel, Fresh Kitchen and MacDinton's, wrote to the city and council members with dire concerns over the 'incredible and potentially devastating disruptions and consequences for South Howard businesses, the citizens who frequent those businesses, and those who live in the surrounding neighborhoods.' The letter alleged that the City Council was misled and that city staff claimed that the contract approved with Kimmins Contracting Corp. in November precludes board members from considering alternative routes. It claims that city Mobility Department Director Vik Bhide previously stated that would not be the case. 'It is apparent that the City Council was either misled into believing, or mistakenly understood, that approving the Kimmins Contract would allow the City to consider, rather than preclude it from considering, routes for the Project that do not include South Howard,' the letter said. Joe Collier, president of Mainsail Lodging and Development and former chairperson of visit Tampa Bay, said the business alliance met with the mayor and chief of staff and hired a separate engineering firm on its own and that it came up with five alternative routes. Collier said they met with Parkland Board and the city's mobility team to present them. 'We have some really good alternate routes that we put forward, I think that are pretty sharp, if you guys would just take the time to look at them,' he said. Collier said he asked Bhide if the mayor and the City Council tasked his team with a project that didn't close South Howard, would they be able to do it? Collier said Bhide said it would be possible but that it would be a political decision, and they were tasked with finding the fastest and cheapest route. But some residents of the neighborhood pleaded with the council not to reverse course and to take action quickly. 'It's been said that engineers from all over the world laugh at this project and that they have a better plan,' said resident Steve Gerrish. 'Where are those plans? Is it ready to start right now? Show us these engineers are laughing at the project. Because I can assure you that after spending a life's worth of savings on restoring my house, I am certainly not laughing.' Elizabeth Dinwiddie, another resident, said she believed the engineers had done their homework in selecting the best option and that years of research had gone into it. She expressed urgency in taking action. Council member Luis Viera reiterated his support for the project. 'For me on this issue, I'm going with city professionals on that,' he said. 'We've got to make sure that we do this in the most collaborative and decent way with all of the stakeholders there. But I just don't want anything that serves as real big delay.' Council member Alan Clendenin, who voted in favor of the project but asked other alternatives to be considered at the time, said the city may spend more money but gain public trust in presenting other options. 'Maybe this is the absolute perfect plan, but why not fully flesh out one or two other options?' he said. 'So that we can actually look at everything on the table at the same time? Say, OK, this is how much this costs, this is how much this costs.' The city's mobility administrator Jean Duncan said the city planned to present the alternative routes considered in May.
New York Times
24-02-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Have 49ers begun talks with Brock Purdy? Ten questions ahead of NFL combine
The 49ers head to Indianapolis this week with a lot of draft picks — 10 total — and with plenty of intrigue about their roster. Here are the biggest questions they'll be asking themselves — and we'll be asking them — at this year's NFL Scouting Combine. While the combine is ostensibly where teams learn about draft prospects, it's really the spot where business deals get done. Or at least get started. During the 2014 combine, for instance, the 49ers' brass prominently sat down at Shula's Steak House with Colin Kaepernick's agents. The dinner meeting was the first step toward a six-year extension that was ratified two and half months later. Will Lynch and chief negotiator Paraag Marathe have a similar sitdown with Kyle Strongin, who represents Brock Purdy? What about Jack Bechta, George Kittle's agent? Perhaps the biggest question in Indianapolis is whether the 49ers' offseason business — a major distraction for the franchise in 2024 — has gotten underway. GO DEEPER Listen: Is Brock Purdy going to reset the market? The NFL informed teams last week that the 2025 salary cap will fall between $277.5 million and $281.5 million, which will be at least $22.1 million more than last year's cap and a bigger jump than teams were anticipating. Does that increase the chances the 49ers can sign some of their own free agents, in particular linebacker Dre Greenlaw? The 49ers still have two and a half weeks to negotiate exclusively with Greenlaw. As it stands now, they have plenty of cap space — more than $45 million — although several defense-needy teams who might have interest in Greenlaw have more, including the New England Patriots, Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. Advertisement Mason will be one of the most interesting restricted free agents on the market. He showed last season he can be a starting tailback — he averaged 5.2 yards a carry — and he's only 25 without much wear and tear. On the other hand, this is expected to be an uncommonly deep draft at running back and teams looking for tailbacks may be eyeing a rookie. What approach will San Francisco take with Mason? The one-year tender amounts are expected to be around $7.5 million (first-round compensation), $5.4 million (second round) and $3.3 million (right of first refusal). Or the 49ers can decline to tender him and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent. The 49ers always are looking for speedy running backs and this year's deep class has several candidates. Keep an eye on the 40-yard dash times for Tennessee's Dylan Sampson, Virginia Tech's Bhayshul Tuten, Texas' Jaydon Blue and Syracuse's LeQuint Allen. If any of them post times similar to what fourth-round pick Isaac Guerendo ran a year ago, it will immediately catch the 49ers' attention. The last time Kyle Shanahan spoke about Moody, back on Dec. 26, he made it sound as if the kicker were set to return. 'I think he's made of the right stuff just from a mental standpoint and everything,' Shanahan said. 'And I think he has all the tools to be a great kicker in this league.' If those words were meant to give the struggling Moody an end-of-season confidence boost, it didn't work. He missed three of his last four field goal attempts, one extra point and had an ugly onside kick in the final two weeks. His 70.6 field goal mark in 2024, one of the worst in the NFL, begs the question of whether Shanahan and incoming special teams coordinator Brant Boyer will continue on with the former third-round pick. Membou, a tackle out of Missouri, is a person of interest for the 49ers when it comes to their first-round pick. He's strong, agile, has faced top competition and plays a position San Francisco hasn't drafted in the first round since 2018. But how long are his arms? There were conflicting numbers coming out of last month's Senior Bowl, where Membou was a scratch due to an illness. The combine measurement is what all teams use anyway, and the 49ers will be eager to see if Membou's levers meet the 34-inch mark they prefer for tackles. The draft appears to be full of tackle-guard tweeners, and the measurements for players such as LSU's Will Campbell and Texas' Kelvin Banks Jr. also will be noteworthy. GO DEEPER 49ers mock draft reaction: Will tackle Armand Membou measure up to team's standard? Another tackle with question marks is Ohio State's Josh Simmons, who suffered a patellar tendon injury in October and missed the rest of the season. He has the smooth footwork the 49ers like in their tackles and had been playing like the top tackle in the class before getting hurt. That injury, however, is significant. The timeline for Simmons returning to top form will determine when he gets drafted. Advertisement Speaking of patellar injuries, that's the issue that kept former second-round pick Jackson off the field for the 2024 season. The draft will have good edge rushers. The 49ers might want to land one or two, especially if Jackson is iffy. A dream scenario for the 49ers: If Michigan's Graham, who is widely considered the top defensive tackle in the draft, falls out of the top 10 and is available to San Francisco at pick No. 11. While his tape is top notch — including against the run — he might not be the type who excels at the so-called Underwear Olympics. Graham has a stubby build and some prospects are more athletic. If his numbers are merely ho-hum, will that be a turn-off for teams picking in the top 10? The 49ers are crossing their fingers that happens. The 49ers have yet to announce their revamped coaching staff, so Bradley's role and title are unknown. With Brandon Staley being hired as the New Orleans Saints' new defensive coordinator, the 49ers' assistant head coach title that Staley had in 2024 is expected to go to Bradley. But what does that mean in practical terms? At his end-of-season news conference, Shanahan said he wanted the defense to be able to pivot should it run into injuries like it did in 2024. Perhaps that will be what Bradley and defensive coordinator Robert Saleh concentrate on this offseason — figuring out blitz packages that mesh with their defensive system.
