Why St. Pete's Trop development won't (and will) feel like Miami

Bucs rally but fall to Rams; Florida COVID-19 cases down, with deaths rising; Tarpon Springs pushes for Trader Joe's

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View on the web Go to our home page Subscribe to the Times Monday, January 24, 2022 Forward this to a friend Subscribe to more newsletters Good morning, Tampa Bay. Expect some slightly warmer, mostly sunny weather today (high of 64, low of 39).   The Bucs’ division-round playoff loss to the Rams on Sunday was something, huh? Our sports columnist explores why this might mark the end of an era. Plus: Tampa’s Gopher Resource could receive more fines for environmental violations and residents are working to lure a Trader Joe’s to Tarpon Springs. [MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times] His company’s Miami developments are blueprints for what could take shape in St. Petersburg What separates St. Petersburg from a place like Miami? Alex Vadia, principal of South Florida’s Midtown Development, says it’s walkability. And if there’s a guiding principle behind his plans for the 86-acre city-owned Tropicana Field site, that may be it.   The project, called Creekside, would feature 36 acres of parks and walkways linking a redeveloped Booker Creek to Campbell Park, a revamped Pinellas Trail and the Deuces and Warehouse Arts districts. Other highlights would include retail and office space, homes and potentially a new Rays stadium.   Former Mayor Rick Kriseman picked Vadia’s company to lead the makeover of the Trop site last month. Midtown Development will use some of the lessons learned in creating its 5.5-acre Midtown Miami project as it aims to bring Creekside to life. But that vision for St. Petersburg remains a proposal. New Mayor Ken Welch has said he wants to do his own research on the project first before committing to a developer.    What does Vadia think the Trop site could become, and how does he think it’ll differ from his projects in South Florida? Hear from him in this story. Dive deeper into your favorite local subjects 📨 Our free email newsletters bring the best of the Tampa Bay Times to your inbox every week. Explore all of them here. AROUND THE BAY Trader Joe's in Tarpon Springs? Many of the city's residents want to bring the beloved grocer to town. But there are some challenges in the way.   Tampa Bay's tech startup boom: Billion-dollar valuations. Hundreds of millions in outside investments. As Tampa prepares to host a national startup conference, here's how the local tech scene took off.   Going public: A wealth management firm building its headquarters in downtown St. Petersburg has applied to list on the NASDAQ exchange.   Epilogue for Owen Meats: The Tampa musician was a tough-looking teddy bear who pushed fellow artists to create and preserve their work. He died at 41.   Facing more fines: The Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission is proposing $518,000 in additional fines for Tampa's lead factory following a Times investigation.   UF controversy: A judge has sided with professors in an academic freedom case, issuing a temporary injunction to the school's conflict of interest policy.   Prosecutors reject no-contest plea: The state will continue to seek the death penalty for Steven Lorenzo in connection with the murders of two men in Tampa.   Unusual twist, unusual crime: Three young people were shot during a Temple Terrace drug deal and one of them died. One man who was shot now faces a rare third-degree murder charge. What happened? BRIGHT SPOT [IVY CEBALLO | Times] Tampa's Adventure Island gets its biggest makeover in 30 years Across the street from Busch Gardens, construction on the popular water park is underway. Visitors can expect several enhancements by spring break season, including two new rides.   Long-awaited addition: This is the opening date for Busch Gardens' monster coaster Iron Gwazi. CORONAVIRUS DEVELOPMENTS UPDATES AT TAMPABAY.COM/CORONAVIRUS Weekly update: Florida recorded 289,204 cases and 605 deaths from Jan. 14 to Thursday, an average of about 41,300 infections per day. That's down nearly 33 percent from the week before, but deaths are on the rise. Read our analysis.   COVID-19 on campus: Tampa Bay schools reported more than 6,100 cases in the past week as districts continue to struggle with staff and student illness.   Boosters help with omicron: ​​Initial COVID-19 vaccine doses are less effective against the variant, but three new CDC-led studies show booster shots rev up virus-fighting antibodies.   More testing in Tampa: Hillsborough County will open a drive-thru coronavirus test site today at Adventure Island. No appointments are necessary. POLITICS Annoyed by robocalls? A new Florida law might help ward off unwanted texts and calls from telemarketers. Its effects are still emerging, experts say.   DeSantis redistricting map: The governor's proposal would have a dramatic effect on the Tampa and Pinellas County districts of U.S. Reps. Kathy Castor and Charlie Crist if adopted. Meanwhile, the Florida House has advanced the first map that gives Democrats more seats.   Views on voting rights: As the U.S. Senate race between Florida's Val Demings and Marco Rubio heats up, the failed voting rights bill offered an opportunity to draw sharp policy contrasts.   Tracking Biden's promises: One year in, how is the president doing in keeping the vows he made on the campaign trail? PolitiFact dives into his policy agenda. 📹 Find us on YouTube The Tampa Bay Times video team produces special reports, sports coverage and more. Follow along with their work and subscribe to our YouTube channel. OPINION AND COMMENTARY Florida Democrats have problems: The Times Editorial Board says voters aren't buying what the state's Democratic Party is selling — because they're not selling much. SPORTS [DIRK SHADD | Times] Bucs' season ends with 30-27 loss to Rams The reigning Super Bowl champs wanted to defend their title. They wanted to go for two. That won't happen this year. The Bucs staged a remarkable comeback from 24 points down Sunday against the Rams, but fell a field goal short. It was a wild NFC division playoff game in which Leonard Fournette delivered a surreal performance and Tom Brady was whistled for the first unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty of his career.   Now the biggest question of the offseason: Is the GOAT coming back? If this is goodbye, thanks for the memories Brady and Co., writes columnist John Romano.   Bucs grounds chief to retire: For 300-plus home games, Wayne Ward has left all his sweat and toil on the field at RayJay. In April, he'll retire after 30 years as groundskeeper extraordinaire.   Jim Harbaugh at Jesuit: Why did the Wolverines football coach get some squats in during a recruiting visit to Tampa? The Michigan-Ohio State rivalry is involved.   Bolts rebound: The Lightning, coming off a tough loss a night earlier at Anaheim, had one of their best starts in a 7-1 rout of the Sharks on Saturday.​​   Registration open: Young anglers can start signing up for Pasco County's Anclote Kids Fishing Tournament, now in its 31st year. TODAY'S TALKER [ELAINE THOMPSON | Associated Press] Tips for dealing with rising prices in Tampa Bay and beyond By now, you know the cost of pretty much everything has gone up — from cars and Starbucks orders to everyday essentials. How can consumers fight back against inflation? Experts have some advice. Today's DayStarter was compiled by Meaghan Habuda, Carly Thompson, Anila Lijo and Rachel Adamson. Did someone forward this to you? 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