The City of Tampa broke ground Tuesday on the next leg of a Riverwalk expansion project that's been 40 years in the making.
The West River BUILD Project aims to unite neighborhoods, drive growth, and bring new energy to the city area.
On "Florida Matters Live & Local," Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk executive director MaryBeth Williams and City of Tampa Transportation Services interim director Brandon Campbell shared their excitement.
Campbell said the five-mile expansion will complete the remaining gaps in what will be a 12.2-mile multi-use pathway along the eastern and western sides of the Hillsborough River.
It will include road-safety improvements, like bicycle facilities and traffic signal modifications.
"We're really trying to increase the safety and accessibility of the transportation system to our bicyclists and pedestrians and other users," he said.
The expansion will start at Platt Street on the west bank of the river down to Rome Avenue, featuring pedestrian bridge underpasses, shorelines, scenic overlooks, and a link to the Riverwalk and Tampa downtown.
Campbell said the expansion plans do not include extending the Riverwalk into residential neighborhoods.
"At this point, we're forming that network, getting up to Columbus, and then connecting people back down through the sidewalk network and trails in Ridgewood Park and down back to the Armature Works area," he said.
The expansion project is expected to be completed by early 2027. It will cost $56.8 million, with a $24 million federal grant, $10 million from the city's Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), and support from "other city sources," Campbell said.
The Tampa Riverwalk Project first took shape in 1976 but faced decades of delay as plans shifted from one mayoral administration to other. It wasn't until Mayor Pam Iorio called for fundraising efforts that the project began.
Williams recognized the community supports and advocacy groups that played an important role in moving the projects forward.
"Some of our board members have been involved in the fundraising, the design and the construction of the Riverwalk for quite some time now," she said. "We do serve as an advocate and a bridge, I think, between the business community and the city."
Campbell said the expansion is expected to bring new opportunities and additional investments to the area.
Williams said Friends of the Tampa Riverwalk is working closely with City of Tampa to support and promote their efforts to draw tourists and conventions to the area.
According to a press release from the city, construction is expected to create about 500 short-term jobs.
Longer term, it is anticipated to expand Tampa’s job market by at least 1,000 direct and indirect jobs annually. Overall, the project is projected to stimulate more than a billion dollars in new economic development.
While the construction may temporarily disrupt events such as the Gasparilla parade, Campbell said the expansion will ultimately improve access and enhance the overall experience for future festival activities.
"We will be working around special events around downtown in general, including the Gasparilla parade, there will be some disruption to potential viewing areas in the Tony Jannus Park," he said. "But in the end, we'll have better access to the Gasparilla route once the project is complete."
You can find more information about the West River BUILD Project on its website.
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Matthew Peddie for "Florida Matters Live & Local." You can listen to the full episode here.
