Recently an article came out in the Tampa Bay Tribute, “Developer buys city housing close to UT” spreading awareness of the new $7.2 million purchase of land near our campus. The deal consists of the land downtown along North Boulevard, just on the edge of the intersection with W Cass St. Although nothing has happened yet, there are rumors that the private land developer plans, in the next few years, to build new UT student housing, other apartments, new restaurants, and even parks. The city hopes that in return the borderline between the ‘good’ and ‘bad’ neighborhoods will be further pushed back.
Many locals believe this is a wonderful start to rejuvenating the city, giving it a ‘make-over’. Unfortunately, what does this mean for the people currently living in these two blocks? Most of the residents of these subsidized homes are from the lower class stricken with poverty and unemployment. If the city’s intentions are as great as they seem, hopefully these families will be relocated without any stress.
However what will this do for everyone not including the locals? For UT Students, we will experience more construction and expansion of our campus, which means in the long run higher enrollment. This could be a factor that may change campus culture. Having a larger campus could potentially bring in a wider diverse group of students, which in return could add some more culture to businesses in the Downtown, Hyde Park, and SoHo Districts.
Photo Credits:
http://creoleindc.typepad.com/rantings_of_a_creole_prin/images/2007/09/2…
http://www.ut.edu/uploadedImages/University_Services/Public_Information/…