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City Council Considers Luring Solar Plant To East Tampa

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By KATHY STEELE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 12, 2009

TAMPA - The city council is thinking green – as in green-collar jobs from a solar manufacturing plant in East Tampa's community redevelopment area.

"It would be a win, win, win," Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena said today during a meeting of the Community Redevelopment Board, composed of city council members. "We as a city should be hustling to build a plant there."

Specifically, Saul-Sena said the city needs to aggressively go after federal money set aside for energy projects in the $787 billion stimulus package approved by Congress.

The board approved a motion to have the city's economic development administrator, Mark Huey, report in two weeks on the potential for luring a solar manufacturing plant to East Tampa. Solar plants manufacture solar cells that convert sunlight into electricity.

The area is among nine community redevelopment areas within the city. It is bordered by Hillsborough Avenue, interstates 275 and 4 and the city limits, and uses a portion of its local property taxes to fund community projects.

In a general discussion about pursuing federal stimulus money, Councilwoman Mary Mulhern said, "You're not going to get anything if you're not asking for it."

She cited White House data showing that Florida is near the bottom of the list on a per capita basis for stimulus money compared with other states.

Saul-Sena said East Tampa has land and tax breaks to entice green businesses such as the solar plant.

"We need to go after those dollars for this community," she said.

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.

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