Stories

For Good Massive oak trees provide shade for the Aerial Silk Fantasy performances during the 2024 Bay Area Renaissance Festival.

Photo story: 2024 Bay Area Renaissance Festival

A photo gallery from the 2024 Bay Area Renaissance Festival in Dade City

Feature Story After opening a station at Orlando International Airport, Brightline is eyeing an Orlando to Tampa route for the next expansion of its high speed rail service.

Local leaders look ahead at what Brightline expansion can mean for Tampa, Ybor

Brightline high-speed rail's planned Orlando to Tampa expansion has significant potential to benefit redevelopment and transportation mobility options for getting around Tampa Bay, say local leaders. There's still a lot of work to be done on planning and funding the proposed expansion.

Feature Story This March 2024 Easter egg hunt is just one community-building event at the University Area Community Development Corporation's Harvest Hope Park.

University Area CDC strengthens North Tampa community through Harvest Hope Park, attainable housing

The University Area Community Development Corporation works to strengthen the community in North Tampa through resources like Harvest Hope Park and an upcoming attainable housing townhome development.

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Masthead gallery: St. Pete Second Saturday ArtWAlk

A photo gallery from the Second Saturday ArtWalk in St. Petersburg.

Feature Story St. Pete based author and urbanist Peter Kageyama with his latest novel, "Midnight Climax."

A conversation with St. Pete urbanist and author Peter Kageyama

After writing four best-selling books celebrating cities, St. Pete-based urbanist and author Peter Kageyama has turned his sights to fiction with a series of mystery novels set in post-World War II San Francisco and influenced by Kageyama's Japanese-American roots.

Buzz An ongoing federal study of future Amtrak service bypasses Tampa and Tampa Union Station, the state's second-busiest station, on a proposed Chicago to Florida route.

Proposed Chicago to Florida Amtrak route bypasses Tampa

The current proposal for a future Chicago-to-Florida Amtrak service bypasses Tampa, the state's second-busiest station. Friends of Tampa Union Station, a nonprofit working for the station's restoration, wants that changed.

For Good During a workshop at the Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association Community Center, local creatives and designers helped children and teens design outfits to showcase during Tampa Connect Fashion Week.

Tampa Connect Fashion Week: Where fashion meets philanthropy

The Tampa Heights Junior Civic Association, a nonprofit working with at-risk youth, has partnered with local creatives and designers to launch Tampa Connect Fashion Week, a three-day event mixing fashion and philanthropy.

Innovation News Tampa tech firm BŪP, which creates digital business cards and AI-powered lead nurturing solutions for businesses and professionals, was the networking app sponsor for Synapse Summit 2024.

Innovators show up, show out at Synapse Summit

Entrepreneurs from across Florida and the country showcase their innovative ideas at Synapse Summit 2024.

Feature Story With the support of community partners like the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, Healthy Start Hillsborough's Safe Baby program aims to fight the heartbreaking community problem of infant deaths from unsafe sleep.

Healthy Start of Hillsborough strives to reduce infant deaths from unsafe sleep

With the support of community partners like the Children's Board of Hillsborough County, Healthy Start Hillsborough's Safe Baby program aims to fight the heartbreaking community problem of infant deaths from unsafe sleep.

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Masthead Gallery: Welcome to "Dogedin"

A photo gallery of dog-friendly Dunedin, aka "Dogedin."

Feature Story The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts returns to Tampa's Julian B. Lane Waterfront Park on March 2nd and 3rd.

March arts: Gasparilla, Tarpon Springs and Hyde Park festivals; events galore in Ybor

March's busy arts calendar has the Gasparilla, Hyde Park Village and Tarpon Springs festivals; special events celebrating books, tattoos and contemporary music in Ybor; and several new exhibitions.

Development News The second phase of Canopy at West River will add 188 apartments of affordable and workforce housing across two buildings.

Canopy at West River launches second phase of affordable, workforce housing

The West River district moves into its 10th phase of construction, which adds two buildings and 188 apartments of affordable and workforce housing at Canopy at West River.

Development News Bare Blends,  a cafe and plant-based, vegan, gluten-free smoothie shop, opens soon as AVE Tampa Riverwalk fills its remaining retail space.

AVE Tampa Riverwalk closes in on filling up its retail space

The upcoming openings of Pacific Counter, Bare Blends, Flatbread & Butter and Body Fit Training will fill up the retail space at AVE Tampa Riverwalk.

Feature Story The clock is ticking to restore the Jackson Rooming House, shown here in September 2019. The storied piece of Tampa's Black history was built in 1901 and has been vacant since 1989.

Clock is ticking to restore Jackson House and preserve a storied piece of Tampa Black history

Legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Cab Calloway, Count Basie and Billie Holiday stayed at the Jackson House, Tampa's segregation-era Black boarding house. The clock is ticking to save and restore this storied piece of Tampa's Black history.

Feature Story The widening of County Road 39 from State Road 674 to State Road 60 received substantial opposition in the ACCESS 2050 survey.

ACCESS 2050: Mapping out Hillsborough's transportation needs and priorities for the next 25 years

The Hillsborough County Transportation Planning Organization is going through the once-every-five-year process of updating the countywide long-range transportation plan. They want your input.

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Masthead gallery: Historic Roser Park

A photo gallery of Historic Roser Park, St. Petersburg's first designated historic district.

Innovation News The annual Synapse Summit is expected to draw thousands to Tampa's Amalie Arena on February 28th.

Synapse Summit returns to Tampa February 28th

Florida's innovators, investors and entrepreneurs gather in Tampa on February 28th for the annual Synapse Summit.

For Good Fiesta Day celebrates the history and culture of Ybor City.

Step back in time and celebrate diversity at Ybor City's Fiesta Day

The 77th annual Ybor City Fiesta Day celebrates the historic Tampa neighborhood's history and culture on Saturday, February 24th.

For Good Tampa City Ballet is one of the Bay Area dance companies collaborating in the new nonprofit Dance Tampa Bay.

New nonprofit Dance Tampa Bay on mission to cultivate vibrant dance community in Bay Area

New nonprofit Dance Tampa Bay is on a mission to support and strengthen the Bay Area's dance community and create more opportunities for dancers to make a living here.

For Good The second annual Black Art Gala will showcase the work of about 40 African-American artists from the Bay Area to promote representation and recognition in the arts.

Black Art Gala showcases African-American artists from Bay Area

The second annual Black Art Gala celebrates the work of about 40 African-American artists from the Bay Area to promote representation and recognition in the arts.