I’m outlining and consolidating this project into a single post because it’s become an ongoing discussion (continued again, until June) and is a $20+ million project. It’s not a hill I’m willing to die on, but it is a perfect example of how projects are sold at one price and then when the written estimate shows up, it’s more than doubled. Those are the things that frustrate the public and become a source of distrust.

This project was originally announced in February 2023 when the $5.3 million Federal grant was awarded. A month later, the project was detailed to be

The project will lower the Ashley Drive Interchange Ramp to street level by removing the viaduct that raises up the extended highway exit ramp. The project will then reconnect the North Downtown street grid with a new street-level Ashley Drive, making it safer and easier to walk and bike around downtown Tampa.

Also included

This federal grant project will also

• Add new bicycle and pedestrian routes
• Create new street connections at Royal Street and Harrison Street, reducing barriers to walk/bike connectivity and access in north downtown
• Establish a project Community Advisory Committee
• Create new opportunities for green infrastructure and parks accessing the riverfront, and community-based place-making along Ashley Drive
• Allow for potential future connection to Laurel Street

“The entire project is expected to cost roughly $10.71 million dollars.”

It showed up on my radar in February.

I was mistakenly led to believe this was all/mostly funded by federal funds. Incorrect. Council is being asked to approve the expenditure of bonding funds as well as $4.7 million in “projected interest earnings”. There is also $8 million the city is going to ask the CRA to kick in as a special project request. Keep that in mind as folks still discuss capping the downtown CRA.

The follow up.

The item was pulled for discussion as I wasn’t the only person who noted it. A memo was circulated to Council from their budget analyst. I was not mistaken, when originally presented to Council, it was much smaller with the majority of the cost covered by the federal grant. Somewhere between then and last week it more than doubled in size (odd how often that happens). The item was continued to offer Mobility an opportunity to explain the increase but if they had voted Thursday it would have failed.

It reappeared on last week’s agenda.

I flagged it when it originally appeared on the February 20th agenda under consent items. Council pulled it for discussion and it was confirmed this project started out much smaller with a Federal grant secured by Representative Castor. Council continued the item to give staff an opportunity to explain how it has more than doubled in size with an expectation the downtown CRA and bonding would fund it. Statements from Council members at the time were almost universal they wouldn’t support this project with the facts presented. What seems to be the issue is that the USDOT grant was about the Ashley Drive off ramp/north bound flyover as part of work US/FL DOT is doing with I-275 and this project is a larger, more ambitious project for Ashley Dr. The question isn’t does the project sound good, it is how to pay for it and priorities.

No one believes this isn’t a good idea. Especially the main goal of the original project “ lower the Ashley Drive Interchange Ramp to street level by removing the viaduct that raises up the extended highway exit ramp. “ Everyone loved the idea when it was a $10.7 million dollar project funding in half by a grant. 2 years ago. But no one can explain what changed or where the doubling in cost comes from. And that’s the rub.

If someone could have thrown up a slide that showed the cost of goods have increased 50% or that they’ve expanded the scope of the project to extend further south of the interchange at least we would be dealing with some sense of reality. My gut is telling me that the scope has expanded as attempts to redevelop the old Army/Navy property have proven more complicated than everyone thought when it was purchased. That area was a bit of the focus on what was presented by staff. The second announcement they all but say that property wasn’t included in the project

In partnership with the Downtown CRA, The City of Tampa is finalizing a contract to purchase a key parcel standing in the way of full ownership of all the property between Harrison and Laurel Streets. In total, the City of Tampa is targeting four acres of underutilized land valued at $5.6M adjacent to the redesign project area with plans to invite proposals generating several hundred units of mixed-income and mixed-use development.

Emphasis mine.

There was still strong opposition to the project, but enough Council members were on the fence they motioned to continue the project until June. They want to have a conversation with themselves as CRA members in May regarding the desired $8 million in downtown CRA contributions before voting for the project. I was under the impression the downtown CRA was mostly obligated through 2029.