Tampa opening new solid waste facility at McKay Bay to keep pace with growing city
TAMPA, Fla. - When you double the size of a downtown, constructing sparkling new buildings and expanded roadways, the dirty little secret is literally trash – created by thousands of new residents. So is the case in Tampa.
Tampa’s Solid Waste Department is trying to keep up.
"We’re trying to stay on par with the city’s growth. That’s why this facility is so important for us," solid waste director Larry Washington said.
The facility he’s speaking of is a giant 50,000-square-foot, $34-million transfer station at McKay Bay.
It’s twice as big as the one it’s replacing; the one where residents complain of long lines waiting to dump their yard waste.
Tampa simply outgrew it, and trash is just the beginning of the growing pains.
"We have to have the ability to provide for everyone who lives in Tampa now and all those businesses and all the citizens that are coming from around the world," says Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
She presides over one of America’s hottest destinations for vacationers and those looking to relocate, but she admits there are challenges for Tampa.
"We’re one of, if not the only major metropolitan area of our size that doesn’t have some form of mass transit," says Castor.
Tampa just received nearly $5 million for a new Cross Bay Ferry that could run between MacDill Air Force Base and the South Bay Area of Hillsborough County, where many based at MacDill live.
But if traffic gridlock arrives before mass transit or larger roads, a decline in the quality of life could dull some of Tampa’s sparkle.
Many blame growth for driving housing prices up and causing more traffic headaches on streets and highways.
Some say the new residents will bring more money to the area, but one thing is for sure: they’ll bring more trash. How well the city disposes of it could be a sign of things to come.
If you live in the city of Tampa, you can take your yard waste to the new transfer station starting in early spring. The date has yet to be announced.