Saturday, February 23, 2008

New Curtis Hixon Park

Tampa Downtown Partnership invites you to coffee with

Mr. Tom Balsley

Mr. Balsley is the architect of the New Curtis Hixon Park and we are very pleased that he has been able to make some time available to show and further describe the plans for the $15 Million renovation of this significant public space.

Maestro’s Restaurant
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
1010 North W.C. MacInnes Place
Monday, February 26th
8:30am to 9:30am

Parking as available on the arrival plaza

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Go play in the dirt!

The Florida Yard Fandago is coming up March 8-9 at MOSI. Heck, make a day of it and check out the RenFest as well!

Monday, February 11, 2008

See yourself in Pictures

Have you hosted or attended a Tampa Heights event this year?

Do you have pictures of it that you'd like to share?

If so, please email them to Jay McGee, editor@NewHeightsMag.com along with the event's name, location and date -- as well as the names of the main people in the photos -- and I'll post them on this blog for you.

Friday, February 08, 2008

This weekend in the Heights!

Cafe Hey is having a Grand Opening soiree tonight - check it out! It includes an art show and live music.

Why not stop by for a bit?

Also, on the same block at Oceanic Supermarket, there will be a Chinese New Year celebration outside at noon tomorrow that includes a dragon dance and fireworks. While you're there, you're a fool if you don't go inside and nab up some of the delicious fresh deli items.

Office Space Available???

Our business is growing, so to better serve our neighborhoods we are considering leasing office space in one of our core covered areas: Seminole Heights, Tampa Heights, Riverside Heights, West Tampa, downtown or Ybor.

We are looking for a low, "friendly" monthly agreement, with enough workroom to house 2-3 desks. A highly-visible, high-traffic address is a plus, but not mandatory.

If you know of a space -- or would like to sublet an office at one of the locations we're currently considering -- please contact Jay McGee, editor, New Heights Magazine, at (813) 389-8116 or editor@NewHeightsMag.com.

As always, thanks for helping us support Tampa's Urban Corridor nieghborhoods.

Tuesday, February 05, 2008

(Parts of) Tampa Heights to see form-based zoning

The pilot project will cover Old Seminole Heights, Southeast Seminole Heights, South Seminole Heights and parts of Tampa Heights.
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By KATHY STEELE, The Tampa Tribune

For an experiment in urban redesign, the city is thinking Seminole Heights.
For years, residents have said traditional zoning codes work against rebuilding urban communities into pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use neighborhoods.

They cite the parking restrictions that nearly shut down Cappy's Pizzeria on Florida Avenue and the long battle to win design approval for Starbucks coffee shop on Hillsborough Avenue.

The city hopes to pioneer a new course, known as form-based zoning, by promoting communitywide planning that seeks a consensus on what residents want and creates zoning codes to make it happen.

Seminole Heights is a good choice for the project because it has single-family residential, historical districts and a "lot of Main Street area corridors," including Florida and Nebraska avenues, city official Cynthia Miller said.

"Seminole Heights probably has a little bit of everything," said Miller, growth management and development services director. "We can capture a broad area."

On Tuesday, the city's land development staff will attend the Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association's meeting to discuss the new zoning. Workshops will be scheduled to get residents' input on a redesign along Florida and Nebraska.

The pilot project will cover Old Seminole Heights, Southeast Seminole Heights, South Seminole Heights and parts of Tampa Heights. Members of those neighborhood associations, as well as Tampa Homeowners, an Association of Neighborhoods, have been invited to Tuesday's meeting.
Miller said Tampa probably has up to 15 areas that could adopt communitywide planning and form-based zoning.

"We're the test case for the city," said Susan Long, president of the Old Seminole Heights group.
Many residents can recount stories of themselves or friends trying to renovate older buildings and open shops only to be told by the city "you can't do that," Long said.

The reason usually is the city's mandate for a land-use change that triggers requirements for retention ponds or parking spaces. With older buildings built out to the property lines, it is nearly impossible to meet those requirements, Long said.