2023-2033 Strategic Plan

Transportation planning and advocacy have always been essential to the Westshore Alliance. Updating the Transportation Action Plan that was last published in 2018, as well as the Westshore Master Plan & Overlay District, will send clear signals of the changes for which the Alliance will be fighting for in the coming decade.

Completing sidewalk improvements will help residents take advantage of non-vehicle mobility options in the district.

Strong coverage of electric vehicle charging stations across the district will also help make Westshore a desirable place for people to bring electric vehicles and encourage them to spend more time in various parts of the district. Additionally, electric charging stations will appeal to environmentally conscious residents who may still want the convenience of a car while being more eco-friendly.

New projects are needed for greater connectivity across the Tampa Bay region. The new Howard Frankland Bridge and Westshore Interchange is a start for greater connectivity but connecting the region beyond individual motor vehicle options will also be important.

Creating more common space for a growing gathering public in the district is also important to enhancing the district and shaping it into a more premier urban district. This includes advocating for more public greenspaces. It also includes advocacy for municipal walkability enhancements. It is important that people throughout the district - especially residents - have more places to connect with each other while also reducing reliance on motorized transit options.

Improving West Shore Blvd has been a priority for the Westshore Alliance since the organization was founded in 1983. The diversity of needs, land uses, ownership, and public entities involved required the Alliance to take a prominent role in advancing the project.In recent years, studies by the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County imagined a "Grand Boulevard" and incorporated elements of the Westshore Master Plan and Overlay District to envision a walkable and dynamic West Shore Blvd that supports a live, work, and play community. This has been effective in getting private development to enhance the corridor, but work remains to be done in other segments and around Interstate 275. Recent developments significantly impact completing the West Shore Blvd Vision. Apartments planned for the corridor will include the Overlay pedestrian standards. Interim improvements will have midblock crossings and narrow lanes. Kennedy Blvd at West Shore will be reconstructed as a more pedestrian-friendly intersection by the end of 2023. The businesses and residents of Westshore have waited 40 years (or longer) for West Shore Blvd to be the Grand Boulevard that the district deserves. This Strategic Plan includes the final steps to achieve the completion of the West Shore Blvd Vision.

Despite its name and geographic placement, the Westshore District lacks activation along its waterfront. The district is home to the waterfront Cypress Point Park, which does not see much activation. In the 2021 Resident and Worker study, only 25% of residents and only 11% of workers reported visiting the park within the last month. The private land near the park is similarly underused. This opportunity to enhance and expand upon this part of the Westshore District would provide a vibrant waterfront area with great potential.

Developing a conference-style hotel within the Westshore District would open the doors for larger conferences and events and complement the expansion of the Tampa Convention Center. This would sharpen Westshore’s competitive edge across the country and allow the district’s many businesses access to conference space within their backyard. It would replace the DoubleTree Hotel closing due to the Westshore Interchange. Considering that the district is home to Tampa International Airport, traveling to and from the event would be seamless – and further, the Airport would make an ideal partner in this endeavor.

Restructuring the membership pricing and benefits will allow the Westshore Alliance to better serve all businesses in the district and for members to better support the organization. Linking membership dues to benefits will allow for a more sustainable membership model and interaction between the organization and members.

Creating an additional signature event will also allow the Westshore Alliance to secure more revenue. The relaunch of the annual golf tournament is a positive step, but more signature events should be created to help maintain interest in the organization and potentially engage new member organizations. Though the goal may be to host one signature event a quarter, adding a single signature event shows a greater willingness to host more of these events.

The needs of the district continue to grow, as does the need for the Alliance to connect with those outside of the membership base and business community. Establishing a community activation event or program would allow the Alliance to introduce itself to the community and create a sense of place. One potential project would be hosting a Bike To Work Day in Westshore. Public art projects are another opportunity to connect with the community.

The creation of new committees will also allow the organization to advocate for new developments and better serve the member organizations. Multifamily residences and hoteliers have a strong and growing presence within the Westshore District, and their needs are not directly addressed under the organization's existing structure. Membership statistics also revealed that these two groups tend to lapse in membership. Therefore, establishing a better channel of engagement and communication through forming these committees may also help from a membership perspective.

The creation of a non-profit that serves the Westshore District will allow the Westshore Alliance to better serve the entire community and leverage potential new funding sources to make tangible impacts for residents, workers, and businesses. In addition, the creation and hosting of the first Westshore District community activation event will bring together all Westshore District members and help engender a sense of community across groups.

This third committee will work on ways to make membership in the Westshore Alliance more attractive for small businesses in the district. This committee will take ownership of the longer-range plans to increase diversity with emphasis on the underserved areas of Westshore.

For the organization, taking action to increase the diversity of the Alliance’s membership, placing emphasis on the underserved areas within Westshore, and setting out to have a set percentage of businesses geographically in the district be members of the Westshore Alliance will improve the advocacy power. Historic communities of color and their businesses in the Westshore District need to feel that their voices will be heard and that the Westshore Alliance properly represents them. It is essential that as improvements and enhancements are made to the district, these historic communities are respected. This process begins with promoting greater diversity in the Westshore Alliance from Black and Hispanic-owned businesses.

Furthermore, growing the membership – particularly among businesses within the Westshore District - enables the organization to gain better insights from a greater percentage of businesses it serves and act with a more influential voice, recognizing its enhanced representation of the business community. A third-party list vendor contacted as part of this process indicated that there are approximately 7,000 businesses located within the District.