What makes a park a park?
As you know, Mayor Pam Iorio wants the area currently known as Curtis Hixon Park to be Tampa’s signature park. Iorio remains insistent in putting $15 Million into redesigning the already functioning green space.
And what do we get for $15 MILLION?
The city hired New York landscape architect Thomas Balsley to design the project.
“It’s been very carefully conceived to be a very active park,” Balsley said.
The park would be built in two phases. The first phase, which carries a $15 million price tag, would include features such as a visitors’ center, cafe kiosk, play area, dog run, fountain on Ashley and a shade trellis at a future pavilion building.
The second phase would include the glass towers, a mist fountain, the pavilion building, a garden and a restaurant. The second phase could cost an additional $5 million to $10 million.
Good grief.. why hire a guy from New York? How about giving a local guy the chance to make a signature piece? It’s easy to google tampa landscape architect. Allow a local firm to put this project on their resume, and perhaps the City of New York will one day hire a Tampa based firm.
And the 50 foot Glass Towers spelling out T.A.M.P.A? That alone will cost well over a half million. Seriously, where do you think you are?
Thankfully, some in City Council are not too impressed. Dingfelder even had a go-round with Pammy at a meeting. But Iorio was steadfast. She knows she has supporters, too.
In a Sunday Editorial ripping the City Council, the St. Pete Times says “There is no greater need downtown than a signature, functional park.” No greater need? Seriously? Not a grocery store? Not dependable mass transit? Not a single, specific vision?
And speaking of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, they chime in on their HiLife Tampa website:
Curtis Hixon Park: The City of Tampa has contracted with Thomas Balsley & Associates of New York City to redesign and develop Curtis Hixon Park into a true urban green space. Once completed the park will offer unique features that will draw people into it and connect to the Tampa Riverwalk.
Oh, come on… Do we really need another “destination” place downtown? How many things have to be built at public expense that are going to “draw people?” Remember, Downtown Tampa already draws thousands, we just want them to stay a little longer.
Downtown Tampa doesn’t need a “better” park. If you want to invigorate downtown, then the first step is to make better use of the existing amenities.
Curtis Hixon is already a nice open green space with views of the riverfront. Downtown residents already use Curtis Hixon as it is. The reason more people don’t use the park is because nothing happens there. Here’s an idea. Take some of this money, and FIX THE LIGHTS IN THE PARK. The park is downright scary after dark. Those thousands who visit the TBPAC at sundown are not going to go into the darkness of Curtis Hixon.
But that’s simply not good enough for Pammy.
You see, the Riverwalk is Pam’s Legacy. A $15 million redesigned Curtis Hixon will simply add to the extravagance of Pam’s Legacy.
I asked “What makes a park a park?” It is people, not fountains. People, not glass towers. People, not New York architecture. If you spend money on those things, people will continue to stay away in droves.
It’s time to put a stop to this nonsense. Even if downtown Tampa needs a “signature park,” it doesn’t need to be this spot, and it certainly doesn’t need to be done during this time of significant budget cutbacks.
pc
2 years ago
it is people tossing a frisbee around, walking their dogs, picking up a game of football, kids playing chase, etc. Or arts festival with vendors, BBQ contest, some many city sponsored activities could being people to the park – they don’t have to be on a Gasparilla scale either. Not to completely compare to St. Pete, but look at all that goes on in the downtown waterfront parks… It brings people to the downtown.
dreaming
2 years ago
im guessing the park needs a makeover to complement the new art museum going up next door. as such, i guess it shd be done. still, tampa does not have a great history with parks. almost all are just magnets for bums, including lykes gaslight park downtown. its true that st pete uses its waterfront parks. but tampa could do the same more often than just gasparilla. id rather see a budget for events at the park than a budget to re-landscape it.
Chris
2 years ago
Hindsight 20/20
They should’ve never torn down Curtis Hixon hall. It wasn’t that old, and think of what that structure could be used for now.
Mr. Bill
2 years ago
You can see and hear the entire presentation by Thomas Balsley on the Curtis Hixon Park here http://www.timeouttampa.com/html/2008curtishixonpark.html
Anonymous
2 years ago
I say bring back the old Curtis Hixon, you know the one that looked like an electric razor.
Seriously, we don’t hire local architects for prominent projects in Tampa because its all part of the self-loathing schtick we do so well. Since Balsley is from “New York City” he’s gotta be better than anyone that would stick around here.
Besides, there are maybe two architects in the Bay area that are talented enough to pull such a project off (though this is changing thanks to USF and Urban Charrette), the rest are hacks, and those two good architects generally don’t like working in the Bay area because we’re so damn cheap, Hyde Park especially. I know you’d think otherwise.
David Jenkins
2 years ago
The self-loathing concept is pretty accurate. I have the feeling if I moved to NY for 5 years, the city would pay me a crapton of money to come back and try to start over what I’m already doing now that they barely pay attention to …