Government

Moffitt Cancer Center To Open Facility At Tampa International Airport

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August 10, 2010

People boarding Tampa flights at Tampa International Airport in 2011 will have an innovative health opportunity. Moffitt Cancer Center has signed a lease with Tampa International Airport for the two-story building that used to house Continental Airlines. Moffitt currently occupies space at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) and will move its operations when its lease with TGH ends on June 30, 2011."Due to high patient demand we are at capacity and have given long consideration to our options in order to accommodate the high demand," explains Michelle Foley, Moffitt's spokesperson. "Our conclusion was to find a site, preferably existing, that would allow for a broader complement of outpatient services than currently exists at our present location."The lease has a 20-year term with two five-year renewable options depending on Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) approval. The FAA has approved Moffitt's initial occupancy as of July 1, 2011."The building at Tampa International Airport (TIA) was one of several properties considered," continues Foley. "Our final decision to pursue a lease with TIA for the former Continental building was predicated on the availability of an existing structure that can accommodate our plans as well as be accessible and convenient for patients and their families."Services at the airport's medical center facility will include medical oncology, infusion services, radiation therapy and radiology. It will be accessible from Jim Walter Boulevard just off Boyscout Boulevard. in Tampa, or via the mall entrance at International Plaza.Moffitt has an affiliate network of hospitals throughout Florida as well as Savannah, GA, and includes physicians whose clinical practice is at least 50 percent oncology or who have demonstrated an active interest in the specialty.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Michelle Foley, Moffitt Cancer Center

Latest in Government

Tampa Bay, Orlando, Space Coast Strategize For Federal Housing Grants

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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August 3, 2010

Planning leaders from Florida's Super Region had an important decision to make on July 23, 2010, regarding their goals in light of the opportunities the impending high-speed rail system will bring to the area. All for one, or one for all? The federal government's HUD Sustainable Communities Regional Planning Grant deadline is approaching. If obtained, the grant gives funds to communities that connect housing to jobs with investments in local land use that reduce transportation costs for families, improve housing affordability, save energy and increase access to housing and employment opportunities. With construction looming on a high-speed rail system that will zoom along the I-4 corridor, regional planners met to consider going after a piece of the pie. The question is, how to go about it? As a group, or separately?At the meeting on July 23 planning decision makers from municipalities and counties from the Space Coast to Orlando and Tampa Bay decided to tackle the issue. Because of the tight time crunch and soft partisan interests, the consortium decided to go forward with a separate but coordinated approach. Tampa Bay will turn in its own application, while East Florida will turn in one as well. However, the two will work together by including the goals they have in common in their separate applications. In doing so, the planners hope to project a unified region with a plethora of projects requiring funding over the next few years. The goal is that the federal government will end up providing funds for both applications, either for both during this year or separately over the next two years.It was agreed that high-speed rail would be the common thread for both applications, with a map that points to both regions.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Shelley Lauten, My Region.org

Tampa Riverwalk at Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park.

Big Plans Aim To Attract You To Downtown Tampa’s Riverwalk

By Alexis Quinn Chamberlain

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General

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August 3, 2010

With plans for a floating stage, living aquarium and six-mile-long pedestrian walkway, the downtown Tampa Riverwalk is likely to soon become a key destination for tourists and residents alike. Stretching more than 2 miles already, continued progress on the growing project just might be the key to revitalizing downtown neighborhoods and spurring economic development in the rest of the city.

Pick Up The Phone, Tampa: The Mayor’s Calling

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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July 27, 2010

Residents of Hillsborough County have the opportunity to speak to their elected leaders and share questions and concerns regarding the proposed 1 percent sales tax to fund light rail this week during a series of TeleTown conference calls and a public forum.Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, former Congressman Jim Davis and other community leaders are calling residents of Hillsborough County to invite them to a TeleTown conference call in an effort to clarify the initiatives put forth by Moving Hillsborough Forward, a grassroots coalition championing light rail and other transit improvements. A 1 percent sales tax to fund light rail is on the ballot for November, and leaders say it is crucial that it passes."If we're going to progress, we have to have a modern transit system," says Iorio. "You can't have an economic region grow and prosper in the 21st century without a modern robust transit system and if you're going to have one, you need a light rail system. If we're going to be competitive and attract businesses and really increase the quality of life, it's critical."The calls will be made region by region, beginning in Brandon on July 22, South Tampa on July 29 and New Tampa, University and Temple Terrace on August 5 and 7. Residents who pick up the phone will be invited to participate in a live conference call and ask questions of the mayor, former congressman and other community leaders."We're focusing on geographic areas so people on each call can understand the specific benefits planned for their part of the county," says Gary Sasso, a lawyer with Carlton Fields and chairman Moving Hillsborough Forward.Residents also can participate in Transit Talk, a free open forum hosted by the Urban Charrette at the Tampa Museum of Art from 6 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 29. Residents and business owners can speak in person to public officials, transportation experts and Moving Hillsborough Forward campaign representativesWriter: Missy KavanaughSources: Mayor Pam Iorio, City of Tampa; Gary Sasso, Moving Hillsborough Forward

Tampa Transit Initiative Gets $25,000 Boost From Orlando

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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July 20, 2010

Community leaders from the Tampa Bay and Central Florida regions met to discuss "the power of coming together" at the 2010 Super Regional Leadership Conference in Orlando on May 27.The leaderships' mission is to break down county silos to create a unified super community of businesses that promote the Tampa Bay-to-Orlando corridor as a desirable place to live and work. And it was there that an extraordinary gesture took place.Jacob Stuart presented Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio with a check for $25,000 on behalf of Central Florida Partnership."We gave it to the mayor to give to Moving Hillsborough Forward, a political action committee that is promoting transit throughout Hillsborough County," says Stuart. "We gave it to advance a regional transit agenda."Part of that agenda involves a proposed sales tax that would go toward a light rail system in Hillsborough County. The referendum will come to vote in November and its success would go a long way toward Central Florida's SunRail plans. Both light rail systems would complement the high speed rail system that will run from Tampa to Orlando and is expected to be completed by 2015."I thought the gift was extraordinary," says Mayor Iorio. "Regionalism has come a long way in past decades. And the donation was symbolic of that progress. We all seem to share the general mindset that this region is important and we're all in this together."Adds Tampa Bay Partnership President Stuart Rogel, "Like the Tampa Bay Partnership, the Central Florida Partnership understands the importance of having a robust transit system to the economic health of a region."Writer: Missy KavanaughSources: Jacob Stuart, Central Florida Partnership; Pam Iorio, Mayor of Tampa; Stuart Rogel, Tampa Bay Partnership

Competitive Grant Could Extend High-Speed Rail To TIA

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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July 13, 2010

Tampa City Council Member Mary Mulhern is pursuing a competitive federal grant aimed at developing high-speed corridors. The grant will likely be applied toward the expansion of the high-speed-rail project to include a stop at Tampa International Airport. The deadline for applications is Aug. 6. If future funding is available, the rail could be expanded to Miami by 2018, according to The Tampa Tribune. Read the complete story.

U.S House Bill Lifting Travel Ban To Cuba Gains Momentum

By Matt Spencer

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Buzz

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July 13, 2010

Cuba Standard reports that the U.S Chamber of Commerce, travel and agricultural organizations are showing support for a bill that could lift travel restrictions to Cuba which have lasted for almost 50 years.The bill, H.R 4645, would not only provided a boost for Cuba's economy, but has the potential to create $365 million in sales of American goods and create 6,000 jobs, according to a Texas A & M University study. Those jobs would result in a $1.1 billion economic impact for the U.S.Voting on the bill is expected to take place within the next month.Read the complete story.

Manatee County Approves Construction For New Technical Institute Campus

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Architecture

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July 13, 2010

The Manatee County School Board has approved the construction of a new campus for the Manatee Technical Institute. The campus will be located on 30 acres off State Road 70 in Bradenton and will replace the 50-year-old campus on 34th Street.The $41 million project allows for a state-of-the-art facility that will house all of the institute's programs under one roof. While the building will not be LEED certified, it will have several green aspects. "We will use as many green materials, systems and designs as we can," says Mike Bryant, principal architect at Fawley Bryant. "It's about being good stewards of the earth but also building healthy buildings using certified green products."Some of the easy things we will do include using low VOC paints and furniture so when you walk into the building you won't smell it. We will also use highly insulated glass and shading devices on the windows, high-efficiency air conditioning systems and task-oriented lighting devices to reduce energy used. And we can install flow-low toilets, an efficient irrigation system and landscaping that requires less watering."Bryant adds that Manatee Schools has committed to using a photovoltaic roof that makes the most of the sun's energy. "The technology has evolved to where the sheets are more flexible and house a photovoltaic system that is easier and less expensive to install," he says.A key design feature is a multipurpose space that will open to a 170-seat teaching auditorium and provide a complete line of sight into most labs through large expanses of glass. Classrooms and labs will facilitate classes in culinary arts, cosmetology, construction, machining, drafting, welding and IT.Construction is expected to start in March 2011 and be completed by January 2013.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Mike Bryant, Fawley Bryant

Hillsborough County Courthouse Installs Solar Panels, Downtown Tampa

By Missy Kavanaugh

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Development News

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July 13, 2010

The Hillsborough County courthouse is going solar.Two hundred solar panels were recently delivered to the roof of the courthouse at 419 Pierce St. in downtown Tampa. The panels will supply 40 to 60 percent of the building's energy load and save more than 322,000 kilowatt/hour hours in power. This translates to more than $60,000 in annual energy savings and a 262.5-ton reduction in CO2 emissions.The installation is part of a large alternative energy project Hillsborough County adopted last year, which has been funded by a federal stimulus grant. Each panel is 18 feet long, 15 inches wide and 4 millimeters thick. The panels together will cover 40,000 square feet of the courthouse roof and are expected to be installed and working by the end of this August.The project is one of the larger of its kind in the country to date and the largest for a downtown metropolitan area. Other projects in the Tampa Bay region include a solar photovoltaic system on the Tax Collector building on Falkenburg Road, the roof of the gymnasium at the All People's Life Center, energy-saving lighting for both the Orient Road Jail and the country warehouse buildings on Falkenburg Road, as well as other projects.The federal government set aside $2.7 billion for Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grants through the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The program is designed to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions by governments around the nation. Courthouse Solar Photovoltaic Project received $7,665,200 this past year.Writer: Missy KavanaughSource: Randy Klindworth, Hillsborough County

United Voices Takes Capitol Leadership Academy to DC, Tallahassee

By Nancy Vaughn

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Diversity

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July 13, 2010

Tampa-based United Voices for America, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic engagement organization dedicated to increasing minority and immigrant participation in political leadership, is seeking applications for two summer youth programs."The U.S. would benefit greatly by having a more inclusive government. Not just one that serves minorities and people of color, but also one that includes them in the leadership," says Founder Ahmed Bedier in advocating for greater diversity among lawmakers and people in power.The Capitol Leadership Academy, a project of United Voices for America, started in Tampa in 2009. The CLA is a summer intensive program for youth ages 15-24. The program equips young minorities from around the country with tools to "take civic action, run for office, engage directly with policy makers, and network with like-minded young people.''From interactive workshops and mock sessions, to hands-on training from working professionals in the field of politics, students are taught how to begin a career in politics, fundamentals to be implemented into grassroots organizing, public speaking, debating and leadership skills. The goal is to encourage students to leave feeling empowered and excited to engage in the political process. Bedier points out that diversity in leadership creates a better representation of society and democracy. "It empowers those minorities rather than looking to appeal to the people in power; they themselves become empowered and they start providing solutions for their own problems," says Bedier.There will be two summer class offerings in 2010, one in Washington, D.C. and one in Tallahassee so that CLA can incorporate real "Capitol" into its programs.The Washington program, focusing on "Politics and National Security,'' is scheduled from July 19-23, and will be held at American University. The Tallahassee program, "Advanced Campaigning and the Legislative Process,'' will be at Florida State University and runs from Aug. 2-6.Scholarships are available for both programs. Writer: Nancy VaughnSource: Ahmed Bedier, Capitol Leadership Academy