TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa leaders are weighing if it’s feasible to open up a portion of space behind a Port Tampa Bay cruise terminal to help extend a popular attraction.
The Soja family decided to trade the cold in Massachusetts for a scenic, sunny day in Tampa.
"It's just a beautiful place to be,” said Mark Soja.
Among the top spots for tourists is the Tampa Riverwalk, which was recently named the second-best riverwalk in the country.
The Riverwalk stretches 2.6 miles from Armature Works to Sparkman Wharf, connecting a variety of museums, shops, restaurants, and parks along the way.
Now, local leaders have their eye on waterfront space to help extend it.
"This is an opportunity to get in on the front of understanding how we can integrate our port with the community,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
The idea is to open up the area behind Port Tampa Bay Terminal 2 to be an extension of the Riverwalk. Right now, it’s closed to the public.
"We've opened it up for special events, and what we're exploring now is opening it on a regular basis unless there is a cruise ship that is getting on or off of that boat,” said Castor.
The area is near popular spots like Sparkman Wharf, the Florida Aquarium, and the American Victory Ship.
Port Tampa Bay said they’re expecting a record-breaking cruise year. Port officials explained that they’ll begin a task force to include all stakeholders to talk through some of their security concerns but also listen to see what they're hoping to get out of the arrangement and see how they can come to a solution to move forward.
"It's a logistics puzzle because we do have all this heavy and dangerous equipment to people who are walking about, and so we have to figure out what that could look like with keeping everyone safe as well as keeping our cruise business going,” said Lisa Wolf-Chason, the Director of Communications for Port Tampa Bay.
The Mayor said the next steps include getting in touch with the stakeholders.
"I think it would be just another added attraction for us to keep walking,” said Colleen Soja.
Visitors said as long as safety is supported, they’re open to seeing what possibilities could come next.
"There are definitely logistics involved that would need to be worked out, however, as citizens and tourists of the country, we should be able to enjoy what the country has to offer, and this is one of the places that's truly amazing to see,” said Mark Soja.
