GARDENING IN DOWNTOWN TAMPA

As I looked at some of the newspaper maps at planned construction in Downtown, it was easy to think of gardening. Discussion about heights and types of buildings (hotels, condos, retail) sound like selecting the right plant to be sure you can walk between the rows or be sure that the heights work to make the light access correct for the other plants in the garden.

The seeds for downtown redevelopment are already in place. In case you haven't noticed, after years of reaching for new office buildings, the call for them now has become silent.

Already over 5,000 new housing units are starting to grow or are already approved in downtown. Hotels are also on the way. BUT, it is retail space that seems to be lagging behind.

Two Channelside establishments have closed their doors - permanently or temporarily seems to be the question - Newks and Rivals. Part of that comes from the lack of NHL hockey games and the revenue it brings.

When VERVE had a recent DOWNTOWN AFTER SIX function, several hundred people attended to stroll through part of downtown. It was great to see some local businesses stay open a little later to make the event work, but it was a little sad to see all the businesses closed at 6 PM. Regardless of the downtown event, on Saturdays, most retail spaces and restaurants are closed and silent.

A garden starts with a clearing process. Raking, planning, then planting. Not all plants grow at the same speed. You have to be patient and nurturing before the garden really takes hold.

Downtown Tampa is just like that. Let's just hope that in the rush to construct the garden we don't remove some plants that we really ought to keep, like Kiley Park, or allow some in that shouldn't be there.