Summer is almost over, school is back in swing, and it’s time to get caught up on what’s going on civic-wise in Tampa Bay. Luckily, you have us to break it down for you:
Ybor 7th Avenue rebricking
Head to Ybor City’s 7th Avenue to take a journey back in time sans time machine. The city just wrapped up work to rebrick part of the bustling street, to restore it to how it looked 60 years ago.
Workers laid about 80,000 historic bricks from Tampa’s supply — which are stored and saved for important projects — between 15th and 17th streets.
The city hopes the project — which was funded by the Community Redevelopment Agency — will smooth out traffic and improve the area’s walkability.
Pinellas Stormwater funding
In the wake of Tropical Storm Debby’s wastewater spill straight into Tampa Bay’s waters, stormwater funding is top of mind for many in Pinellas County.
Officials recently agreed to spend almost $34 million to install public sewers in five Largo + Seminole housing developments, according to St. Pete Catalyst. This will help ensure that wastewater (which could include bacteria and chemicals) doesn’t overflow out of manholes during storms.
HART funding overhaul
Even more change could be in store for the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority. Leaders are looking at a potential $6.73 million upgrade of the agency’s GPS-based wireless data communications system, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal.
If approved by HART’s Finance and Audit Committee, Clever Devices Ltd. would create a new location + dispatch system for the agency’s fleet of buses and streetcars. Basically, the new system would allow HART to track its vehicles in real time and give riders quicker delay updates.
