Here's how You do it.

[Reliable Source]

A model for Corporate, Municipal and Academic success.

 

1. Condemn and demolish EVERYTHING between current USF boundaries and I-275
2. Form a partnership between the Rays, USF and the City/County.
3. Through the partnership develop a site which includes a new Rays Stadium (see link 1), a USF OCS and a multiuse complex which becomes the Sports capital of FL. Think along the lines of Spring Training teams, football academies, an expanded theme park presence, Shopping complexes, a Casino, Concert venues, Museums, an Aquarium(where you can swim in FL spring water with happy manatees), Hotels, Restaurants and the list goes on. The Braves are doing this in ATL after the wildly successful ST facility that they developed at Disney.
4. With the expanded footprint, bring in development partners to upgrade area No of Fletcher and So of Fowler
5. Develop Bay area rapid transit around this as one of the hubs.
6. Expand USF state of the art medical facilities in newly available area.

This is thinking big. It's what Cleveland did developing the Flats with Jacobs Field and the R & R Hall of Fame. It's what Baltimore did with Camden yards and the Inner Harbor. We haven't fallen nearly that far, but all the more reason to start now.

 

Time to strike, while the Iron is hot.

Edited April 16, 2014 by Bullwinkle

[Bear]

I am strongly against gentrification... However, the USF area surrounding Fletcher could definitely use some.

 

The economy has turned around, and it is important for Tampa to invest heavily in infrastructure improvements (especially since the Florida population is exploding). 

 

Over the next ten years, USF has the opportunity to experience rapid growth. I hope that Judy Genshaft (and her successor) will continue to expand the University's potential. 

[smazza]

really

 

where is the money coming from?

 

how can anyone justify building a stadium for a team playing in the second tier of ncaa football?

Edited April 16, 2014 by smazza

[JTrue]

I was all about this idea, but smazza brought up such a good point, I changed my mind.

[Apis Bull]

really

 

where is the money coming from?

 

how can anyone justify building a stadium for a team playing in the second tier of ncaa football?

 

Steve, by your logic, no school outside of the P5 should have an OCS.  That makes absolutely no sense.

[BDYZR]

If you sit and wait on the future, it will never get here.

[CousinRicky]

If you sit and wait on the future, it will never get here.

 

You sir are the next Confucius.

[Bulls_Tech_11]

If you sit and wait on the future, it will never get here.

I agree wholeheartedly. I think of building an OCS to be like having kids. If you wait until your are financially ready, it will never happen. As a program we are ready, or as ready as we will ever be.It would be nice to wait for the finances to be there, but that day may never come. If the incurred debt is managed in a smart manner, we would be alright. There are also some costs that would be eliminated, such as transportation since everything would be on campus.

[Bear]

Revenue wise? Wouldn't an OCS be a bad investment over a 30 year period in comparison to playing at the RJS?

If not, we should have built an OCS yesterday.

[charsibb]

I am strongly against gentrification... However, the USF area surrounding Fletcher could definitely use some.

 

The economy has turned around, and it is important for Tampa to invest heavily in infrastructure improvements (especially since the Florida population is exploding). 

 

Over the next ten years, USF has the opportunity to experience rapid growth. I hope that Judy Genshaft (and her successor) will continue to expand the University's potential. 

 

This id more of a mad cow discussion, but how could you be against gentrification?

 

Local services are paid for by local property taxes. When the valuations in an area go up, so do the taxes, and therefore the services.

 

You love the local services, so how could you not believe this is a win-win all around?

 

The only ones who don't benefit from gentrification are renters, but renters are transient populations and are not to be taken seriously when determining the long-term future in an area.

 

If you want to have a say in the long-term plans for your community, you need to buy your property, not rent it.