RNC to visit Tampa

Members of the Republican National Committee are expected to visit Tampa next month to meet with organizers of Tampa's bid to host the 2012 GOP National Convention.

Details of the visit are still being worked out, but Al Austin, a developer and Republican fundraiser who is chairman of the bid committee, said the site selection committee will visit March 28-29 to look at facilities, roads, security and transportation options.

"We'll be taking them around and showcasing what the city has to offer," he said.

The RNC press office in Washington, D.C., declined to comment on the visit.

Tampa is vying against Salt Lake City and Phoenix for the 2012 convention.

The cost to host the event, according to figures submitted by the city's bid committee, is nearly $50 million, including roughly $9 million for security and transportation. The federal government would provide another $50 million for security, organizers have said.

None of it would be financed by taxpayers, the committee said.

Tampa was a finalist for the 2004 and 2008 GOP conventions but lost to New York in 2004, the party's first convention since 9/11, and Minneapolis-St. Paul, a Democratic stronghold with a Republican governor, in 2008. RNC officials in 2008 expressed concerns about hosting the event during the height of hurricane season.

Local Republican leaders say they believe the third time will be the charm for Tampa, particularly because of the importance of carrying Florida in the presidential election.

They also point out that the city has more to offer than it did in the previous bids, having just opened new art and history museums and a tree-lined riverfront park downtown.

The majority of the funding, about $43 million, would come from private donations collected by the host committee, according to Tampa's bid. The balance would come from regional tourism dollars, in-kind contributions and other local funding sources.

A decision of which of three cities will host it is expected in May or June.