TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – Leaders with the City of Tampa want to hear from community members about a project set to transform part of West Tampa.
The Rome Yard mixed-use, mixed-income development is planned for the area within North Rome Avenue, West Spruce Street, North Oregon Avenue, and Tampa’s Westside Riverfront.
Joseph Robinson lives in the area and has for the past 60 years.
He tells 8 On Your Side, “I’ve been waiting since 1962, man, to see something happen.”
The 18-acre project includes affordable housing, retail, and dining spaces. It also has areas for an amphitheater and workforce-training center.
The development is a $300-million partnership between the City of Tampa, Tampa Housing Authority, and Related Urban Development Group.
According to the project leaders, it guarantees $75 million in contracts for local, minority-owned businesses.
City councilman Orlando Gudes says, “They want things that other areas have that they’ve never experienced. So, you have to be able to give that experience to everybody. I’m glad this council and our mayor understands diversity and inclusion is needed in our community.”
Robinson believes the community has been waiting on this project to uplift the neighborhood.
“We feel with this we can solve some of those problems, the homeless problem, the other problems that we have — so, once and for all, we’ll be like Davis Islands and the South Tampa, Palm Ceia crew,” he said.
The project has a six-year timeline for completion.
City leaders are hosting the first community feedback session on the plans: Wednesday, Oct. 13 at the Tampa River Center in Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.