A discussion of transportation development will highlight Tampa's 14th annual Downtown Development Forum, which will be held Friday, March 19, at Tampa Preparatory School's campus located at 727 W Cass St.
Topics covered during past Downtown Forums included a discussion of the potential benefits of extending the Channelside streetcar system into downtown Tampa and other ideas that could spur downtown growth.
The annual event focuses on the exploration of innovative ideas for urban development. Past keynote speakers have included former Pittsburgh Major Thomas J. Murphy and Brookings Institution visiting fellow Christopher Leinberger.
This year's event is titled, "The New World of Downtown Tampa – 2010," and is scheduled to run 7:30 a.m.-noon. The keynote speaker is University of South Florida history professor and author Gary Mormino, co-chair of the Florida Studies program at USF-St. Petersburg.
A continental breakfast, a networking session and registration will be followed by a panel discussion of transportation issues as they pertain to downtown Tampa and the Tampa Bay region. A one-cent sales tax increase for the purposes of financing transportation projects could be voted upon by Hillsborough County voters in November.
Following the transportation panel will be a discussion of growth management election issues, including Amendment 4, a land-use initiative that proposes to require voter approval of all changes to local comprehensive land-use plans.
In addition, updates will be given on the various downtown business sectors.
Sponsorships at several levels remain available for the event, which annually draws hundreds of business people, property owners and real estate professionals. For information, call 813-221-3686.
Writer: Carter Gaddis
Source: Kimberly Finn, Tampa Downtown Partnership
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