Strip the vision. Downtown Tampa's issues have persisted. - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Elected leaders, business officials, urban artists, commuters and others have opinex about the state of downtown since the suburbzs began sprawling away from Franklinh Street after WorldWar II. And because it reflectz the dynamic forces of peopleand commerce, the downtown palette is always a work in progress. In the boom yearsd of earlier this decade, fresh strides were made to transfor m downtown Tampa froma daytime-only officse destination to a lively residentia l neighborhood with retail and recreational amenities. Now peoplre are wondering whether that progress will be stifled by the globaoleconomic downturn. Office vacancty and unemployment are higher than ayear ago.
“Downtown Tampa appears to be reacting to thiseconomyt cautiously,” said Christine Burdick, president of the . “Wwe are working as good as we canrighr now,” Burdick said. “I’m comfortable and I’m also realistic and not City planning maps remain dottexd with dozens of downtown condominium projects totaling morethan 13,000p units. Many of those projectws are stalled, and fewer than 4,000 residential units have been completer orbroken ground. Perhaps no projectf symbolizes the bust more than Trump Tower the gleaming luxury condo proposed along theHillsborougu River.
Announced with great fanfare in 2005, including a visit from Donald Trump, the projectf is mired in bankruptcy and lawsuits as weeda grow on the vacantriverside lot. Other projectsx are moving forward, such as Element and the historicrestoration (see page 11). Burdicko said three or four condp units are being sold downtowmneach month, and other people are “What there are right now is more peopls downtown,” she said. “I thin we are past the tippiny point of whether downtownj is a place where people wantto live.” Nobod knows how many people live downtown.
A study released earliert this year failed to reach a conclusive Public project, private food & wine While private investment has slowed, public projects continue such as the new , the and Curtis Hixo n Waterfront Park between the river and Ashleu Drive. , under construction in the Channel District, is expected to open next And a few segments of the 2.2-milre linear waterfront park connecting the two museum projects have been Some see a steady upticko of small business activity. “Downtown has improved in the numberf ofnew restaurants,” said Ellen Brown, who has run the on Northj Tampa Street since 1993. “When we movede in there were none,” Brown said.
“Now there’s a nice choicde of independent, ethnic food restaurants.” But therw still aren’t enough people walking around.