We recently asked our readers what Tampa Bay needs the most. The answer was overwhelmingly affordable housing and public transportation.
We’re checking in on a couple local projects that tick boxes on some of our area’s list of needs:
New Pinellas affordable housing
Another affordable housing project is a go. Pinellas County Commissioners recently okayed two bond sales that will help pay for 448 units of affordable housing units in Largo + Tarpon Springs.
The $74.16 million will go toward fixing up the Riverside Apartments in Tarpon Springs + the new Olea on 126 complex.
Tampa finishes a major resiliency project
Leaders just announced the completion of the massive Tampa Neighborhoods Project. The project beefed up water systems + planted plenty of trees in four Cigar City neighborhoods — East Tampa, Virginia Park, MacFarlane Park, and Forest Hills.
Okay, but what does that mean?
As many of us know, Tampa’s pipes are pretty old — some are 80+ years old — which can cause leaks and low water pressure. During hurricanes, aging pipes can wreak even more havoc, bursting and flooding our already-flood prone streets.
So crews installed 96,000+ ft of new water distribution pipeline + fixed up 130,000 ft of new wastewater pipeline. In another move to improve the city’s resiliency, workers planted 230+ trees to boost the neighborhoods’ shade, air quality, soil health, and habitat biodiversity.
