Make TBO Your Home Page| Subscribe To The Paper| Advertise With Us| Contact Us| Login| Edit Profile| Register
Suncoast Pasco News
Email
Print
A Cautious Plan
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: November 28, 2007
New Port Richey apparently is poised to take another crack at coming up with something to breath a bit more commercial life into the city's downtown core. City officials might be expressing concern about the cost of property, such as the First Baptist Church site, it bought in recent years related to downtown redevelopment, but they are ready to seek bids for the first phase of the Railroad Square project. Some might be excused for asking what's going on.
In its defense, the current incarnation of Railroad Square is a lot more modest in scope when compared to an initial idea for the streetscape-like makeover of the area near the intersection of Grand Boulevard and Nebraska Avenue. That price tag was nearing $7 million and rising when City Council called timeout. In addition, it would be carried out in phases. Even better, there is no timetable for when the project would be completed. That may be the saving grace.
The city could carry out the first phase, which has an estimated price tag of $400,000, and then let the matter drop if economic conditions for downtown redevelopment don't improve. This would save about $4.1 million of the estimated total cost of Railroad Square, around $4.5 million.
If phase one gets done and it remains unlikely things will look brighter for downtown anytime soon, it may be time to declare victory and leave the other three phases on the drawing board.
Email
Print
ADVERTISEMENT
Advertisement
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online ©2009 Media General Communications Holdings, LLC. A Media General company. Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
