I did the walking so you don't have to. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon so I headed on down to see how things were going along the streetcar line.

Everything is amazing! I mean FREAKING amazing! It's one thing to read about the promise and plans of what's happening down there, but to get on your feet and witness it first hand, as it happens, is overwhelming in terms of historic witness. I collected a number of pictures and I could easily make a post from them about what's happening along Channelside alone. In fact I will, once this one has had a chance for some play. As a teaser I can tell you that The Towers of Tampa are beginning to actually tower. The last time I saw them they were little more than holes in the ground. Now, they are actual buildings, albeit stripped and framed only. There are also new commercial shops across the street from several Teco Line stops near the USF Port Authority. They are street-level shops connected to the condos and lofts going in, and I have several pics to post that will inspire every local urban enthusiast who sees them. They are empty today (barely constructed) but tommorow they will host dry cleaners, delis, and maybe (gasp), even a grocery store or two. Small ones they may be.



But for now I want to focus on something more directly relevant and that is the Teco Line's Whiting Street Extension. I took pictures of where the extension will pick up from the current terminus and then some pictures as I actually walked the route it will take. It wasn't hard considering it's only a straight line for approximately 5 blocks, but I think once you see it you will better understand what the extension will accomplish, and why it's so damn important.

Click here to review the pictorial.