About Choice Neighborhoods
In 2016, The City of Tampa, in partnership with the Tampa Housing Authority, submitted an application for the 2016 HUD Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant (“Choice Grant”). Funding from the program would provide up to $30 million in federal grant funding to support the transformation of the North Boulevard Homes, Mary Bethune High-Rise and the West River area into a vibrant, mixed-income, mixed-use community.
Since 2012, the City of Tampa and the Tampa Housing Authority have worked with residents and stakeholders of the area to develop a Transformation Plan. This Transformation Plan outlines the investments in housing and the community facilities in the neighborhood. The Plan supports the creation of a dense, vibrant neighborhood along the Hillsborough River with access to water’s edge. The Choice Neighborhoods Transformation Plan will focus on four core planning elements:
- Housing: Replace the existing 821 public housing units with 2,275+ high quality mixed-income housing within a range of housing types to meet the demands of the neighborhood.
- Education: Improve educational outcomes and create a continuum of integrated cradle-to-college-and-career services, solidifying the neighborhood as a place of choice for families.
- Neighborhood: Make investments in infrastructure, parks and community facilities that seamlessly integrate the neighborhood with the adjacent community and create opportunities for public and private reinvestment.
- People: Provide a range of services to support the employment, recreation, health and cultural needs and goals of the residents of the community.
The West River Choice Neighborhood Community
The boundaries for the City of Tampa / Tampa Housing Authority Choice Grant includes a portion of the West Tampa area that lies within the area bounded by Columbus Drive, Hillsborough River, I-275 and Armenia Avenue, inclusive of Julian. B. Lane Riverfront Park. This area contains 479 acres and includes 6,081 persons. The focus of the grant is the 150-acres east of Rome Avenue, owed by the City of Tampa, Tampa Housing Authority, Hillsborough County and the Hillsborough County Public Schools.
The West River Redevelopment Plan
City of Tampa Choice Neighborhood Timeline & Status
The City of Tampa submitted the Choice Neighborhood Implementation Grant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on June 28, 2016. The City was notified in September 2016 by HUD that they were not one of the finalists to be considered for that round of Choice Grants. The City and Tampa Housing Authority continue to seek funding from a variety of sources, public and private, to implement the transformation plan.
Check back for updates.