Tampa: Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Early in the twentieth century, Tampa was unquestionably a one-industry town. From the late 1880s through the 1930s, cigar manufacturing and related activities—primarily box construction and lithography—dominated the economy. Several hundred competing firms annually turned out well over 100 million hand-rolled examples of the city's bestknown product.

The current story of Tampa, however, is quite different. Though still known for its cigars (now made with tobacco from sources other than Cuba), Tampa branched out to become the industrial, commercial, and financial hub of Florida's west coast; a third of the state's entire population, in fact, lives within a two-hour drive of the city.

Part of what has made Tampa's future so promising is its diversified economic base. The push to diversify first came after World War II, when the emphasis was on fostering the growth of heavy industry. But in the late 1970s, as the traditional stability and profitability of heavy industry seemed threatened, a movement began to make Tampa appealing to a wide variety of businesses, especially those that were more service-related and office-oriented. Since then, the city has been touted as an ideal location for companies in search of regional headquarters, for banking and other financial firms, and for various high-technology industries. The business world has responded with enthusiasm. Looking toward the future, city developers are aggressively seeking to expand into aerospace and medical technology and international trade and to attract additional electronics and financial firms. Today, Tampa is a center not only for cigars and tourism, but also for agriculture, food processing, electronics and other high-technology fields, health care and related industries, and finance.

To those who know Tampa only as a vacation spot, it may come as a surprise to learn that the city is a thriving agribusiness center. Hillsborough County markets an abundance of citrus fruit, beef cattle, dairy products, eggs, vegetables, ornamental plants and flowers, and tropical fish. As a result, many agriculture-related industries have been attracted to the area, including food processing firms; feed, fertilizer, and insecticide companies; and paper and metal container manufacturers. Two breweries, Anheuser-Busch and Pabst, also have facilities in Tampa.

Tampa has attained the status of a foreign trade zone, an area where goods can be unloaded for repacking, storage, or transshipment without being subject to import duties.

Items and goods produced: cigars, electronic equipment, medical equipment, beer, paint, cigars, fabricated steel, fertilizers, citrus products, livestock, processed shrimp, decorative plants, and flowers

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

In May 2000 the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce's Committee of One Hundred was named among Site Selection magazine's top ten development groups for the second year in a row. The editors wrote: "If there's anyplace where economic development customer service has been honed and polished to a brighter shine than in sunny Tampa and Hillsborough County, Fla., it would be hard to find." The Chamber's Committee of One Hundred has a number of resources available for people and businesses interested in relocating to the area.

State programs

Enterprise Florida, Inc. is a partnership between Florida's government and business leaders and is the principal economic development organization for the state of Florida. Enterprise Florida's mission is to increase economic opportunities for all Floridians, by supporting the creation of quality jobs, a well-trained workforce, and globally competitive businesses. It pursues this mission in cooperation with its statewide network of economic development partners.

Job training programs

The Workforce Development Board (WDB), commonly known as Jobs & Education Partnership, is a part of Enterprise Florida, Inc. WDB provides policy, planning, and oversight for job training programs funded under the federal Workforce Investment Act (WIA), along with vocational training, adult education, employment placement, and other workforce programs administered by a variety of state and local agencies. Regional Workforce Development Boards operate under charters approved by the Workforce Development Board. The 24 regional boards have primary responsibility for direct services through a statewide network of One-Stop Career systems. State and local workforce development efforts are concentrated on three broad initiatives: First Jobs/First Wages focuses on preparing workers for entry-level employment including the School-to-Work and WAGES (Work and Gain Self-Sufficiency) programs; High Skill/High Wages targets the higher skills needs of employers and training workers for advancement including Performance Based Incentive Funding (PBIF), Occupational Forecasting Conference/Targeted Occupations, Quick Response Training (QRT), and Incumbent Worker Training (IWT); One-Stop Career Centers are the central elements of the One-Stop system for providing integrated services to employers, workers, and job-seekers.

Development Projects

Business expansion and relocation of businesses to Tampa has been strong since 2000. An October 2004 article in the Tampa Tribune credits this to the comparatively low costs of buying or renting commercial real estate, as well as developers limiting the amount of speculative construction.

In 2002, Coca Cola opened a 33,000 square foot 210-employee service center, and a 58,000 square foot accounting center for the company's North American operations. In 2004, Depository Trust & Clearing Corp. opened a $34 million back-up operations center that will house 400 jobs.

A $120 million retail/entertainment/residential complex with theaters, restaurants, and retail shops is in the burgeoning Channelside district. At the center of the complex, called The Pinnacle, is an observation tower rising from a three-story podium building. At 624 feet in the air, the tower is taller than any of Tampa's downtown buildings. Serving as a gateway into the Channelside district is Heritage Park, which features a 4-acre park and amphitheater, and retail shops and cafes in three buildings. In 2004 work began on a $93 million Towers at Channelside project, a mixed-use development of 260 residential units spread across twin 30-story towers.

Segment D of the $80 million 40th Street Corridor Enhancement Project was underway in early 2005. In five phases, the 40th Street project was created to enhance a 4.2 mile stretch of 40th Street, from Hillsborough Avenue north to Fowler Avenue. The $1.9 million Segment D phase consists of a new bridge and is to be completed in July 2005. Design plans for all phases of the project include roadway lighting, bike lanes, a drainage system, and landscaped medians.

In early 2005, talks began on a new Riverwalk project as part of an effort by Mayor Pam Iorio to revitalize Tampa's downtown. The project hopes to create more than two miles of walkway along the Hillsborough River. Another announcement in early 2005 was the state allocation of $283 million to provide direct truck access from the Port of Tampa to Interstate 4. Pending Florida Legislature approval in July of the same year, the state money would be available in 2009. The total cost of the project is estimated to be $414 million; the mile-long, six-lane connector will also be a tollway.

Tampa's health care facilities are also undergoing expansion and renovation. In 2004, work began on a $65 million, four-story addition to Tampa General Hospital, adding a 280,000 square foot emergency department and Level 1 trauma center. The completion of a $10 million addition to the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute vivarium and laboratory research facility is expected in 2005.

Economic Development Information: Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce, PO Box 420, Tampa, FL 33601. Office Address: 401 E. Jackson Street, 21st Floor, Tampa, FL 33602. Information Center, telephone (813) 276-9418 (call this number for relocation information or email Info@tampachamber.com). Switchboard number (813)228-7777 or (800)298-2672.

Commercial Shipping

Tampa's economy benefits greatly from its airport, where freight-hauling has been growing at a rate of 12 percent annually, the CSX railway system linking up with cities to the south and east, and nearby interstate and state highways providing convenient delivery and receiving routes for the eighteen motor freight lines operating in the city. Perhaps its greatest asset, however, is its port—the eleventh largest (by tonnage) in the country and the largest in the state of Florida—which handles more than 50 million tons of cargo annually.

The closest U.S. maritime center to the Panama Canal, the Port of Tampa serves as the gateway to Latin America. It is also home to one of the world's largest shrimp fleets and features modern shipbuilding and ship repair facilities. As the result of a federally-funded harbor-deepening project, super cargo ships have gained access to the port. International trade in Tampa got a boost from the year 2000 decision by the Tampa-Hillsborough International Affairs Commission to establish an office in the new Port of Tampa headquarters building. In 2005, a new cement terminal is scheduled to be completed, while the dredging of Big Bend Channel and the construction of a new general cargo warehouse will be started. The director is charged with establishing the Tampa metropolitan area as a center for international commerce and tourism for west central Florida.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

The Committee of One Hundred's recruitment efforts resulted in the creation of more than 54,543 direct new jobs and capital investment exceeding $2.6 billion between 1991 and 2002; announced jobs in 2003 numbered 1,101 and capital investment of $11.6 million. From October 2003–2004, 21,100 jobs were created in the area, making the Tampa area the second fastest growing region in Florida in terms of new jobs and businesses.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metropolitan area labor force, 2003 annual averages.

Size of nonagricultural labor force: 1,225,700

Number of workers employed in . . .

manufacturing: 71,500

trade, transportation and utilities: 216,400

information: 34,700

financial activities: 94,000

professional and business services: 296,700

education and health services: 142,800

leisure and hospitality: 108,100

other services: 48,200

government: 147,000

Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $14.09 (2003 statewide average)

Unemployment rate: 3.5% (December 2004)

Cost of Living

Compared to American cities of similar size and other Florida cities such as Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Sarasota, Tampa enjoys a low cost of living.

The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors for the Tampa area.

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Average House Price: $241,125

2004 (3rd Quarter) ACCRA Cost of Living Index: 98.8 (U.S. average = 100.0)

State income tax rate: None (corporate income tax is 5.5%)

State sales tax rate: 6.0% on most items

Local income tax rate: None

Local sales tax rate: 7.0% (the county lodging tax is 5.0%)

Property tax rate: Ranges from $23.7362 to $29.1403 per $1,000

Tampa: History

First Established Settlement Called Fort Brooke

When Spanish explorers first arrived in the Tampa Bay region in 1528, they encountered a native civilization that had flourished there for at least 3,500 years. Several different tribes dominated the Gulf Coast, including the Tocobaga, the Timucua, the Apalachee, and the Caloosa (also spelled Calusa). It was a Caloosa village called Tanpa (a name meaning "stick of fire") that eventually became known to the Spanish as Tampa. Annihilated by an onslaught of European diseases against which they had no immunity, the various Tampa Bay tribes had all but vanished by 1700. Raiding parties comprised of English colonists from the north and members of other Indian tribes destroyed the few remaining settlements. Desolate and uninhabited, the Tampa Bay region was held briefly by the British in the late 1700s, then once again became a Spanish possession after the American Revolution. In 1821, Spain ceded the Florida territory to the United States for $5 million.

By this time, northern Florida had become a haven for displaced Seminole Indians and runaway black slaves from nearby southern states. Because white settlers were eager to move into the region and grow cotton, the federal government decided to relocate the Indians further south, around Tampa Bay. A fort was established on the eastern shore of the Hillsborough River to house the soldiers sent there to keep an eye on the angry Seminoles. Erected in 1824 and named Fort Brooke (after the army colonel in command), it was the first permanent, modern settlement on the site of present-day Tampa.

Area's Economy Rollercoasters

The 1830s and 1840s were marked by repeated violent conflicts between the Seminoles and white soldiers and settlers. Although Tampa emerged from the so-called Second Seminole War (1835–1842) as a fledgling town rather than just a frontier outpost, it subsequently endured a variety of setbacks, including further skirmishes with the Seminoles, yellow fever epidemics, and, in 1848, a hurricane-generated tidal wave that leveled the village.

In the 1850s a rebuilt Tampa expanded, and by 1855 it had grown enough to incorporate as a city. After the Third Seminole War (1855–1858) saw most of the Indian population removed to Oklahoma, the town experienced a boom of sorts. An extremely lucrative beef trade with Cuba flourished, as did the related activities of shipping and shipbuilding. During and after the Civil War, however, Tampa, like much of the rest of the South, suffered economic ruin, compounded throughout the 1860s and 1870s by periodic outbreaks of yellow fever.

The 1880s ushered in a dramatic turnaround for the dying city—the discovery of rich phosphate deposits nearby and, more important, the coming of Henry Bradley Plant's Jacksonville, Tampa & Key West Railroad company. Potential new settlers streamed into the city in search of business opportunities. One of these was Cuban cigar manufacturer Vicente Martinez Ybor, who left Key West in 1885 to establish his operations in Tampa; within just a few years, cigars had become the city's trademark, as well as its chief industry.

The next fifty years were marked by continued economic growth for Tampa. At the turn of the century, subzero temperatures forced farmers in the northern part of the state to relocate farther south, Tampa became the new center for the expanding citrus industry. World War I led to a demand for ships that kept Tampa's docks humming with activity. During the early 1920s, land speculators and tourists from the North flocked to the state and gave rise to a building boom in Tampa and the surrounding area. Even after the rest of the Florida real estate market collapsed in 1926, Tampa managed to hold its own. But, like much of the rest of the country, Tampa suffered severe economic setbacks during the Depression of the 1930s. Its number-one industry, cigar manufacturing, went into a sharp decline as product demand decreased and more and more factories became automated; never again would cigar manufacturing figure as prominently in the city's economic makeup.

Downtown Experiences Decline and Rebirth

The growing American involvement in World War II proved to be the stimulus Tampa's paralyzed economy needed. Thousands of troops were stationed in and around the city, and government contracts again revived the shipbuilding industry. But in the 1950s and 1960s Tampa lost residents and businesses to the suburbs, and the downtown area quickly deteriorated. During the early 1970s, government and business united to revive the ailing downtown area and change Tampa's image. After a rocky and unfocused start in the 1960s, Tampa's urban renewal program emerged in the 1970s and 1980s as a carefully and professionally planned alternative to the earlier chaotic approach. Downtown soon became the site of new office buildings, stores, stadiums, convention centers, and condominiums, and the local economy flourished. The city and the surrounding region saw a boom in business expansions and relocations in the 1990s that is only picking up speed today. Today, Tampa proclaims itself a city "where the good life gets better every day"—an urban area on the threshold of changes that will assure it of a vital role in the country's future.

Historical Information: Tampa Bay History Center, 225 South Franklin Street, Tampa FL 33602-5329; telephone (813)228-0097

Tampa: Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Like all public schools in the state, the public elementary and secondary schools of Tampa are part of a county-wide district. The Hillsborough district, third largest in the state and tenth largest in the country, is administered by a nonpartisan, seven-member school board that appoints a superintendent.

The following is a summary of data regarding the Hillsborough County Public Schools as of the 2003–2004 school year.

Total enrollment: 175,454

Number of facilities

elementary schools: 130

junior high/middle schools: 42

senior high schools: 26

other: 20 charter schools

Student/teacher ratio: 16.7:1 average

Teacher salaries

average: $38,762

Funding per pupil: $3,494

More than 120 private and parochial schools also operate in Hillsborough County. These range from institutions that stress achievement-oriented college preparatory courses to those that emphasize basic education combined with strict religious training.

Public Schools Information: Hillsborough County Public Schools, 901 E. Kennedy Blvd., PO Box 3408, Tampa, FL 33601-3408; telephone (813)272-4000

Colleges and Universities

Hillsborough County has five fully accredited institutions of higher learning: the University of South Florida (with more than 34,000 students), the University of Tampa, Tampa College, Florida College, and Hillsborough Community College. Also in Tampa are Education America–Tampa Technical Institute Campus, a two-year program, and ITT Technical Institute, primarily a two-year institution that also awards bachelor's degrees in electronics engineering technology. A four-year program is offered at International Academy of Merchandising and Design.

Libraries and Research Centers

In addition to its main branch in the downtown area (the John F. Germany Library), the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library system has 21 branches. Its collection numbers over four million books, plus numerous films, records, talking books, magazines, newspapers, maps, photographs, and art reproductions. Many of the systems libraries were undergoing refurbishment and expansion in the early 2000s; the new 15,000 square foot Upper Tampa Bay branch was dedicated in January 2005. Tampa also boasts more than 20 research centers, most of which are affiliated with the University of South Florida (USF) and are active in the fields of business, health care, and the development of high-technology equipment. USF's multimillion dollar public-private partnership with Lucent Technologies Inc. is part of a larger initiative through the 1-4 Technology Corridor, an initiative based on cooperative business and academic ventures from Pinellas to Brevard counties. Lucent agreed to donate millions of dollars in money and equipment to further local semiconductor research.

Public Library Information: John F. Germany Library, 900 N. Ashley, Tampa, FL 33602; telephone (813)273-3652; fax (813)272-5640

Tampa , city (1990 pop. 280,015), seat of Hillsborough co., W Fla., a port of entry with an impressive harbor on Tampa Bay; inc. 1855. The third largest city in the state, Tampa has long been a shipping and manufacturing hub on the Gulf Coast. It is at the center of a large resort and retirement area, and has a cigar industry, breweries, and seafood and citrus-packing houses. Tampa's port is one of the largest in the United States, with phosphate docks and elevators. The city extends down a peninsula, with Old Tampa Bay on the west, Tampa Bay to the south, and Hillsborough Bay on the east. MacDill Air Force Base is situated at the tip of the peninsula.

Tampa Bay was visited by Pánfilo de Narváez in 1528, and in 1539 De Soto rescued the sole survivor of that expedition. He negotiated (on the present site of the Univ. of Tampa) a peace treaty with the natives, but they remained so hostile that for almost 200 years Europeans avoided the area. The first white settlement began in 1823, and U.S. Fort Brooke was built in 1824; the town grew around the fort. In the Civil War, it was taken (May, 1864) by Union troops. Tampa's real development began with the growth of a fishing industry, the discovery of phosphate in 1883, and the construction of railroads and the introduction of cigar making in the late 1880s. (Ybor City is the headquarters of the cigar industry and the center of Tampa's Hispanic population.) During the Spanish-American War, Tampa was a military base; Theodore Roosevelt trained his Rough Riders there.

In 1953, Tampa's suburbs were consolidated with the city, almost doubling the population. Suburban growth since the 1970s has left Tampa at the center of the burgeoning metropolitan region that encompasses St. Petersburg and Clearwater . Three long bridges link Tampa with Clearwater and St. Petersburg, on the Pinellas peninsula.

The city is the seat of the Univ. of Tampa (a magnificent example of Moorish architecture, originally built as a huge hotel) and the Univ. of South Florida. There is an international airport, and the city's many points of interest include Ybor City, a cigar museum, a museum of science and natural history, the county historical museum, and Tampa Bay Downs racetrack. The Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center (1987) is a part-time home of the Florida Orchestra. Nearby is Busch Gardens, a theme park famous for its large African zoo and tropical garden.

Tampa is home to the Buccaneers of the National Football League, the Devil Rays of baseball's American League, and the Lightning of the National Hockey League. Several major-league baseball teams have spring training camps in the area. A state fair is held there, and the legend of José Gasparilla, an alleged pirate, is celebrated annually by a mock invasion of the city.

Tampa: Transportation

Approaching the City

The Tampa International Airport (TIA), a modern facility 12 miles from downtown, was designed to be an optimally user-friendly origin-and-destination airport. It was the first airport in the country to use a people-mover system to transport passengers from remote buildings to terminals. It has been rated "Best Airport in the U.S." by Conde Nast Traveller magazine. A second, smaller facility, the Peter O. Knight Airport, is located on Davis Islands. It serves Tampa's general aviation traffic and executive aircraft and even has a seaplane basin and ramp. Charters and flight instruction are also available.

Florida law requires that drivers must turn on their headlights when rain is heavy enough to use windshield wipers. Tampa's rush hours can be very congested. The major direct routes are Interstate 75 from the north or south (which becomes Interstate 275 as it passes through the city), Interstate 4 from the northeast (which merges with Interstate 275 downtown), State Road 60 from the southeast, and U.S. Highway 41 (a coastal road also known as the Tamiami Trail) from the south. U.S. Highways 41 and 301 roughly parallel Interstate 75 on the west and east, respectively.

Passenger rail service to Tampa is also available from Amtrak's Seaboard Coast Line trains.

Traveling in the City

Allowing for constraints imposed by certain geographic features, Tampa is laid out in a basic grid pattern. Florida Avenue divides east from west, and John F. Kennedy Boulevard and Frank Adamo Drive (State Road 60) divide north from south.

Tampa's mass transit system is primarily bus-based and operated by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit authority or, as it is more commonly known, HARTline. An express bus service links Hillsborough County with neighboring Pinellas County.

The TECO Line, an historic electric streetcar line, connects downtown Tampa with Ybor City, stopping at Tampa Convention Center, St. Pete Times Forum, the Channelside area, Port of Tampa cruise terminals and The Florida Aquarium.

Tampa: Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents

1980: 1,614,000

1990: 2,067,959

2000: 2,395,997

Percent change, 1990–2000: 15.9%

U.S. rank in 1990: 21st

U.S. rank in 2000: 20th

City Residents

1980: 271,577

1990: 280,015

2000: 303,447

2003 estimate: 317,647

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.1%

U.S. rank in 1990: 55th (State rank: 3rd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 57th (State rank: 3rd)

Density: 2,707.8 people per square mile (in 2000)

Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)

White: 194,871

Black or African American: 79,118

American Indian and Alaska Native: 1,155

Asian: 6,527

Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 281

Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 58,522

Other: 12,646

Percent of residents born in state: 44.8% (2000)

Age characteristics (2000)

Population under 5 years old: 20,528

Population 5 to 9 years old: 21,843

Population 10 to 14 years old: 20,741

Population 15 to 19 years old: 20,628

Population 20 to 24 years old: 21,404

Population 25 to 34 years old: 47,967

Population 35 to 44 years old: 50,077

Population 45 to 54 years old: 38,470

Population 55 to 59 years old: 13,121

Population 60 to 64 years old: 10,715

Population 65 to 74 years old: 19,559

Population 75 to 84 years old: 13,890

Population 85 years and older: 4,504

Median age: 34.7 years

Births (2003)

Total number: 8,125

Deaths (2003)

Total number: 8,725 (Hillsborough County) (of which, 137 were infants under the age of 1 year)

Money income (1999)

Per capita income: $29,728 (2002)

Median household income: $34,415

Total households: 124,594

Number of households with income of . . .

less than $10,000: 16,582

$10,000 to $14,999: 9,866

$15,000 to $24,999: 18,838

$25,000 to $34,999: 17,835

$35,000 to $49,999: 20,206

$50,000 to $74,999: 19,671

$75,000 to $99,999: 8,457

$100,000 to $149,999: 6,760

$150,000 to $199,999: 2,586

$200,000 or more: 3,793

Percent of families below poverty level: 14.0% (51.7% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 35,380

Tampa: Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Tampa's major daily newspaper is The Tampa Tribune, a morning publication. Residents also read the St. Petersburg Times. Tampa's magazine that focuses on lifestyles, local events, shopping, dining, books, films, and entertainment is Tampa Bay Magazine.

Television and Radio

Tampa has eight television stations, six commercial and two public. Other stations serve the area from the nearby towns of Largo and St. Petersburg. Additional stations are available via cable. Twelve AM and FM radio stations are based in Tampa, ten commercial and two public. Approximately forty other radio stations serve the metropolitan area from nearby locations.

Media Information: The Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Box 191, Tampa, FL 33601; telephone (813)259-7711; email readerservice@tampatrib.com

Tampa Online

Central Florida Development Council. Available www.cfdc.org

City of Tampa home page. Available www.ci.tampa.fl.us

Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. Available www.tampachamber.com

Hillsborough County Public Schools. Available apps.sdhc.k12.fl.us

Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau. Available www.gotampa.com

Tampa Bay Library Consortium. Available snoopy.tblc.lib.fl.us

Tampa Tribune. Available www.tampatrib.com

Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Library System. Available www.thpl.org

Selected Bibliography

Miller, Bill and Mary Fallon Miller, Tampa Triangle Dead Zone (St. Petersburg, Fla.: Ticket to Adventure, c1997)

Tampa: Health Care

Well on its way to becoming one of the Southeast's premier centers for medical treatment of any kind, Tampa is home to more than a dozen major hospitals, a Children's Cancer Center, the University of South Florida's Medical Center (where teaching and research are combined with patient care), and the university's H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute, a 162-bed hospital. The completion of a $10 million addition to the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute vivarium and laboratory research facility is expected in 2005. The city also has more than 2,000 physicians practicing in at least 50 different specialties.

The pride of the local medical establishment is Tampa General Hospital, which serves as the regional referral center in such fields as burn treatment, neonatal and pediatric care, and poison control. In 2004, work began on a $65 million, four-story addition to Tampa General Hospital, adding a 280,000 square foot emergency department and Level 1 trauma center. The primary teaching hospital for the University of South Florida's College of Medicine, Tampa General is operated by the Hillsborough County Hospital Authority.

The University Community Health system operates four hospitals throughout Tampa with a combined total of 1,019 beds. The system's new Pepin Heart Hospital and Research Institute is scheduled to begin operations in 2005.

Tampa

The City in Brief

Founded: 1824 (incorporated 1887)

Head Official: Mayor Pam Iorio (NP) (since April 2003)

City Population

1980: 271,577

1990: 280,015

2000: 303,447

2003 estimate: 317,647

Percent change, 1990–2000: 8.1%

U.S. rank in 1990: 55th (State rank: 3rd)

U.S. rank in 2000: 57th (State rank: 3rd)

Metropolitan Area Population

1980: 1,614,000

1990: 2,067,959

2000: 2,395,997

Percent change, 1990–2000: 15.9%

U.S. rank in 1990: 21st

U.S. rank in 2000: 20th

Area: 112.1 square miles (2000)

Elevation: Ranges from sea level to about 48 feet above sea level

Average Annual Temperature: 73.1° F

Average Annual Precipitation: 44.8 inches

Major Economic Sectors: wholesale and retail trade, services, government

Unemployment rate: 3.5% (December 2004)

Per Capita Income: $29,728 (2002)

2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 35,380

Major Colleges and Universities: University of South Florida, University of Tampa, St. Petersburg College

Daily Newspaper: Tampa Tribune; St. Petersburg Times

Tampa: Convention Facilities

Tampa's $140-million Tampa Convention Center complex is located near Harbour Island. It contains approximately 200,000 square feet of exhibition space and 60,000 square feet of meeting rooms, a 36,000-square-foot ballroom, a 600-room hotel, and office and retail space. The Exposition Hall can accommodate up to 12,000 people for concerts.

The Sun Dome at the University of South Florida, a large multipurpose facility, can accommodate up to 11,500 people for concerts, lectures, trade shows, banquets, and large conventions.

For those seeking facilities for groups ranging in size from 10 to 2,500 people, Tampa has much to offer. Among the choices are the Egypt Temple Shrine, a well-equipped hall for banquets and more entertainment-oriented functions, and the National Study Center, a place for medical professionals to attend courses and lectures required for re-licensing or certification. The Florida State Fair and Expo Park also offers indoor and outdoor facilities. Spacious and convenient meeting areas for smaller groups are also available at nearly 50 hotels and resorts in Tampa, many of them recently renovated.

Convention Information: Tampa Bay Convention and Visitors Bureau, Inc., 400 N. Tampa St., 2800, Tampa, FL 33602; toll-free (800)826-8358; telephone (813)223-1111; fax (813)229-6616

Tampa: Introduction

Tampa is Florida's third most populous city, and its chief treasure is its diversity. The city today combines elements of the Italian, Spanish, Indian, Cuban, and African American cultures that reflect its historical development and give Tampa a cosmopolitan flair. Its warm, sunny weather, Gulf Coast location, abundant labor supply, and spirit of cooperation between the public and private sectors have made it a very attractive choice for companies wishing to expand or relocate. The influx of new businesses and residents has in turn revitalized the city, sparking a multibillion-dollar construction and renovation boom that combines the best of old Tampa with dynamic new structures to better serve the growing community. Tampa is proud of its accomplishments and excited about the future.

Tampa: Municipal Government

Tampa, the Hillsborough County seat, adopted a nonpartisan mayor-council form of government in 1945. Elections are held every four years, at which time city residents choose the mayor and seven council members.

Head Official: Mayor Pam Iorio (NP) (since April 2003; current term expires March 2007)

Total Number of City Employees: 4,631 (2004)

City Information: City of Tampa, 306 E. Jackson St., Tampa, FL 33602; telephone (813)274-8211

Tampa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, USA USA (Florida): founded as Fort Brooke in 1824 with a name said to be derived from the Cree itimpi ‘close to it’ or ‘near it’, although to what this refers is not known.

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