Interview: Lynda Remund

Lynda Remund President & CEO Tampa Downtown Partnership

Why is it important to have a strong downtown?

If you go to any city in the United States or around the world, you will see that a strong downtown is their center core and is really the face of that region. I believe it is very important that we have that strong city center. Downtown Tampa is growing by leaps and bounds and we are excited about that. A quick look around Tampa reveals that the Downtown area is not only growing but so are the outskirts and the suburbs. This is apparent when looking at areas like Midtown and projects like those happening in Westshore. We are proud that Downtown is such a strong center for our city, but happy to see that the region is developing as well.

What challenges does Tampa face?

One of our biggest challenges in this region is obviously transportation, so having a commuter system in place will help to mitigate this issue. We often hear from big companies that are looking to move here or even conventions hoping to come here that they are looking for a place where people are able to move around easily. We are starting to provide more of these options, but we have so much more work to do to become a more viable option for people.

What are your top priorities for Downtown?

One of our top priorities is reinvesting into the Downtown area. We are looking at getting involved in some small-scale capital improvement projects. We will be reinvesting in a couple of small projects that will help pedestrian safety in regards to signage, lighting and aesthetics for the Downtown. Downtown is probably the safest place in the whole city and we are working to make it even safer. We are also bringing the International Downtown Association Conference here in October 2020. That is an audience of about 1,000 people from around the world, consisting of planners, elected oŸcials, architects and business leaders. All of these experts will be here to share best practices and we are excited to receive them. China spread across the globe, bringing economies to a standstill as social distancing and home office for nonessential workers became the norm. While most pundits agree a long-term bounceback, as the national economy slows, it is likely that the economies of areas around the country like Tampa Bay that rely in part on trade through their ports will lag as well. Port Tampa Bay, the largest port in Florida, handles over 37 million tons of cargo annually.

Another global event that is sure to impact Florida’s economy is Brexit. The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union came into effect on Jan. 31, 2020, a development that saw a drop in the value of the pound, and local purchasing power as a result. This may have a real impact on the economy of Florida and Tampa Bay, given that approximately 1.7 million UK tourists visited the state every year leading up to Brexit, making Britain the second-highest source of foreign visitors annually, beaten out only by Canada. Travelers from the UK account for a considerable amount of tax yield for the state during their visits, which could be in jeopardy as a weaker pound makes it more expensive for UK residents to travel, and therefore reduces tourism to Florida. Outside of tourism, trade with the UK could also be impacted by Brexit, as a weaker pound could discourage imports from Florida due to the increased expense, thereby reducing the volume of Florida’s export business with the island nation.

The retracting global economy is also impacting Asia and Latin America, regions with which Tampa Bay does a healthy amount of trade. China continues to show signs of a contracting economy. In fact, the growth of China’s economy in Q2 2019 fell to its lowest level in 27 years, thanks to the country’s ongoing trade war with the United States. The developing coronavirus crisis also poses a threat to international trade, as the world governments take drastic measures to impede the spread of the deadly virus, including telling businesses to cease operations and for workers to remain at home in some of the most heavily impacted areas.

As for Latin America, Mexico and Costa Rica are also experiencing economic downturns, Argentina will likely experience yet another year of poor economic performance, as well. Venezuela, meanwhile, continues to reel from political turmoil.

International business With the help of bodies such as the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council (EDC), the Tampa Bay International Business Council (TBIBC), Global ( )