Tampa Bay Developer

Garett Greco and producer David break down the latest fight over the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, Florida property taxes, Ybor City’s transformation, AI data centers, Tampa transportation, Amtrak, housing affordability, and what Tampa needs to get right as the city continues to grow.

They discuss:

◼️Why Tampa should understand the impact of Florida’s property tax changes before committing massive public dollars to a new Rays stadium

◼️How restoring Castle Lala and moving the TBD Podcast headquarters to Ybor City fits into his vision for preserving Tampa’s history while building its future

◼️Why Tampa Union Station, expanded rail service, walkability, and better connectivity could transform the way people move around Tampa and Florida

◼️Why AI data centers could create major questions around land, electricity, drinking water, infrastructure, and whether local communities actually benefit from them

◼️What Florida’s property tax amendment, rapid population growth, rising housing costs, and development pressure could mean for homeowners, renters, businesses, and local governments

0:00:00 - Intro

0:01:10 - Stadium & Development News

0:07:41 - Casa Da Lala Building Purchase

0:19:31 - Ybor Connectivity & Totem Grocery

0:25:02 - Miami-Tampa Train Ride

0:37:31 - Autonomous Vehicles & Robotaxis

0:53:22 - 9/11, Covid & Surveillance

1:05:10 - AI Data Centers Debate

1:11:35 - Florida Governor Race

1:25:37 - Property Taxes & Wrap-up

Hosted by Stephanie Harrison-Bailey, the neighbors of Ybor City sat down with Garrett Greco to ask questions about Ybor’s past, present, and future. Together, they explore the neighborhood’s history, redevelopment, nightlife, infrastructure, local government, and how Ybor can grow without losing the culture and character that make it unique.

00:00 Intro

00:24 Garrett's family history in Ybor

03:52 What makes Ybor special

06:07 Decades-long push to redevelop

09:22 Micro development and vacant lots

12:30 Origin of the podcast

19:36 Buying back family's Ybor building

23:12 Red tape and daytime business

29:36 Radical ideas for the district

33:08 Neighborhood activism and city council

On TBD Podcast Episode 197, Garrett Greco and AJ DeSimone unpack how Cousin Vinny’s Sandwich Co. grew from a 100-square-foot Tampa ghost kitchen into a breakout Italian American restaurant brand, survived an 18-month storefront buildout, used social media and AI to maintain momentum, and prepared to expand across Tampa Bay.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:38 - How founders met

00:03:11 - Ghost kitchen testing begins

00:10:53 - Ghost kitchen not sustainable

00:16:29 - City permitting delays

00:35:02 - Opening day, huge lines

00:39:14 - "Cousin Vinny" name origin

00:48:07 - Everything made in-house

00:50:55 - New equipment, scaling production

00:53:00 - Two new locations announced

Tampa, St. Pete, and Clearwater aren’t competing for growth, they’re solving Tampa Bay’s biggest regional problems together. Mayors Jane Castor, Ken Welch, and Bruce Rector break down how the three cities actually collaborate.

00:00 — Intro

00:21 — Rector: Not competing, we’re partners

00:51 — Welch: Quarterly lunches, strong relationships

01:22 — Castor: Not competing with Miami

02:11 — Rector: Solving regional workforce housing

02:52 — Welch: Downtown partnerships, tourism collaboration

04:45 — Rector: Global Tampa Bay economic trips

05:56 — Welch: Navigating the Rays stadium situation

06:48 — Rector: Protecting shared water quality

08:21 — Castor: Growing without losing our identity

09:15 — Rector: Closing message: we’re one team

Ken Welch is the 54th Mayor of St. Petersburg, the city’s first African American mayor and a third-generation St. Pete resident who grew up in the Historic Gas Plant community before homes, churches and businesses were displaced for development; he was sworn into office in January 2022 and is seeking another term as mayor.

00:00 - Intro

00:36 - Growing up in Gas Plant District

06:18 - Rays stadium sale and move

08:14 - Trop dome damage and repair

11:14 - Selecting the development partner

16:14 - Green space and park design

18:14 - I-175 removal debate

24:13 - Central Avenue small businesses

35:22 - Property tax homestead exemption

44:02 - Water transportation and ferries

Garrett Greco sits down with producer David to reveal why he is running for Tampa City Council District 3 and discuss his vision for Tampa’s growth, neighborhoods, transportation, infrastructure, small businesses, and future.

They talk about:

◼️Why he decided to run for Tampa City Council District 3

◼️What Tampa must do to manage growth without losing its identity

◼️How the city can improve transportation and critical infrastructure

◼️Why protecting neighborhoods and supporting small businesses are central to his campaign

◼️What kind of future he wants to help build for Tampa residents

00:00:00 Intro

00:01:31 Consistency is the secret sauce

00:04:20 Growing social media following

00:08:15 Filing for City Council

00:10:36 Open District 3 seat

00:13:35 Launching the District Series

00:18:12 Podcasting while holding office

00:21:44 Comprehensive plan community backlash

00:26:20 Explaining the "developer" name

00:34:51 Seattle trip, closing thoughts

hip Weiner is a Tampa photographer, creator of https://www.oldtampaphotos.com/, author of multiple before and after Tampa history books, food photographer, and mental health counselor who has spent years documenting historic buildings, researching their stories, and showing how Tampa has changed from the late 1800s through today.

Bemetra Simmons is the President and CEO of the Tampa Bay Partnership, a coalition of regional business and nonprofit leaders focused on improving the civic quality and economic well-being of Tampa Bay. Since taking the role in 2021, she has worked to convene CEOs, policymakers, business leaders, and community organizations around major regional issues including housing affordability, transportation, workforce development, education, and economic competitiveness.

She explains:

◼️Why Tampa Bay’s housing crisis is really a workforce housing crisis

◼️How 400,000 households are being cost burdened by housing and transportation

◼️Why Tampa Bay needs a regional strategy instead of every city solving problems alone

◼️How merging transportation planning could help Tampa Bay compete for major infrastructure funding

◼️Why public private partnerships may be the key to building housing, transit, and long-term regional growth

0:00 Intro

1:02 What the partnership does

4:45 Regional housing study findings

7:32 Tampa Bay Rising initiative

12:24 Merging transportation planning organizations

19:34 Regional Infrastructure Accelerator explained

21:27 Five shortlisted transit projects

33:15 Private capital and financing

39:21 Workforce housing challenges

49:08 Regional collaboration and identity

Clara A. Reynolds is the President & CEO of Crisis Center of Tampa Bay, a Tampa native, social worker, and longtime community leader helping people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives, including mental health crises, substance abuse, financial distress, sexual assault, domestic violence, and emergency medical situations.

She explains:

◼️How Crisis Center of Tampa Bay answers 211 and 988 calls for people facing crisis

◼️Why suicide calls, sexual assault calls, and mental health needs rise after major public events

◼️How the C3 program diverts police calls by giving people immediate emotional support

◼️Why TransCare ambulances respond to medical and psychiatric emergencies across Tampa

◼️What funding cuts, property tax reform, and nonprofit challenges could mean for Tampa Bay’s safety net

00:00 - Intro

01:33 - Clara's path to CEO

12:16 - Mother's death, personal motivation

16:57 - Hiring and training call staff

27:47 - Crisis trends and social media

32:26 - How the crisis center funded

36:06 - C3 program diverts police calls

46:00 - Nonprofits facing funding cuts

54:44 - Homelessness and housing crisis

1:14:43 - Property tax reform risks

Zach Pace and Rachelle Tomushev are the co-founders of Volta Wine & Market, a new wine shop, gourmet market, and wine bar opening at 400 Central in downtown Saint Petersburg, with Zach bringing sommelier experience and a Michelin hospitality background and Rachelle helping shape the brand, operations, and customer experience.

0:00 - Volta Wine & Market intro

9:08 - Florida vs. California business climate1

1:29 - Signing the lease journey

17:33 - Choosing 400 Central location

26:50 - Founding partners' dynamic

40:05 - Food and beverage menu

43:07 - Wine sourcing philosophy

54:44 - Pricing and accessibility

1:01:03 - Curated water selection