TAMPA, Fla. — This week, Tampa City Council members are expected to take a final vote on a major expansion to the Riverwalk.  

The vote centers around building into the West River District and expanding the Riverwalk to that area.

Some are for the proposal, while others are against it.

What You Need To Know

  • The Tampa City Council is expected to vote on a proposal to expand the Riverwalk on July 18. 

  • The Riverwalk would expand multiple miles if city council votes in favor of the proposal  

  • Grant money from the federal government would cover $24 million, though one council member wishes to ask for more

Jeffery Rosenthal lives close to Tampa’s proposed Riverwalk expansion. He said if it passes, it will do a lot for the area.

“I think my property values are going to go up,” he said. “I’ve recently had the house appraised, and I get contacted by developers weekly that want to purchase my house. So, it’s very real.”

Tampa City Council Member Lynn Hurtak is on the other side and does not support the proposal.

“My concern about the project is not the project itself,” she said. “It’s how we’re going to fund the project.”

To fund the project, the federal government would contribute $24 million and another $6 million would come from a community redevelopment grant.

The remaining money needed to finish the project, the city would need to take on debt.

It’s that debt that concerns Hurtak.

“I would recommend going back to the federal government, narrowing the scope, asking them to narrow the scope of the contract and then rebidding it,” she said.

Despite the cost of the project, Rosenthal believes the benefits outweigh the negatives.

He said he’s already seen a lot of new development near the area where the Riverwalk expansion would be.

“I think it’s going to be drawing a better crowd to the area and I think that’s a positive,” said Rosenthal. “More shops, more small businesses.”

The Tampa City Council is expected to vote on the proposal July 18.