A waterfront destination

Located on the bank of the Hillsborough River in downtown Tampa, the new Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park will open to Tampa's residents and visitors tomorrow. People will see an urban space transformed.

They will see a great lawn that offers flexible space to accommodate all types of events, interesting architectural elements and an inspiring view of the minarets. They will see a vibrant civic space for the community that adds an additional 3.5 acres of green space to the downtown riverfront.

They will see a new segment of the Tampa Riverwalk, a dog park, a playground and fountains. What they won't see is the untold story of a park that was built on a fixed budget in challenging financial times.

In 2003, our administration crafted strategic goals for our city that would help ensure progress for decades. One of those goals was to create a residential community downtown, and we have worked hard to make that happen. With any neighborhood, green space and quality of life concerns are top priorities and they were at the top of our list for downtown.

We worked to make our city center more pedestrian-friendly and we quickly saw the need to create a neighborhood park for residents - a central gathering place for the entire city - a destination now known as Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

It has been our goal for the Tampa Riverwalk to open the river to the people, and we wanted to design a park that placed appropriate value on the river.

Designed by world-renowned landscape architect Thomas Balsley, Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park was strategically crafted. Community input and workshops preceded the design.

A major part of the park plan included the complementary placement of two museums, the Tampa Museum of Art and the Glazer Children's Museum.

The museums will help in the effort to transform Tampa into a city of the arts, another one of our goals.

With a plan in place and $1 million secured in private donations, construction of the $15.7 million downtown-tax-increment-funded park could move forward.

Skanska USA Building Inc., an internationally recognized firm, in association with Horus Construction, was selected to be the construction manager. They were tasked with the demolition of the parking structure as well as the construction of the park, construction of the Tampa Museum of Art, restoration of the seawall and the $4.4 million renovation and repair of Kiley Garden and the garage below, located adjacent to the park.

In January 2008, work began and with city staff they ensured that all of the complex and constantly changing elements of such a massive undertaking moved smoothly and efficiently. The projects have been completed on time and on budget with minority contractors participating - an important component of the contract. The park was also the first completed expansion segment of Tampa's reclaimed water system into downtown.

The Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park is a destination - a venue for everyone. It is an urban space that was designed to host intimate gatherings and large-scale events. It will be the focal point of a Riverwalk that connects many of our city's greatest cultural assets.

One day history will tell the story of a city that invested in its future - a city that moved forward with a signature park, a world-class art museum, a new segment of the Riverwalk and a first-class children's museum, not deterred by a deep recession. It will be the story of a city that invested in its people by creating meaningful places for future generations - it will be Tampa's story.