Market voices: City growth

Doug Lewis

City Manager City of Pinellas Park

The area in and around where Amazon has chosen to occupy was designated years ago as a development of regional impact. We have had apartment complexes go up in this area and would also like to see schools and colleges move into the area as well. With large businesses like Amazon moving in and multifamily housing complexes already developed and a variety of schools potentially interested in this area, we are starting to see substantial growth that will inevitably lead to workforce availability for businesses and education and training opportunities for residents.

Economic development can still occur in spite of COVID-19. An example of that is a project that is taking place and involves Keiser University as a tenant. In order to recruit them, the city assembled three parcels of land at its principal entrance to the Downtown area. The city always had Keiser University in mind as a potential suitor. They were of interest because they were proposing a 45,000-square-foot building where they would house up to 1,000 students and a staff of 100. That was very much of interest to the city as we forecast that the staff and students would rely on our business community for many of their needs. This project represents $14 million of private investment, which is the largest investment that has occurred in decades for the U.S. Highway 19 corridor in the city. Debbie Manns

City Manager City of New Port Richey

Shawn Sherrouse

City Manager City of Lakeland

All our indicators suggest continuous growth. Despite the impact from COVID, we are still one of the hot areas in the state. Even in our Downtown core, we have a building under construction right beside city hall, on our iconic Lake Mirror Promenade. It will be a 295,000-square-foot office building that will bring 500 jobs to our Downtown. That creates opportunities for retailers, restaurants, bars and entertainment to serve the people who will be added to our Downtown mix on a daily basis.

We are considered a suburban community, but we also have been able to expand some of our zoning to include manufacturing and industrial. We pride ourselves on our approachability with companies because we always try to accommodate any requirements businesses may have. In the last two years, we have developed a new department under the executive team that handles annexations and new developments. We have never before actively gone after businesses, so we are now ramping up efforts to help develop some economic engines. We have a way to go but we are making strides. Charles

Stephenson

City Manager City of Temple Terrace

( ) Government The Tampa Bay region has several county and citylevel governments that work together for the economic development of the area as a whole. The county governments of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando all oversee activity in the area, as do city governments, including Clearwater, Tampa and St. Petersburg. This intricate network demands constant communication and collaboration among public entities.

The four counties in the Tampa Bay region are run by Boards of County Commissioners, which consist of five to seven elected commissioners who oversee local ordinances, budgets, spending and taxes. Across the cities in the region, forms of government are mixed, with strong mayoral systems in Tampa and St. Petersburg but a council-manager form of government in Clearwater. In Tampa and St. Petersburg, a mayor is elected to a fouryear term and oversees the city council, which is served by seven and eight members, respectively. In Clearwater, the city manager forms part of the city council alongside four other council members.

These institutions are supported by economic development councils (EDCs), while chambers of commerce represent the interests of the business community. Established in 2016, the St. Petersburg Area EDC supports the local business community by acting as a bridge with the local government. The Tampa Bay EDC was established in 2009 and represents Hillsborough County, Tampa, Plant City and Temple Terrace. Both EDCs work toward business retention and expansion and provide information on workforces, incentives, real estate and permitting support to help companies establish and expand operations in the region. Some of the Tampa EDC’s target industries include IT, life sciences, manufacturing, defense and security and logistics.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was the state and local governments’ responsibility to distribute stimulus funds. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in March distributed $17.6 billion to Florida’s state, county and city authorities. The priority on a state level for the funds is a massive overhaul of the unemployment system due to the fundamental cracks that were exposed at the beginning of the rise in unemployment. Gov. Ron DeSantis also proposed that first-responders should receive a one-time payment. More than $500 million has been allocated to economic development and tourism-related recovery that includes job creation. Hillsborough County is to receive $285.48 million, Pinellas $189.09 milion and Pasco $107.43 million. Another $217.91 million will be split between the cities of Tampa, St. Pete, Clearwater,

The American Rescue Plan distributed $17.6 billion to Florida’s state, county and city authorities

Largo, Pinellas Park, Lakeland, Sarasota and Bradenton, with Tampa and St. Pete receiving the bulk of the funds.

Public sector initiatives Florida ranks fourth in the country in the Tax Foundation’s State Business Tax Climate Index with some of the most favorable tax structures nationwide. In 2019, the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council ranked Florida No. 3 in its Small Business Policy Index. Florida is known to be one of the US’ most business-friendly states and most of that is down to welcoming and efficient governments, incentives and policy measures that reduce risk for private companies. This can be seen with Florida’s response to the cruise rules set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The state has taken legal action against the organization in a push to allow cruise liners – a crucial component of the Florida economy – to resume sailings.

On a regional level, Tampa Bay itself continues to rank high for small businesses and startups. The Tampa Bay Partnership report showed Tampa had climbed to No. 5 from its previous eighth-place ranking in the rate of businesses started.

Companies are also targeting the Tampa Bay MSA as a relocation destination. In January, San Franciscobased cybersecurity firm OPSWAT chose to relocate to Tampa, adding to the plethora of cybersecurity companies in the region. The organization cited the talented workforce in the area as one reason for the move. It’s a development the region welcomes. “There is a collective effort to grow innovative companies in Tampa Bay,” said Tonya Elmore, president and CEO of the Tampa Bay Innovation Center, in an interview

Though known as a desirable hospitality and tourism market, Tampa Bay is solidifying its reputation as a key finance, technology and professional services market along the Sun Belt.

Amanda Payne

President & CEO – AMPLIFY Clearwater

A silver lining for our organization during the pandemic was that it gave us a chance to evolve. It gave us the opportunity to let go of some things that weren’t beneficial to the new organization, legacies that were inherited through the merger. It gave us a chance to show our true potential. During the initial weeks of the shutdown, our membership had so many questions and needed answers, and many of them turned to us for help because they didn’t know where else to turn. We quickly pivoted to be that needed resource, serving as a conduit of information for our business owners and operators. This provided stability and predictability for our members during an extremely volatile and unpredictable time.