YBOR CITY, Fla. — The City of Tampa is considering adding parts of Ybor City to the Special Services District. While this would bring more resources to the area, it will cost more.
The Downtown Partnership has an agreement with The City of Tampa to provide additional services to the areas that fall within the special services district.
Those services fall under the following buckets:
- Marketing
- Transportation Initiatives
- Beautification
- Placemaking
- Public Space Activation
- Clean and Safe
The Channel District and Downtown Tampa are within the Special Services District. Now The Downtown Partnership is hoping to extend district lines to include Ybor City.
“It really adds some connectivity and provides enhanced services to what the services are already being done in Ybor City. So that unity it would give an extend all of the services we currently do," Lynda Remund, president of the Downtown Partnership, said.
It does come at a cost for property owners, both commercial and residential.
It's $1.02 per one $1,000 of assessed property value. So if the assessed value is $300,000, then that would cost the property owner a little more than $300 a year.
Long-time Ybor City resident, Chris Vela, is worried this will push people away from Ybor City.
“So I think passing that tax over to residents in Ybor is going to make it more challenging to keep Ybor open to all not just to own but to all and operating businesses as well,” Vela said.
Meanwhile, Remund said she's hearing support from stakeholders and thinks it will benefit Ybor City.
“To just have that unity and collaborate and a consistency of services throughout that entire area is going to be really favorable for that entire area,” Remund said.
The Downtown Partnership wants to hear from the public during their community meetings.
- Monday, January 30, from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus in Ybor Room
- Wednesday, February 1, from 8-9 a.m. at Hillsborough Community College Ybor City Campus in Ybor Room
- Friday, February 3, from 10- 11 a.m. virtually.Join zoom here.
