Luis Viera Column β€” Thank You For Ten Wonderful Years As Your City Councilman!

By Luis Viera 

District 7, Tampa City Council 

Tampa City Councilman Luis VieraΒ (Photo by Charmaine George)

I always love to update my constituents on what is happening in the City of Tampa, especially in New Tampa’s District 7. 

Saying Goodbye To District 7 

Speaking of my district, I only have a few more weeks as your Tampa City Councilman. 

I began this journey in Nov. 2016 and it will end at midnight on November 2. The October 22 City Council meeting will be my last. After that, I will no longer be your Councilman. 

Words can not express my heartfelt gratitude for the welcome and the many life experiences I have gotten from District 7. 

I think of so many meaningful moments β€” not those on camera or on a stage, but little things. I think of the New Tampa immigrant families who are part of the American Dream – families from India, Syria, Venezuela, etc. Every time I meet one, I ask them about their journey to America and it touches me. 

I think of the pain every time I talked to a North Tampa family that got flooded after Hurricane Milton in 2024, and the little caustic details of their stories. 

I think of my first Town Hall in Tampa Palms, where I met my now good friends Tracy and Steve Falkowitz. I think of getting to know New Tampa residents like Auschwitz survivor Nat Ross, decorated combat World War II veteran and Buffalo Soldier Roy Caldwood and General Remo Butler β€” the first Black officer in the Special Forces to become Brigadier General. 

Perhaps the biggest part of public office is sharing from your heart and seeing people that society does not see, but that you see because of your own experience. For me, that always has been people with disabilities. No experience better defined my life growing up because of my brother Juan. I grew up going to Special Olympics and special education ministry meetings and to special needs dances where people danced to Village People songs. I also grew up seeing parents working harder than anyone should have to and feeling that they and their kids were not seen. Working in this space has meant a lot. 

So, I write to say thank you, District 7, from my heart. I also have some final updates for the people of New Tampa, where I live. 

K-Bar Ranch 

Last year, I secured about $750,000 in the City of Tampa’s budget to design the nearly-60- acre K-Bar Ranch park. This year, I secured in the Capital Improvement Program (CIP) about $8 million for construction of this park, which should begin construction in 2028. 

There will be community input to help with the design of the park. Your first opportunity to share your opinions about the facilities you feel should be included in this park will be held on Thursday, October 15, during a community meeting. As of the writing of this column, we do not have a location yet for that meeting, but one will be provided soon (and I’m sure the Neighborhood News will post online about it as soon as the location and the time of that meeting are announced). Feel free to email me at luis.viera@tampagov.net for questions.Β 

North of Cross Creek Blvd., there are no city parks. This investment β€” part of almost $20 million in 33647 parks funding I helped secure since 2016 β€” remedies this for you. 

Remaining New Tampa Priorities 

There are things I am still working on in my final weeks on City Council that I still want. I am working on getting the funds necessary to repave the rest of Tampa Palms Blvd. in our budget. I also am working with the Rays for inclusion of funds for a New Tampa Police substation presence in the β€œCommunity Benefits & Legacy Plan” between the team, Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa. And, frustration over Morris Bridge Rd. (a county road) is something I, like you, feel and experience, although I don’t know how or when this roadway will be improved. 

Improved emergency and fire rescue times for K-Bar Ranch remains my biggest frustration. Yes, I have secured three new City of Tampa Fire Rescue Dept. (TFR) stations for New and North Tampa since I assumed office. 

But, I still want a fire station dedicated for K-Bar Ranch. Unfortunately, we currently do not have the necessary buy-in for this from downtown. But, within 45 days or so, the β€œcut through” from Morris Bridge Rd. into K-Bar Ranch should be opening, which will significantly reduce K-Bar and Easton Park response times from TFR Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. near Morris Bridge Rd. This is a good step for now β€” but a station located in K-Bar is still needed β€” and hopefully, inevitable. 

District 7 2027 City Council Race 

New Tampa is the Alaska of Tampa. When you represent this area on City Council, you have to fight harder, bang the podium a little harder and talk a little louder. And, New Tampa still needs a fighter. We have good people who have filed to run for this office who are already working hard β€” putting in the hard work. 

Although my fellow City Council members will choose someone to fill my seat for the four+ months between when I leave office in November and the City of Tampa’s Municipal Election in March of 2027, when you will help elect a replacement for me, I hope you will choose the candidate you believe is sincere and will work hard for you. Pick someone who has been putting in the hard work to earn your trust β€” not only the trust of other politicians. 

Thanks as always, New Tampa. 

What’s Happening With Morris Bridge Rd.? The Big Changes At 3 Key Intersections

Construction at the intersection of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. at MB Rd. (Photo by Joel Provenzano)

If it feels like Morris Bridge Rd. (MB Rd.) has been in a constant state of change lately, you’re not imagining it. From New Tampa through Wesley Chapel, this important north–south corridor, once considered little more than a two-lane country road, has seen closures, construction crews, and long-awaited reopenings β€” with even more changes on the horizon. 

As Neighborhood News has reported over the past several years, MB Rd. is gradually transforming from a quiet rural connector into a critical link between several fast-growing communities in Hillsborough and Pasco counties. 

Here’s a closer look at what’s recently been completed, what’s under way, and what’s still to come β€” with a focus on three intersections that are shaping the future of the MB Rd. corridor. 

MB Rd. At Future K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. 

As we first reported in April 2024, the final phase of K-Bar Ranch in Hillsborough County is more than just another residential expansion β€” it’s a long-planned transportation connection that will finally open all of K-Bar Ranch to MB Rd., benefiting both New Tampa and Wesley Chapel residents alike. That vision is now becoming reality. 

Construction is under way on the eastward extension of K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. past Easton Park to MB Rd. Once completed, this connection also will allow access from Wesley Chapel, including from Union Park and Meadow Pointe, via the planned Wyndfields Blvd. extension to the south and the existing Meadow Pointe Blvd. extension. 

The map of the planned K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. extension we ran in Apr. 2024. (Source: NN)Β 

Although the Neighborhood News first told our readers the story of this future connection about a year and a half ago (see map), crews are now actively building the new phase of K-Bar Ranch, and the collector road that will extend Wyndfields Blvd. south into the New Tampa development. For Union Park residents in particular, this means a new and more direct route into Tampa β€” and fewer bottlenecks on already-crowded roads. 

Turn lanes are currently being added along MB Rd. at the future K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. intersection (top photo), and a traffic signal will follow. The signal is required under the developer agreement and will help manage the increased traffic once the road opens.Β 

According to the K-Bar Ranch III CDD Preliminary Engineer’s Report (Jan. 2025), construction on the overall final build-out is planned to run from Mar. 2025 through December 2028, and is broken into two phases. 

Phase 1 includes 471 single-family homes, followed by 188 townhomes in Phase 2. Based on issued permits and the pace of construction, it’s likely the road connection will be completed before Phase 2 even begins β€” possibly even this year. 

In short, the long-anticipated direct connection between K-Bar Ranch, Union Park, Meadow Pointe and MB Rd. is now closer than ever. 

MB Rd. At Bonnet Hole Dr. 

Just north of Cory Lake Blvd. (less than two miles south of Cross Creek Blvd.), the Hillsborough County section of MB Rd. reopened the week of Christmas after a full closure that frustrated many residents β€” particularly those still remembering the road’s prolonged shutdown following Hurricane Milton in Oct. 2024. 

The Dec. 8-Dec. 22 closure was necessary to complete stormwater drainage repairs between Apache Dr. and Bonnet Hole Dr., as Hillsborough County explained in a public release. To put it plainly β€” collapsing and aging culverts under the roadway had to be fully replaced. 

Although only a small segment of MB Rd. was actually shut down, detours were lengthy due to the lack of alternative routes. During our communications, county officials acknowledged the inconvenience to residents. 

Typically, fully closing the road allows crews to complete the work much faster than staged lane closures would have, especially on two-lane roads where it’s harder to shift traffic and breakup the digging into two phases, due to limited space. 

Chris Wilkerson, senior media relations strategist for Hillsborough’s Public Works Dept., told us this single stormwater project cost approximately $240,000. When asked if more closures are coming, Wilkerson confirmed that two additional stormwater-related closures areΒ expected on MB Rd. in 2026 β€” one just north and one just south of the recent work area β€” so residents will need to keep an eye out for when those closures are announced.Β 

MB Rd. at Chancey Rd. (Pasco) 

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, the long-closed intersection of MB Rd. between S.R. 56 and Chancey Rd. finally reopened just before Christmas, ending months of detours and speculation about what went wrong. 

Despite early rumors of the closure being caused by a β€œsinkhole,” Pasco officials clarified that the issue was actually a damaged, buried 16-inch water main. When the main failed, it washed away soil beneath the roadway, creating a large underground void that looked like a sinkhole, but was not a traditional limestone collapse. 

The unexpected discovery of the water line β€” struck during routine work β€” complicated the repair. Replacement parts had to be specially ordered, delaying construction for months. Pasco officials had warned residents back on Sept. 19 that delivery and installation of the water main alone could take at least eight weeks, followed by another five to eight weeks to rebuild the road. 

In the end, the project was completed almost exactly within that extended timeframe. 

But, while the intersection is now open, some residents have been disappointed to see no new left-turn lanes added. According to Pasco officials, those improvements are part of a larger widening project that is still in development. 

The county’s current Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) list, adopted in June 2025, shows plans to widen MB Rd. to a four-lane divided roadway between S.R. 54 and S.R. 56. Construction is tentatively scheduled in two phases: 

2028 – From S.R. 54 south through the Chancey Rd. intersection 

2029 – From south of Chancey Rd. to S.R. 56 

Of course, the project has already been delayed once and timelines could change again. 

The Big Picture 

Taken together, these three intersections tell the story of MB Rd. today β€” a corridor under pressure from rapid growth, environmental challenges and aging infrastructure β€” but also one that’s steadily being improved. 

Some work is finished, some is still under way and more is coming in the next few years. For residents of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel alike, the changes along MB Rd. promise better connectivity in the long run, even as the short-term disruptions unfortunately continue. 

As always, the Neighborhood News will keep you updated with what’s happening with the MB Rd. corridor β€” one closure, one construction zone and one reopening at a time. 

β€˜American Fabric’ Film Being Produced In K-Bar Ranch!

A Local Gastroenterologist & Award-Winning Filmmaker Shoots A Short Film At Her New Tampa Home
(L.-r.) β€œAmerican Fabric” stars Hana Soomro (who plays Lina), Carina Conti (who plays Nila), and screenwriter, producer & director (and K-Bar Ranch resident ) Dr. Nyla Hazratjee at one of the location shoots for the short film that Hazratjee plans to submit to film festivals by May of this year.Β (Photo by Charmaine George)Β 

One young American woman of Muslim descent decides that she wants to start wearing a hijab (the Muslim head scarf), while another decides she doesn’t want to wear one anymore.

A discussion at the local mosque on Morris Bridge Rd.? Perhaps, but it’s also the basis of the story for β€œAmerican Fabric,” a short film being shot in part in the K-Bar Ranch community that is being directed by K-Bar resident and local gastroenterologist Dr. Nyla Hazratjee.

The promotional poster for β€œThe Persian Version,” the award-winning 2023 feature film for which Nyla was the executive producer.

Nyla, who also wrote the script for β€œAmerican Fabric,” is already an award-winning filmmaker. She was the executive producer of the full-length feature film β€œThe Persian Version,” a heartwarming β€œdramedy” that made its debut at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and ended up winning two prestigious awards there β€” the Audience Award for the U.S. Dramatic Competition and the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award for writer/director Maryan Keshavarz.

But, Nyla says that β€œAmerican Fabric” is her first foray into writing and directing a film herself and she called our office just a couple of days before we went to press with this issue to invite us to her home in K-Bar Ranch to take pictures and interview her. She told me that her short film, which she hopes to have completed in time for the domestic film festival season this spring and summer, is β€œreally about empowering women.”    

β€œI’m a producer by trade and also by personality,” Dr. Nyla Hazratjee told me following the first of three days of shooting for β€œAmerican Fabric,” the film she wrote and which represents her directorial debut. β€œI think lots of women are producers in their lives as well, so I think that led me to that part of the film industry.”

As for why she decided to direct this time around, she said, β€œI wrote the film and I knew what I wanted it to look like, so who else?”

As for the film’s subject matter β€” the decision by young Muslim women as to whether or not they want to wear the hijab, Nyla said, β€œI do wear the head scarf, but I didn’t always. And, I think every day I have to make the choice as to whether or not I want to keep wearing it. I know so many women who either didn’t wear it but started wearing it and so many more who did wear it and decided to not wear it anymore.”

But, she adds, that choice isn’t really what the film is about, β€œIt’s really about my body, my choice, and I believe that most women can relate to this kind of a story. It’s a personal story, but I believe it should have a wide relatability.”

This photo and the photos below are scenes from β€œAmerican Fabric.” (Photos by Charmaine George & Gary Nager)

She added, β€œMy body, my choice is about feminism but it isn’t just about taking it off, it’s also about putting it on β€” and that it’s really up to you what you do with your body. But, in women’s world, so many other people feel that they have agency over a woman’s agency.”

The two main characters in β€œAmerican Fabric” are Lina (played by Hana Soomro), a young model who decides during a photo shoot that she wants to start wearing a hijab, and Nila (played by Carina Conti), who is a hijabi who decides she wants to stop wearing hers. 

β€œThere’s a quiet acceptance that comes into these girls’ lives, as they come to their [separate] decisions,” Nyla says, β€œdespite all of the opposition that they’re receiving from their friends, their families, men…to say, β€˜This is what I want to do and I’m going to do it regardless.’”

Nyla, who is actually from Pakistan herself, said that part of her motivation to make β€œAmerican Fabric” was because, β€œWhat we call β€˜Brown Hollywood,’ or Muslim Hollywood, is made up of a diaspora (a group of people who share a cultural, religious or regional origin but who live outside of their traditional homelands) β€” so Muslim, Middle Eastern, North African and all of those other voices combined. So, when we meet each other, we meet as if we’re old friends. Some of the actors in this film are of Persian (from Iran) descent, some are Pakistani, some are Indian and some are not of that region at all.”

(l.-r.) Producer Nadia Cox, costume director Noor Hamid, hair & makeup artist Jess Marie, cinematographer Tian Liu, 1st assistant director Rebecca Saionz, Dr. Nyla Hazratjee, 2nd assistant director Chelsea Butz and production designer Tanya Kayani of β€œAmerican Fabric.” (Photo by Charmaine George)

She also is proud of the mix of ethnicities in her mostly female cast and crew. β€œOur cinematgrapher is Chinese American, our first assistant director (AD) is Caucasian…I think we have all of our bases covered as far as races are concerned. And, we’re also mostly a local Florida cast and crew.”

Nyla also gives a shout-out to the Tampa Bay Film Commission. β€œThey’ve been wonderful, super-helpful and they try very hard to accommodate the things that a filmmaker needs to make a film happen here. So, we’re super lucky.”

As for the film itself, Nyla said the names of the two female leads were chosen intentionally.

β€œOne is Nila and the other is Lina, so they’re like two sides of the same coin, even though they’re not at all the same personality-wise,” Nyla said. β€œBut, all of their experiences throughout the day, as we end up as this party, are similar, even though they come to very opposite decisions. But, isn’t that the female condition? That’s really what we want to show.”

She added that she definitely relates to both characters, β€œAnd I think that most women will relate to pieces of each one of those characters. And that’s what I’m really hoping for.”

  Nyla also said that now that production of the film has wrapped, she has a wonderful, experienced, super-talented film editor, originally from Egypt, and she expects that it will take β€œabout a month, if we’re really good about it,” to edit the film. β€œWe really want to catch the film festival season, which starts about April/May, so that we can take it to all women-centric festivals, all Muslim-centric festivals, all Florida festivals, hopefully some international festivals and some of the major festivals that we will do our best to get into. We’re excited about pushing the story and getting as many people as possible to experience this film.”

Nyla also has a nonprofit film production company called NY/LA Productions, which is, β€œa female-driven, female-centric production company which produces and promotes films with female and Muslimeen (female Muslim) voices. β€œWe look for funding from federal and local grants, as well as local donors,” she said. β€œWe just received an $8,000 grant from a nonprofit charity called β€˜200 Muslim Women Who Care,’ which is based here in Tampa Bay.”

She also noted that NY/LA Productions also promotes, produces and develops β€œprojects in the making, finished projects that need to be promoted, and invite audiences to view them.”

Nyla also mentioned working with a University of Florida professor named Iman Zawahry, who directed β€œAmericanish,” a 2021 feature film that NY/LA Productions helped bring to the Tampa Theatre for a screening with about 400 people who attended, β€œand β€˜Americanish’ has been acquired for release by several screening services, which is really great for them,” Nyla says. β€œIman’s been a great mentor for me and other young and aspiring filmmakers.” 

She added, β€œWe do often get scripts sent to us and we see if they fit what we’re trying to do. And, if they’re in line with our ideas and goals, we are happy to help.” 

As for how β€œAmerican Fabric” will be distributed, Nyla said, β€œShort films are tough for distribution, but there are now some streaming services that will acquire short films, including WeShort and Hollywood Just4Shorts, to get short films to a greater audience. HBO does acquire some shorts and we will try our best to find a place to distribute it. Otherwise, I’m sure we can find somebody to acquire us for a streamer. And, there’s always YouTube and Vimeo. The film also will be available to anyone who goes to our website,Β NY-LA-Production.org.”

As for how this married, busy mom-of-two gastroenterologist finds the time for the film business, she says, β€œI don’t know, midnight-4 a,m.? When you have a passion for something, you find the time. Where there’s a will, there’s a way, right?”

Update – Morris Bridge Rd. Has Reopened!

Although, as of the day this issue went to press, Morris Bridge Rd. between Cross Creek Blvd. and S.R. 56 was still closed (as it has been since Hurricane Milton blew through our area on Oct. 9-10), based on my conversations with more than one Hillsborough County Sheriff ’s Office (HCSO) deputy on duty at the Hillsborough side of the closure, the road itself and a storm drain in that segment were both damaged by the storm. 

The second deputy I spoke with said that despite reports that the road would reopen by sometime between Oct. 30-Nov. 4, he had no idea when the storm drain repairs would be completed or how long that segment of Morris Bridge Rd. would remain closed (top photo). 

K-Bar Ranch residents who normally take Morris Bridge Rd. to work and/or take their kids to and from school were still being diverted away from Morris Bridge at our press time, but the hope here is that they would be able to resume using the two-lane roadway by the time this issue reached your mailbox, but there were no guarantees. Morris Bridge Rd. is already a dangerous place to drive because of people attempting to pass slower-moving vehicles, so please don’t make the situation worse by ignoring or attempting to move the barricades. 

Flatwoods Park Reopens, But… 

Speaking of damage from Milton, both entrances (at 18205 Bruce B. Downs Blvd. at 14302 Morris Bridge Rd.) to the Wilderness Conservation Park Flatwoods Site (aka β€œFlatwoods Park,” bottom photo) reopened on Oct. 25, even though other county parks along or off Morris Bridge Rd. in the Lower Hillsborough Wildlife Management Area β€” including Dead River Park and Trout Creek Conservation Park β€” remained closed at our press time. 

While Flatwoods Park itself is now fully passable along the 7-mile paved loop from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and 8.25-mile loop from Morris Bridge Rd., park ranger Matthew Parejko said on Nov. 3 that many of the hiking and off-road biking portions of the park were β€œstill not safe to use due to damage from Milton” nearly three weeks after the storm. 

A little south and east of Flatwoods, Morris Bridge Park (13630 Morris Bridge Rd.), best known for fishing along the Hillsborough River, also has reopened, although most of the areas closest to the river also remain unusable due to damage from Milton. 

For more information about Flatwoods and the other parks along Morris Bridge Rd., call (813) 426-5583. There is a regularly updated recorded message and the park rangers do return calls, too. 

Tampa City Council Approves Funding For K-Bar Park Design!Β 

As we reported last issue, K-Bar Ranch is getting a 60-acre City of Tampa park and one that District 7 Tampa City Council member (and New Tampa resident) Luis Viera (photo, left) has said he hopes will include a cricket pitch as one of its amenities.Β 

At that meeting with about 50-60 residents (most, but not all of whom live in K-Bar Ranch) on Aug. 7, Viera said that he hoped and expected that the funding for the design of the park to be included in the city’s Fiscal 2025 budget. 

Well, on Sept. 5, the City Council did approve the roughly $1 million needed for the park’s design upon first reading of the city’s budget and Viera is thankful not only for the item passing its first muster, but also for the support of District 67 State Representative and State House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell (who also attended the resident meeting on Aug. 7). Leader Driskell wrote a letter (in the far right column) to the City Council members on Sept. 3 to let them know that she is β€œin strong support of the FY25 budget design money for the K-Bar Ranch Park.” 

Viera then went on his Facebook page to thank Driskell β€œfor your advocacy in support” of the park design funding. β€œRep. Driskell has been on the front line advocating not only for this park in the budget, but for a cricket component to this park…Thank you, Rep. Driskell for your advocacy for this budget item.” 

And of course, Viera also noted in his Facebook message that, β€œWe have about 60 acres available β€” with a great deal of conservation space and a park, as well as potentially a fire-station long-term,” even though Tampa Fire Rescue Fire Chief Barbara Tripp has yet to express her support for a full fire station in K-Bar, at the park site or otherwise. 

At the Aug. 7 resident meeting, Brad Suder, the superintendent of the city’s planning design natural resources division, said that once the design money becomes available β€” most likely sometime in late November β€” the city will be able to hire a consultant to work with and the public participating in the design process could begin. The second reading of the budget is scheduled for Thursday, September 19 β€” or a couple of days (or so) after this issue arrives in your mailbox.