VISIONS FOR 2020
Joe Ayoub
Mayor of Safety Harbor
Safety Harbor is better than ever, so come check out some of the new
and exciting things happening here. We just saw the opening of a beautiful
new Key West-style building on Main Street, which has three new quality
restaurants. The improvements to our award-winning Waterfront Park are
complete, and we just opened our charming and popular new Baranoff
Park on Main Street, attracting people from all over the state to see our
majestic and 400-year-old Baranoff oak tree. In addition, we have some of
the best weekend events in Tampa Bay. Our downtown is vibrant, our parks
are beautiful, the views of Tampa Bay are amazing and our quality of life
continues to be the best in Florida.
Rick Kriseman
Mayor of St. Petersburg
I believe 2020 will be the Year of the Burg in Tampa Bay.
The new St. Pete Pier and Pier District will open, as will
the much-anticipated Museum of the American Arts and
Craft Movement. Residents and visitors will see continued
progress throughout our city as we catalyze additional
economic development in areas like 22nd Street South
and the Skyway Marina District and continue to nurture
all that makes St. Pete shine, including the arts, our
entrepreneurial spirit and our natural environment. And
we will double down on preparing our city for a future
of extreme weather and rising tides, doing our small
part to mitigate a changing climate while implementing
adaptation measure. We will also continue with our
generational St. Pete 2050 visioning process, which will
ensure our smart growth is powered by the very people
who live in and love the Sunshine City.
Chris Alahouzos
Mayor of Tarpon Springs
In 2020, the much-anticipated dredge of the Anclote
River will keep the waterway viable for our $252 million
marine commerce and tourism industries. The Meres
Boulevard extension to U.S. 19 creates a major eastwest
thruway and opens the southern gateway of the
city for continued mixed-use developments. The $30
million expansion and renovation of AdventHealth
North Pinellas is establishing a medical service targeted
industry cluster in the area that creates new employment
opportunities. Our downtown is bustling and expanding
along the Pinellas Trail toward the sponge docks. As a
small city, we thrive on our reputation as always “having
something to do,” with First Fridays, Salsa on the Sponge
Docks, Night in the Islands, Snow Place, festivals, parades
and our annual Epiphany Celebration.
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 | TAMPA BAY MAGAZINE 53