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152 22 1 0

Alliance aims to undo

Suitcase City
BY JOYCE MCKENZIE
Special Correspondent
Published: November 11, 2015

TAMPA An A-list of movers and shakers from throughout the Tampa Bay
area came together at the Museum of Science and Industry on Oct. 29 for
what was billed as a not-so-average evening out.
Some 400 leaders from both the public and private sector attended the
rst-ever Tampa Innovation Alliance Gathering, an affair that ofcially set
in motion an effort to revitalize 25,000 acres in North Tampa, a district
bound by Bearss Avenue/Bruce B. Downs Boulevard to the north, Busch
Boulevard to the south, and Interstates 275 and 75 to the east and west.

Poverty and crime is rampant in much of the region and many of the
residents are transient, hence earning it the moniker of Suitcase City.

Our goal is to build a live, work, play, study and stay district, said Mark
Sharpe, former Hillsborough County Commissioner turned executive
director of the nonprot Tampa Innovation Alliance, which formed in 2011,
and formally kicked off the effort in January of this year.

The purpose of the recent gathering was to celebrate the ve anchor

institutions that have since come on board in support of building an
innovative, vibrant district to be viewed as a destination point rather than
a thoroughfare used to travel to other places.

The University of South Florida, Busch Gardens, Florida Hospital, Moftt

Cancer Center and RD Management, owners of the University Mall, are
among them.
Busch Gardens President Jim Dean is chairman of the alliance, which so far
also has garnered 39 community partners and 100 members.

Im excited about this opportunity, Dean said. Its going to change the
landscape of the area.
USF President Judy Genshaft is equally enthusiastic about the communitys
positive response to the effort.

Four years ago when we started talking about creating the alliance, we
werent sure people knew what we were talking about, she said. Were
now on the move. Stay tuned.

Jack Kolosky, executive vice president and CEO of Moftt Cancer Center,
likened the project to H. Lee Moftts dogged effort to establish the center,
now the third-largest cancer institute in the world.

He had the vision and fought hard to see it come to fruition, Kolosky said.
We will do the same hard work to make these big dreams happen.

Roger Hirschhorn, a RD Management principal, said hes been asked on

several occasions why in 2014 his company purchased the then struggling
University Mall.
Look around, I tell them. Weve got Busch Gardens that draws ve million
visitors a year, and then theres Moftt Cancer Center. The list goes on, he
said.

Bruce Katz, vice president and founding director of the Brookings

Metropolitan Policy Program whom Sharpe described as one of the
worlds leading thinkers on how cities can create an environment that
fosters economic development was the evenings keynote speaker.

I have never seen so much positive energy in a room, said Katz, noting
the tremendous value of having such highly valued anchors as the
economic drivers of Tampas innovation alliance.

Temple Terrace Mayor Frank Chillura, who also was among the dignitaries
at the event, said he, too, felt the strong sense of synergy from those in
the crowd.

The TIA is going to elevate and brand this region to a level that it has
never been before, he said. The formation of the TIA will provide the
structure and partnerships which were previously non-existent.

Joyce McKenzie can be reached at joycecmckenzie@gmail.com.

 152 22 1 0

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Add a comment...

Justin Ricke REALTOR; Licensed at Keller Williams Realty

So I am just curious where they plan to ppush the homeless now?
Downtown is already dumping its portion into the heights, where will
these people be placed, will they continued to be dumped into our
neighborhoods into supposed private emergency housing
establsihments that provide toxic and unsuitable environments?
Speaking for myself, but personally as someone who has had to deal
with the issue of homelessness and the city not wanting to directly face
the problem, I'm a little fed up with the lack of action taken on the part of
the city. Instead of these people getting the care they need,
they... See More

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