On September 10, 2020, the city of Tampa, Florida was awarded $24,000,000 in federal funding from the US Department of Transportation as part of their Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant (the new, dumbed-down version of the former TIGER grant program) to revitalize the West side of the cit by extending the Riverwalk North to reconnect neighborhoods around the city.
Downtown portion of the Tampa Riverwalk.
Photo by Storm Cunningham.
The Riverwalk has already done a wonderful job of helping to revitalize downtown Tampa (as previously documented here in REVITALIZATION), so this project makes all the sense in the world…especially since trails tend to grow in value exponentially (rather than in a linear fashion) as they expand and add new nodes.
“This is a transformative project for the City of Tampa that will lead to significant investments in West Tampa and the West River,” said City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. “Not only will the continuation of the Riverwalk on the West side of the river provide safe multimodal transportation choices for pedestrians and commuting cyclists, but it will create a world-class destination for the surrounding new and existing neighborhoods.”
“Tampa’s strategic growth and quality of life are fueled in part by the Hillsborough River, and the completion of the Riverwalk on the East side has led to billions of dollars in new economic development that has brought Downtown to life once again. A project like this will spur growth and lead to new business opportunities, jobs, affordable housing developments, and more ways for our residents and visitors to enjoy our waterfront as we Transform Tampa’s Tomorrow,” she added.
Downtown portion of the Tampa Riverwalk.
Photo by Storm Cunningham.
“It is great news that the City of Tampa will receive a $24 million BUILD grant,” Senator Marco Rubio said.“This funding will help to significantly improve and modernize the city’s transportation infrastructure. I look forward to seeing the completion of these projects and to continuing my work with the Administration to support efforts to improve mobility options across our great state.”
“Our $24M BUILD federal grant to Tampa will lift our neighborhoods, build mobility, and increase connectivity through 12 miles of contiguous multi-modal paths, and provide needed improvements to our streets. I rigorously championed the City of Tampa’s vision due to the transformational improvements that previous grants have provided for our hometown and the related jobs,” said U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor
“In fact, our Tampa Riverwalk was completed thanks to $10 million in federal funding and it’s been the linchpin in Tampa’s redeveloping downtown and waterfront. Mayor Castor is a tremendous partner in helping to secure these infrastructure dollars and build on our vision for a safer, friendlier, and connected Tampa,” she continued.
When this project is complete it will include a 12.2 contiguous mile path separate from automobile traffic, except for enhanced crossing locations. This will connect three neighborhoods that are Opportunity Zones on the west side of the Hillsborough River to the downtown community.
It will also provide safe mobility options for pedestrians and bicyclists to commute to the University of Tampa, West Tampa, Ybor City, Tampa Heights, and the entire downtown Tampa area.
Featured rendering courtesy of the City of Tampa.