Tampa CRA approves $10 million toward West Riverwalk multimodal project after split public comment

The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency board voted Jan. 1, 2025, to approve a $10 million allocation toward the West Riverwalk multimodal network and safety improvements project, a three-year effort officials say will add pathways, safety features and shoreline work along the Hillsborough River.

The vote followed nearly an hour of public comment in which neighborhood residents, business owners and advocacy groups made competing arguments about the project's local benefits and the best use of limited CRA dollars. Proponents called the project a connectivity and safety priority for West Tampa; opponents said the money should be used for housing, basic infrastructure or programs that directly serve low-income residents.

Supporters included Mary Beth Williams, chair of the Downtown CRA community advisory committee and a representative of Friends of the Riverwalk, who urged the board to "approve this funding and help us to realize a connected, thriving riverwalk that reflects Tampa's bright…