What do the Thames, Seine, Tiber and Hillsborough rivers have in common? Strollable riverbanks in the urban core. While some of these walkways date back centuries, Tampa is just getting around to making the most of its riverfront. The nearly completed Riverwalk on the east side of the Hillsborough has grown into a popular destination in only a few years, and now it looks like it will have a counterpart: the West River Trail.
That’s the so-far unofficial name of a 1.5-mile path that’s part of Mayor Bob Buckhorn’s ambitious plan to enhance and activate public land on the west bank, hoping that the changes will woo private dollars to build housing and retail in this previously underinvested area.
At the Tampa Downtown Partnership Annual Meeting last week, the mayor introduced this transformative vision for the connected walk/pedestrian way. Less uniform and polished than the Riverwalk on the river’s east side, the trail will be at least 10 feet wide, with a natural edge and no rails, just a sloping shoreline, like Cotanchobee Park near the History Center.