TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Tampa Mayor's Budget Is Big On Projects

ADVERTISEMENT

By ELLEN GEDALIUS | The Tampa Tribune

Published: August 25, 2008

TAMPA - When Mayor Pam Iorio proposed her budget this month, she outlined nearly $170 million worth of projects ranging from fixing water pipes to building more fire stations.

The capital improvement budget includes many big-ticket items, such as $19.1 million for the new Tampa Museum of Art and $5 million to widen parts of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. It also includes a host of smaller projects such as $75,000 to paint fire stations.

The spending plan also includes million of dollars in water, wastewater and stormwater projects, and higher-profile efforts, such as the redevelopment of Plant Park at the University of Tampa.

The city council has set two public hearings on the budget: 5 p.m. Sept. 10 and 5 p.m. Sept. 24 at City Hall.

Projects in Tampa's Sights

FIRING RANGE AND FIREHOUSE

Scheduling conflicts at the shooting range owned by the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office have long made it tough for Tampa police officers to get in their firing practice, Police Chief Stephen Hogue said. Now, the city is planning to lease space at the Lithia range for a nominal price. Using about $465,000 from the sale of two aircraft, the Tampa Police Department plans to remodel space at the existing range for use primarily by the city's law enforcement officers. A classroom might be built as well. The city also plans to build Fire Station No. 22 this year near Cross Creek Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road. That's a $2 million project, with money coming from the Community Investment Tax.

HISTORIC CITY HALL WINDOW REPLACEMENT AND SENSORY LIGHTS

The windows in the old City Hall building are leaking. The wood is rotting. "They're really beyond repairing. They need to be replaced," said David Vaughn, the city's director of contract administration. The city will spend about $2.2 million to replace about 330 windows, making sure they match the original appearance. Old City Hall is a local landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Funding comes from utility taxes. The city also plans to add "occupancy sensors" to city buildings. When people walk into a room, the lights will go on. When they leave, the lights will go off. The roughly $40,000 investment should lower the city's electric bill.

PICNIC ISLAND BOARDWALK AND PLANT PARK

The city is adding a boardwalk to Picnic Island that will move eastward through a shady, mangrove forest into an open, sunny area along the east side of Picnic Island. The project is expected to cost about $290,000 in fiscal year 2012. Another big upcoming project is the redevelopment of Plant Park at the University of Tampa. In fiscal year 2011, the city will spend about $564,000 on several projects meant to re-create the "historic essence" of the former Tampa Bay Hotel. There will be an interpretive garden center, a cannon exhibit and a replica of the gated entry to the old hotel.

Ellen Gedalius

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT