[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6259629,"mediaKeyId","3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f","parentId",3139035,"title","Castor touts transit, Riverwalk expansion and new cultural projects as part of city growth strategy","audioSeconds",250,"startMs",2864000,"endMs",3114000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f&start=2864&end=3114","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f/thumbnail_2864000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6259629/Tampa/Hillsborough-County/Florida/Castor-touts-transit-Riverwalk-expansion-and-new-cultural-projects-as-part-of-city-growth-strategy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259629-820bfaacd5d6a831f243e3d6feea5cfd/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197441&Signature=STpDu4o0fdPyE-6maVsSwnTmao5vbangJ50rrBAbO5OVOYdUaEaeKnN-ixNbKUdMsChdSX4TmIHyZ60V77JIHP~dg4sxE~XEjF7fOWlSHWknLOufvLUOHM9Cbs2WqxkGB7Y5OQL2YLht73faEhBlxLxU8FEoribdRmXE~WGd0w1hYjrMF3NOeFbStPTw5CuFcxr5b1pW0pc~hBkWNoTHUgo6GE~rBjU86I~gQ8Yru0jEK1N3u-2IKsRFSkHXk5QXPiHYZU93pOPTGYq0iz480dJwIqhn1GB2eaBKu9GY4eECQsHpFA5kPbXMn~PabxYAIDUJMC0GnNwrum2I04heOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Tampa, FL","date","2025-04-28T19:30:33.06Z","article","Mayor Jane Castor used portions of the State of the City address to describe recent and planned transportation and downtown development projects intended to support economic growth and connect neighborhoods.

Castor said the streetcar has grown from a tourist attraction to a daily transit option, projecting \"over 1,400,000 riders\" this year, and said the city has increased in-house paving capacity and repairs. She reported the city has paved more miles since 2019, added 56 miles of new bike lanes and created two in-house paving teams to accelerate work.

On waterfront and cultural projects, Castor highlighted the Riverwalk extension to 12 miles to connect South Tampa, Seminole Heights, Downtown Ybor City and Tampa Heights and described ongoing projects in North Downtown. She noted the expansion of the Straz Performing Arts Center and a planned 51,000-square-foot expansion at the Tampa Museum of Art.

Castor also mentioned broader infrastructure that supports growth: Port Tampa Bay investments in berths and cranes and a dredging project to accommodate larger ships, and an airport plan to grow from 25 million to 35 million annual passengers (date not specified) to support regional air traffic and tourism.

Federal support and economic context

The mayor credited U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor with bringing nearly $200,000,000 in federal grant funding to Tampa and said those grants are enabling projects that add housing and reconnect street grids in North Downtown.

What was not decided

The address described projects and partnerships but did not present new council votes or ordinance adoptions. Timelines, specific funding allocations beyond the federal grant total mentioned and implementation schedules for some projects were not specified in the speech.

Ending

Castor framed the investments as part of a multi-administration vision to reshape downtown and improve multimodal access, saying the projects would create jobs, housing and public access to the river.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","2025 State of the City","oneSentenceSummary","Mayor Jane Castor highlighted transportation gains — streetcar ridership growth, paving and bike lane expansion — and downtown development projects including Riverwalk, Straz performing arts expansion, Tampa Museum of Art and airport and port investments.","taxTitle","Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida","taxId",2914,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6259634,"Mayor Castor details housing push as prices climbed more than 175% over decade",186,2717000,2903000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f&start=2717&end=2903","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f/thumbnail_2717000.jpg","/articles/6259634/Tampa/Hillsborough-County/Florida/Mayor-Castor-details-housing-push-as-prices-climbed-more-than-175-over-decade","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259634-18eae02469b39ca274f8842182aa8502/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197441&Signature=XOjZlfkmYenPrGsu9EKLxYkdjBJnD9cJy4Zu4uerGGz~kPhyprdgYK2ZEAkxtidg9woRIwjkjUMZXIjYeW5P73JAKj--zP3DWG-LAruuNTvsyQBUV6XXVg74QQUYVXEeMw3qlFaQFtNu~UKYKvkezwAR-hOKnO27pc3qG1enh7peGsW7T0arUONH562n~Xn4iS9Zd3JNlHknkh-n-k6dLc5a65Nml7x-dN~DLAvtFIC1c4qsWRtg94zNIlEXuUq7FHEtUcnitabtlDYGKaLIXkiacBBW0UH5LOz1EI44g6AXZ9JvdQfpKpEA4GADxKuemJ1k7du0l6v6sHgj9sXXyg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Jane Castor used the State of the City address to frame housing as a central challenge for Tampa and to list city strategies aimed at increasing supply and preserving affordability.

\"Our growing popularity sent Tampa home prices rising more than 175 percent over the last decade,\" Castor said, and she said the city moved to keep construction moving during the COVID pandemic and has added 20,000 residential units, including thousands described as affordable.

The mayor described a suite of tools being used to expand options: accessory dwelling units, down-payment and rental-assistance programs, infill zoning reforms and a housing needs assessment. She said many additional units are planned or already in development and that the city is updating its land-use code to support smart growth while respecting neighborhood history.

Context and why it matters

Castor tied the housing discussion to broader city goals: maintaining workforce access to the urban core, preventing displacement and connecting residents to jobs without additional car trips. \"We will not price our residents out of the city that they built,\" she said.

What she announced and what remains unclear

The mayor described ongoing programs and policy work but did not announce new ordinances or specific municipal funding allocations during the address. She said a housing needs assessment is underway and that land-use code updates are being completed; the speech did not include timelines or specific vote items for those changes.

Impacts cited

Castor credited the city's housing actions with adding units while acknowledging the scale of the challenge. She called for continued use of multiple tools — development incentives, zoning changes and direct assistance — to preserve affordability as growth continues.

Ending

Castor concluded that housing remains a top priority as the city expands and that officials will keep working to add homes and protect long-term residents.","Mayor Jane Castor highlighted housing supply and affordability actions including 20,000 new residential units, affordable housing production, zoning reforms, and down-payment and rental assistance programs.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6259639,"Tampa mayor outlines storm recovery, infrastructure investments after twin hurricanes",2137,633000,2770000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f&start=633&end=2770","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3139035-13c9f04df6725370322ebce3f7edba7f/thumbnail_633000.jpg","/articles/6259639/Tampa/Hillsborough-County/Florida/Tampa-mayor-outlines-storm-recovery-infrastructure-investments-after-twin-hurricanes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6259639-e683806cabc4e41d827d74a5efc37965/orig.mp4?Expires=1771197441&Signature=KDfg3DxFkME-2euL~dtM~W~MgTLyb3GBLhCIOfHmMNDmYH7KesmOUo4kBhxeYMuuBzc-IlUAS5opK-vgD3pWtt01RWZqRGyiL~oe8udJyjE5NXqVW6qgue5u-h96T2G-2L5tFQgHOoVNf67PpNBr1xz1wp91yGqC9iXBHyYWQytke1nawEu0ORWBkaQarEqzmcFKczciSM7Vo3gil539bLm3jFCkiiBI4exUDy37IvlIeYTLodubYqPRCrinFkZWu3cqp5gbCuAyCkBlASFh37zY5RpYBnfSPrIWWNEX1Af79j8jEPonV5o1-gjLZqLYR6SgCNCvkxNJQU2MPsERig__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Mayor Jane Castor on Thursday used her State of the City address to summarize Tampa’s response to two recent hurricanes and to outline the city’s recovery and resilience investments.

Castor said the storms — Helene followed 13 days later by Milton — caused widespread flooding and other damage across neighborhoods including Davis Islands, Palmetto Beach and West Shore, and that city crews and first responders answered unusually high call volumes. \"During Helene, they answered nearly 200 emergency calls, rescued 52 residents and 8 pets from rising water,\" Castor said, adding that during Milton emergency personnel handled \"over 15,000 calls.\" She said first responders also evacuated 135 seniors from an assisted-living facility that was overwhelmed by deep floodwater.

The mayor framed the investments she described as necessary to reduce future storm impacts. \"We must become more resilient. More storms are coming, and they are going to be stronger, wetter, and more frequent,\" Castor said.

City actions and investments described

Castor said Tampa has invested in wastewater and stormwater systems intended to reduce flood risk and speed recovery. She cited $94,000,000 in wastewater upgrades that include 28 pump stations and $350,000,000 in stormwater maintenance and improvements. The administration has expanded the PIPES program, which Castor described as \"a once in a lifetime generation overhaul of our city's underground systems,\" and said crews have replaced 62 miles of aging water lines and 209 miles of wastewater lines to date.

Other steps Castor listed include adding backup generators to pumping stations, increasing maintenance schedules — crews working six days a week — reinforcing seawalls, modernizing energy systems at Port Tampa Bay and removing storm debris from drainage infrastructure. \"In fact, we've already removed 500,500 tons of debris from our pipes in just the first quarter of this year alone,\" she said.

Castor said the work should improve Tampa's FEMA flood rating and reduce flood insurance costs for residents. The mayor also announced a city disaster assistance fund to help homeowners with mortgages, insurance and related costs while recovery continues, and said the city is working with state and federal partners on recovery efforts.

Voices from affected neighborhoods

Several public-comment speakers described storm damage to homes and neighborhoods. A resident described flooding on Culpeper Bayou and said, \"Our home was partially flooded. We have another property in Tampa that was completely flooded.\" Another resident credited city workers and solid-waste crews with sustained cleanup efforts: \"We can't say enough about the city workers and how much time and effort they've spent to clean up...the entire city of Tampa.\"

What the remarks do and do not change

Castor did not announce any new ordinances or council votes during the address. The measures she described — capital investments, generator installations, seawall reinforcement and the disaster assistance fund — were presented as administrative priorities and existing or proposed city work rather than the results of new City Council actions.

Looking ahead

Castor framed the investments as long-term mitigation rather than a guarantee against all storm damage: \"We can never fully outbuild a major hurricane,\" she said, but added the work will put the city \"in the best position possible.\" She concluded by thanking city employees and volunteers who responded during the storms and said neighborhoods still recovering would not be forgotten.","Mayor Jane Castor described Hurricane Helene and Milton’s toll on Tampa and outlined recovery steps including a disaster assistance fund, major water and stormwater investments, the PIPES infrastructure program and debris-removal efforts.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Castor touts transit, Riverwalk expansion and new cultural projects as part of city growth strategy

Mayor Castor details housing push as prices climbed more than 175% over decade

Tampa mayor outlines storm recovery, infrastructure investments after twin hurricanes