Florida Construction News staff writer
Tampa City Council has approved $6 million for the Franklin Street Vision project to revitalize the historic downtown corridor. Planned upgrades include streetscape improvements, infrastructure enhancements, and mobility improvements.
The project will be funded over three years using property taxes generated in the downtown area.
“To ignore the work that needs to be done on Franklin Street would be the biggest crime, given all the work we’re doing to eliminate slum and blight in the CRA,” said Gwendolyn Henderson, CRA board chair. “I’m proud that we brought together voices from the community to collaborate on how best to bring Franklin Street back to life for our residents and visitors.”
Planning for the project started in 2020, when the Tampa Downtown Partnership partnered with Stantec and launched a public feedback initiative that garnered responses from more than 550 downtown residents, workers, business owners, and visitors.
“I think this plan is different from any previous attempts because now, people live downtown,” said Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak. “That’s the game-changer. We need to create spaces that serve our growing downtown community.”
The timetable for starting and completing construction will be finalized in the coming months.
