TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Tampa Submits Wish List To Obama For Projects

ADVERTISEMENT

By CHRISTIAN M. WADE and BILLY HOUSE

cwade@tampatrib.com and bhouse@tampatrib.com

Published: December 4, 2008

TAMPA - Bay area officials are hoping President-elect Barack Obama's plan to spend billions of dollars in the hopes of shoring up a faltering economy could speed along dozens of local public works projects and pay for other local big-ticket initiatives.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio this week submitted a laundry list of projects that could be ready to go within 90 days of approval and would create more than 1,600 new jobs.

Projects on Iorio's list add up to more than $50 million, and include improvements for water and sewer systems, repairing bridges, and energy conservation upgrades.

They range from installing a new water main from the David L. Tippin Wastewater Treatment Plant to downtown, estimated to cost $25.5 million and create 82 jobs; to citywide road resurfacing, estimated to cost $ 4 million and generate 40 jobs.

Tampa's list of projects was submitted to the U.S. Conference of Mayors to help it lobby Congress for the Obama stimulus package that, if approved, will pour billions of dollars into infrastructure projects. Other cities across the country have submitted similar lists.

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Baker is planning to ask for more than $500 million in federal money for local projects, including $65 million to replace the police department's archaic Central Avenue headquarters and $50 million to rebuild the city's municipal wharf.

The city also plans to ask for federal funds to convert to energy efficient street lighting, install solar panels on city-owned buildings and replace aging seawalls and bridges.

"We could afford these projects ourselves, but it would mean increasing taxes and fees and it's a bad time for that," said Mike Connors, the city's fiscal services administrator.

Obama has said he wants Congress to begin working on the stimulus package when it convenes in January, and that "it's going to be costly." But there are few details yet on how projects will be chosen, and what the requirements would be under the campaign.

The package could cost as much as $700 billion, say congressional leaders.

"I want to see it enacted right away," said Obama.

Obama hopes his plan would create 2.5 million jobs by the end of 2010.

Congressional leaders, who have so far not been able to win approval for a more modest stimulus plan, said they would make it a priority in the new Congress.

Bay area officials say if that happens, they want to get a slice the funding.

"There's a significant number of local projects that need funding," said Steve Daignault, Tampa's public works and utility administrator, whose office compiled the wish list.

Daignault said he is working on a separate and far more expansive wish list of funding requests for infrastructure projects that could be completed in two years. That list, which is not yet compiled, would be submitted to Congress through local lawmakers, he said.

The effort is being led by Miami Mayor Manny Diaz, president of the mayors' group, who is also under consideration for a cabinet-level position in Obama's new administration.

Programs requested so far would bring more than $24 billion to cities and towns across the country and would create 256,407 jobs nationally, according to the mayors' group.

MAYORS' WISH LIST

President-elect Barack Obama has urged Congress to approve funding for infrastructure and jobs in hopes of resuscitating the economy. Tampa Bay area mayors are hoping for a slice of the $700 billion stimulus package to fund projects and other initiatives.

Among the projects they have or plan to request funding for:

TAMPA

•Spanishtown Creek drainage improvements, $23 million

•Cass, Laurel, and Brorein street bridge improvements, $6.5 million

•Bruce B. Downs widening, $5 million

•Davis Islands water main, $3.9 million

•Spring Hill park community center, $3.6 million

•New sidewalks citywide, $1 million

•Old City Hall elevator replacement, $650,000

•Roof replacement on several city-owned buildings, $200,000

ST. PETERSBURG

•New police headquarters, $65 million

•Replacement of St. Petersburg Municipal Pier, $50 million

•Mast-arms at crosswalks in downtown, $10 million

•Retrofit streetlights with energy efficient bulbs, $5 million

•Energy efficient lighting in city-owned buildings, $1.5 million

•Gasification of bio-solids at wastewater treatment plants, $2.5 million

•Solar panels in city-owned parks, $4 million

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT