TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa leaders will soon work to transform downtown Franklin Street. In the 1900s, the street was a happening spot.
What You Need To Know
City leaders are hoping to revitalize the one-mile stretch of downtown Franklin Street, primarily by making it more pedestrian-friendly.
Tampa’s Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency is spending $6 million on the project.
The Tampa Downtown Partnership will hold meetings to get input from business leaders and others in the community.
City leaders hope to have the Franklin Street project completed by 2029
“Franklin Street was the main hub of Tampa,” said Tampa Theatre President and CEO John Bell.
City leaders are hoping to bring that energy back to the one-mile stretch by focusing on pedestrians. There will be upgrades to the sidewalks and lighting, with added greenspace, pocket parks and repairs to some brickwork.
“I think we have the opportunity for Franklin street to become that historic main street corridor,” said Tampa Downtown Partnership’s Kenyetta Hairston Bridges.
Tampa’s Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency is spending $6 million on the project.
By April, they expect to begin taking bids for the design.
“The first piece would be the design, and that would be looking under the ground to see the piping and what can be done,” said Tampa CRA director Cedric McCray.
Bridges said the Tampa Downtown Partnership will also conduct community meetings to gather input on the Franklin Street project.
Tampa’s Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency is spending $6 million on the project.
John Bell, the head of the Tampa Theatre, is excited about the street’s future.
“The more friendly we can make the area, the better the amenities for others, the better off we’re going to be,” said Bell.
Property owner David Bailey bought a building on Franklin Street in 2006. Back then, he said he had a challenge getting the space fully rented. That’s because, in 2006, there was not much happening on Franklin Street. Things have changed in the last 20 years.
But Bailey is hoping the street becomes even more of a place that attracts people to the area – all times of the day.
“I think we’ve only seen the beginning of what it can do,” Bailey said. “I think we’re going to see more of that vibrancy come back.”
City leaders hope to have the project completed by 2029.