New Tampa

New Tampa is an area in Florida that encompasses both a 24-square-mile (62 km2) area within the corporate limits of the City of Tampa, as well as a larger land area that is in unincorporated Hillsborough, but retains a Tampa mailing address. The incorporated portion of “New Tampa” that lies within the city limits of Tampa is one of the largest city neighborhoods. The area has grown rapidly since being annexed by the city of Tampa in 1988. As of the 2000 census, the district had a population of 22,466. Many new master planned residential communities are planned or already under construction. Big-box stores are following the boom in population and are transforming this once rural area.

“New Tampa” may also refer to a larger area that includes the area described above as well as parts of Wesley Chapel, an unincorporated area that abuts Hillsborough county to the north. Although neither technically nor officially part of the Tampa designated neighborhood New Tampa, most Tampa area residents identify the entire area as New Tampa.

Description

New Tampa is bounded by Lutz to the west, Wesley Chapel to the north, Morris Bridge Road (near Thonotosassa) to the east, and the University community and the University of South Florida to the south.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 22,466 residing in the district. 14,891 families, and 15,447 households. The population density is 936/mi². There are 11,143 housing units at an average density of 464.3/mi². The racial makeup of the district is 80.77% White, 6.13% Black, 0.51% Native American, 7.46% Asian, less than 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.98% from some other race. 8.82% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

NOTE: The demographic numbers excludes Pebble Creek, which is in unincorporated Hillsborough County.

Population explosion and building explosion

New Tampa has seen extraordinary growth in the past few years. The population rose from 7,145 residents in 1990 to 26,634 in 2000, an increase of 19,489 or 272.7%. The population was estimated at 37,350 in 2005. New Tampa is accounting for 52% of Tampa’s citywide growth and is expected to continue. Housing units increased by 850 between 2004 and 2005 to a total of 15,340 and many new subdivision are being built which is causing the extraordinary growth.

History

Although first settled in the mid-19th century, New Tampa remained undeveloped until the late-1980s, when the city of Tampa annexed the 24-square-mile (62 km2) area. Its oldest neighborhood, Tampa Palms, although originally developed when the area was still unincorporated, did not thrive until the district boom of the 1990s. Most of the city’s growth in the 1990s occurred in this district.

Development

The explosive growth of New Tampa, both in terms of residential and commercial properties, has given rise to a great deal of confusion regarding where the area of New Tampa extends to. For instance the annual “Taste of New Tampa” culinary event was held in Wesley Chapel, Pasco County, not in part to it being a part of the New Tampa community, but due to failure to find an acceptable location. The end result is that the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel communities are both separate communities each and of their own.

Another “growing pain” for the New Tampa area is the amount of infrastructure improvements being made to accommodate the fast growth of the area. Numerous residential developments, including high density housing (condominiums,townhouses, etc.), continue to dot the landscape while several retail outlets were planned for completion by the end of 2008, including the Cypress Creek Town Center Mall. Roadways, like Bruce B. Downs Boulevard continue to deal with vehicle traffic well above the numbers the roadways were built to support, making for slower traffic movement in the area. Citizens groups, continue to petition elected officials of both City and County Office for relief from these problems. Recently many major roadway improvements have begun and/or been completed to include, the widening of Cross Creek Blvd., the initial construction of the I-75 flyover ramp from the westbound traffic lane of Bruce B. Downs Blvd to the Southbound lane of I-75 S. Roadway projects also in future city planning roadway plans are the widening of Bruce B Downs Blvd from Bearss Ave. east to the County Line Rd. intersection, the construction of the Friendship bridge to connect West Meadows Blvd. (in the West Meadows community) and Commerce Park Blvd (in Tampa Palms), and the construction of the highly debated East-West Connector Road to connect New Tampa directly to I-275 south (to be located north of Livingston Ave Bridge and the Bearss Ave Exit).

Major roads and highways in New Tampa

ZIP code

Information courtesy of Wikipedia.