TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa City Council voted to transfer funding for the South Howard Avenue flood relief project.
Estimated project costs increased from $65 million to $98 million.
WATCH: Tampa City Council passes funding vote on South Howard flood project
The project will address flooding in neighborhoods like Palma Ceia Pines and Parkland Estates.
David Adams lives in Parkland Estates. He said in 2024, his neighborhood flooded 10 times, and again during the hurricanes.
He presented photos of the flooding to city council.
"In 2015, I had about two feet of water in my garage from a summer rainstorm. I lost a lot of things that cannot be replaced, my wedding photos and my honeymoon," he said.
On Thursday morning, city council discussed the project during a workshop.
The project would use a box culvert system to pull excess flood water out of the neighborhood. The system would start near South Howard and Bayshore and continue onto Swann Avenue, and then into Palma Ceia Pines.
Stephen Michelini with the SoHo Business Alliance said the city needs to find a solution that does not destroy the businesses.
"No one has gotten up here, certainly no one associated with the businesses, and said kill the project. They said find a better way. Find one that is fair and does not disrupt everyone up and down Howard Avenue, doesn't destroy the businesses, end up having to lay off thousands of employees," said Michelini.
At the city council meeting on Thursday night, council voted to transfer more than $21 million to the project from another fund.
"We have to fix it. This is the vote because if we don't move this money, the mayor has basically said that, why spend more money planning for this, so this is the vote," said Lynn Hurtak, Tampa City Council member.
City officials said Thursday's vote allows the city to try to secure additional funding through grants.
Potential funding options include a FDEP grant for $25 million, money from THEA for $11 million and a Hazard Mitigation grant for $3.8 million.
The council is expected to vote again on the project in October.
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