This week, U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Fla., announced the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is sending almost $50 million to the Tampa area.
Castor said on Thursday that the DOT is sending Better Utilizing Investment to Leverage Development (BUILD) grants, previously called TIGER grants, to the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County. These are the only BUILD grants headed to the Sunshine State.
“The nearly $50M in federal BUILD grants that are on the way to Tampa and Hillsborough County will lift our neighborhoods, build mobility, increase connectivity throughout the county, and provide needed improvements to our streets. I rigorously championed the vision of our city and county due to the transformational improvements that previous grants have provided for the Tampa Bay area and the related jobs that were created. In fact, our Tampa Riverwalk original phase was completed thanks to $10M in federal funding – and it’s been the linchpin in Tampa’s redeveloping downtown and waterfront. Mayor Castor, Commissioner Miller and other local leaders have been tremendous partners in helping to secure these infrastructure dollars and build on our shared vision for a safer, friendlier, and connected community,” said Castor.
“Today’s announcement of a $25 million BUILD grant for Hillsborough County is critical as our population grows and addressing the infrastructure needs of our community to ensure our region’s economic competitiveness while improving mobility,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller.
The city of Tampa will get $24 million to finish 12 miles of “contiguous multi-modal path separated from vehicle traffic, with complete streets and traffic calming improvements” which “will connect downtown Tampa, the University of Tampa, West Tampa, Tampa Heights, Bayshore, Hyde Park and Ybor City with multimodal paths, complete streets and under bridge/over water segments, site work, new pavement, guard rails, lighting, landscaping, and seawall repair.”
Hillsborough County is getting $25 million to widen the interchange of Big Bend Road and I-75.
Having turned 54 last month, Castor is now in her sixth term on Capitol Hill. She currently leads the U.S. House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis. Representing parts of Hillsborough County, Castor sits in a solidly Democratic district. She faces Republican businesswoman Christine Quinn, who Castor easily bested in 2016, in November.
Reach Kevin Derby at kevin.derby@floridadaily.com.
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