Every 8–12 years, the Tampa City Council and Mayor form a Charter Review Advisory Commission to review and update the city’s governing charter — the document that defines how our city government operates.
District 7 City Councilman Luis Viera appointed me to represent New Tampa on that commission.
His only instruction to me was simple: Use your best judgment and do a good job.
I took that responsibility seriously.
And I’m proud to say we did something monumental.
We made Tampa’s city government more accountable, more transparent and more responsive to the people it serves.
People have every right to question government. In fact, they should.
That’s why I helped champion the creation of Tampa’s first-ever Inspector General.
The Inspector General (IG) will have the independence to investigate allegations of (governmental) corruption and wrongdoing without political interference or favor. The IG will be selected by a distinguished panel that includes the State Attorney, Public Defender, Chief Judge of the 13th Judicial Circuit, Mayor, City Council and others.
Why does that matter?
Because while the City Council has the authority to investigate allegations of wrongdoing, it has no dedicated budget to conduct those investigations. And, when elected officials investigate elected officials, there can always be questions about political motivation.
The Inspector General changes that.
It puts an independent watchdog inside Tampa’s system of government whose job it is to follow the facts and protect the public interest.
Only a handful of cities in Florida — including Doral and Jacksonville — have an Inspector General. Tampa is about to join them.
Alan Cohn (front left) sits on Tampa’s Charter Review Advisory Commission, which is helping the city update its charter & creating an independent Inspector General position. (Photo provided by Alan Cohn)
But, we didn’t stop there.
We also delivered a major win for the residents of New Tampa.
For years, Councilman Viera has fought to secure funding for parks, playgrounds, infrastructure and other projects our community needs.
But, getting funding approved doesn’t necessarily mean a project gets built.
Too often, residents are left wondering: What happened to that project? When will it be completed? Why is it delayed?
That’s changing.
We’ve created a new transparency system requiring the city to provide an annual progress report on major capital improvement projects — including their current status, delays or problems and anticipated completion dates.
If taxpayers are funding it, they deserve to know what’s happening with it.
That’s what good government looks like.
We made other important changes as well, and I look forward to sharing more about them soon.
The final changes to the city charter have now been approved and sent to the City Council and Mayor. They will ultimately go before Tampa voters next spring.
I’m especially grateful to Councilman Viera for choosing me, trusting me and giving me the opportunity to fight for the people of New Tampa.
He asked me to use my best judgment and do a good job.
And I think we did.
And, this is exactly the kind of government I believe Tampa deserves: independent, transparent, accountable, and always working for the people.
Alan Cohn is New Tampa’s appointed representative on Tampa’s Charter Review Advisory Commission and a candidate for Tampa City Council, District 7
So, this year’s Dining Survey & Contest is all new! For another chance to win, tell us your Favorite Pizza PlaceAND your Favorite Latin (but NOT Mexican) Restaurant in New Tampa or Wesley Chapel HERE.
Submit a correctly filled-out form HERE and you’ll be entered into a random drawing to win up to $200 in FREE dining at the restaurant of your choice located ANYWHERE in the Tampa Bay area!
Here is what you need to know to enter this year’s Survey & Contest:
In order to be considered to win any of this year’s five dining prizes, you must write the names of both your favorite Pizza and Latin restaurants in the entry form HERE!
HERE ARE OUR OTHER RULES!
1)Please look up the restaurant zip code or location to see if it qualifies as a Wesley Chapel or New Tampa restaurant.
2) In order for your votes to count and help your favorite restaurants, you must include your real first AND last name, the community you live in (Lexington Oaks, Epperson, etc.), your daytime phone number where I can reach you (which I will only do if your name is selected to win a prize) and your valid email address.
3) This year’s prizes are again FREE dining at any restaurant YOU choose anywhere in the Tampa Bay area, including the Grand Prize of $200, as well as prizes of $100, $75, $50 & $25.
New Tampa Has Become A Haven For Indian Food — Now With 11 Restaurants Serving Cuisine From Every Region Of India!
When I first bought Neighborhood News in 1994, there were no Indian restaurants in zip code 33647. The first was Saffron on Cross Creek Blvd., which moved and then closed. Minerva in the New Tampa Center plaza on Bruce B. Downs was the second and there were only two or three for several years.
Today, with the growth of the local Indian population, there are now eleven Indian restaurants in New Tampa, all of which are listed on this page. On the next page, you’ll find the list of the nine restaurants in New Tampa that serve Mediterranean/Middle Eastern food or at least serve Halal meat options.
Next issue, we will provide the same type of list of the Indian & Mediterranean restaurants in Wesley Chapel. — GN
Ambarsari Zaika Indian Cuisine — 10865 Cross Creek Blvd., in Mobil gas station convenience store. (656) 239-2813 Linktr.ee/AmbariZaikaTampa
Pure veg, Sattvic- & Jain-friendly meals with bold, rotating menus. Ghar jaisa khaana, made fresh daily. Live pani puri. Chaat, Amritsari Kulcha, Paranthas
Dosa Hut — 10942 Cross Creek Blvd. (813) 886-4555. GaramDosaHut.com
Casual South Indian eatery featuring crispy dosas and other breakfast staples, plus a vegan menu.
Authentic taste of Indian street cuisine with a fresh, vegetarian focus. Serves a range of flavorful dishes like chaat, samosa sandwiches, pav bhaji & Bombay sandwiches. Also serve unique Indian ice creams and fruit shakes.
Pakistani restaurant with meat curries, veg curries, kabobs, biryanis and some appetizers & desserts.
Minerva Indian Restaurant — 19050 Bruce B Downs Blvd. (813) 978-8586. MinervaTampa.com
Known for specialties like Gongura Chicken, Masala Dosa, and Onion Wada, this restaurant focuses on Halal and spicy dishes, plus a daily-changing lunch buffet.
Namaste Express — 17503 Preserve Walk Ln., Ste B. (813) 866-1300. Namastexp.com
Casual eatery for authentic dishes of South Indian cuisine, also offering vegan choices.
Nawabi Hyderabad House — 15345 Amberly Dr. (813) 443-0198. Nawabihhtampa.com
Growing chain of Indian restaurants known for authentic Hyderabadi cuisine, with a menu that showcases the flavors and spices of the Indian city of Hyderabad. Also known for its variety of biryanis.
Taaza Mart Café — 6260 Commerce Palms Dr. (inside Taaza Mart grocery store). (813) 564-8100. TaazaMartFL.com
Indian & Pakistani store featuring fresh produce, spices, sweets and Halal meat, the café offers a variety of hot Indian foods, prepared fresh daily.
Chef Luca Ammirati and his wife Erika are closing Frammi, the authentic Italian & American restaurant on BBD Blvd. on Aug. 22, but are reopening it by sometime in Nov. in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms. In the meantime, Luca wants to teach you how to make delicious parmigiana di melanzana (eggplant parmigiana, bottom left) and semi-spicy, al dente rigatoni amatriciana (bottom right) like he does — without burning down your house! (Photos by Charmaine George)
So, here’s a little bad news-wonderful news situation for you.
First, the bad news: Luca and Erika Ammirati, the owners of Frammi — the authentic Italian & American restaurant previously known as Oakley’s Grille — are closing their location at 17631 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in North Palms Village as of Saturday, August 22.
The amazing news is that Luca and Erika will reopen Frammi at 15363 Amberly Dr., in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms (hopefully) by sometime in November of this year.
I met Luca at the new location just before we went to press with this issue and although the space between the Tampa City Ballet and the Tae Kwon Do studios in the plaza was still an empty shell, Luca was meeting with his engineers to finalize the plans for the new Frammi’s layout that same day, and he believes “It won’t take too long to get the new Frammi open,” he said. “And it’s a larger space, so we will have room for a bar and more tables.”
That’s great news, as is the fact that the new Frammi will expand Luca’s already-extensive menu of authentic Italian favorites.
“But, other than the burgers (right), we will not be bringing the rest of the American menu from the old Oakley’s Grille with us,” he said.
Please note that for the few days to a week of time between when you receive this issue and Aug. 22, the original Frammi (which the Ammiratis took over in 2018 and renamed in 2022) will still be open every day, serving both Luca’s authentic Southern and Erika’s equally legit Northern Italian specialties — as well as the fajita tacos, chicken sandwiches and more that made Oakley’s so popular. “And, I will still have chicken at the new location, so if you want a fried chicken sandwich, we can still help you.”
Cooking Lessons & Private Chef Service
In the 2-3 months’ time between Frammi’s closing and the new restaurant’s opening, Luca says he is offering both “Cooking Classes with the Chef” and “Private Chef Experiences.”
Jannah and I are already getting a group of ten people together to take lessons from Luca.
For just $50 per person, each guest will learn how to make two different pasta dishes (but not how to make the fresh pasta) and Luca will provide all of the ingredients and pair each pasta with a different Italian wine, as part of a full meal. Please note that for the cooking class, since Frammi will be closed, you will have to provide the kitchen for Luca and that ten people is the magic number for that $50-per-person price.
Want more? Luca also is now offering a two-hour “Private Chef Experience” for up to four people for just $200. It includes two hours of Luca’s time preparing and serving your food in your home, but the ingredients for your private meal will be charged separately.
Either way, if you’ve ever had Luca’s pasta, you know that both of these are well worth it!
For more info or for reservations for the last day of the current Frammi (Aug. 22), call (813) 523-5075 or visit Frammi.com. For cooking lessons & private chef services, call Chef Luca’s cell at (813) 775-8279. — GN
(l.-r.) Tampa’s mobility director Brandon Campbell, Mayor Castor, City Council chair Alan Clendenin, Viera & longtime West Meadows resident Brad van Rooyen in front of New Tampa Blvd. The dark gray strip is the first piece of the roadway to be resurfaced.
Note – we are aware that the resurfacing of New Tampa Blvd. is progressing nicely and is much further along than what appears in this story. The following story was written when the project had just begun the day before.
When I attended the official groundbreaking ceremony for the resurfacing of a 1.8-mile stretch of New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows on Aug. 5, I was thrilled to see that one of District 7 Tampa City Council member (and New Tampa resident) Luis Viera’s most ardently-pushed projects was finally coming to fruition.
“There are a few projects left that I am still working to get done before I leave office on Nov. 2,” Viera told me after the ceremony also attended by Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Viera’s fellow City Council member and chair Alan Clendenin, City of Tampa Mobility Department director Brandon Campbell and long-time West Meadows resident Brad van Rooyen. “But finally getting New Tampa Blvd. repaved has definitely been one of my top priorities.”
But, with the first New Tampa Blvd. repaving already having started the day before the groundbreaking event, all of the day’s speakers were thrilled to get this project finally started.
“Since the loss of the All For Transportation sales surtax,” Mayor Castor said, “which would have been a great source of funding for paving projects like this throughout our city, we’ve had to look at other options. We’ve used a lot of our General Fund we’ve put into paving projects. We’re also looking at our regional infrastructure accelerator and some other ways to not only solve our transportation issues, but also the safety and conditions of our roads.”
She lauded the work of the city’s two in-house paving crews, which she said, “They can do our [paving] work at about half the price in about half the time [of using an outside contractor], so they’ve been doing a really great job.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor & Dist. 7 City Councilman Luis Viera at the groundbreaking event for the resurfacing of New Tampa Blvd. in West Meadows on Aug. 5.
Mayor Castor also noted that, “We set a record in the City of Tampa last year, paving over 80 miles of roadways. But, even though that doesn’t begin to address the needs of our community, it really shows that we are focused on paving our streets.”
She also complimented the city’s “Fix It Fast” program. “Anyone that sees a pothole in a roadway, signs being down, anything like that, if you call, the goal is within 72 hours to fix that. And, most of them are done in 48 hours.”
And finally, she said, “One of the things we’ve been very intentional about is making sure that we’re hitting every single neighborhood. If anybody has a question about our paving progress and what roads we intend to pave in the future, go to Tampa.gov. There’s a map that shows all of the paving that’s been done and the streets we’re going to hit in the future.”
She also noted, however, that while “it’s an inconvenience for our driving public to go over bumpy roads and potholes, for us, as that road deteriorates, it goes from a simple paving job to a rebuilding job. Every road in the city is graded, and we are hitting the worst first.”
When introducing Viera, the Mayor said, “Short of jumping up on my desk with a map of New Tampa Blvd. saying ‘Pave this or else,’ he has been on this project relentlessly. So, I want to say thank you to Luis and his persistence and for really being a champion for New Tampa.”
Viera started his comments by saying that, “Since I’ve been in office, with K-Bar Ranch forthcoming, we’ve gotten about $20 million in new parks funding for New Tampa alone and about 80% of that has been in partnership between City Council and Mayor Castor, who has proven herself to be, in my time, not just a good person, but a real supporter of New Tampa.”
And of course, Luis reiterated his slogan that New Tampa “is the Alaska of Tampa. Most of the people in New Tampa aren’t from Tampa. They’re from up north and different parts of the world. We’re religiously and culturally diverse and all we want are safe neighborhoods and just the basics. This project is a very big win for New Tampa.”
Viera also mentioned that he and van Rooyen “went to high school together. Brad helped me out on my first campaign and since I got elected, this road has been his Moby Dick and he is Captain Ahab. He is obsessed with this road because he’s a community leader here in West Meadows and he’s a wonderful person and a good friend and a great family man.”
Next, Viera introduced Clendenin, whom he called, “a good friend, a good and decent person and a great community leader.”
The Council chair started his comments by saying, “To say that Councilman Viera is a champion for New Tampa would be the biggest understatement anyone at this [event] would make today. I’ve never met anyone as passionate about his community as Councilman Viera has been about New Tampa serving on City Council.”
“[Since] we started this, we have exponentially increased our paving budget,” Clendenin said. “Working with the administration, we have doubled our in-house paving crew. If you drive around the city, you see paving projects in every corner of the city. So, wherever you live in the City of Tampa, [your streets] are on our radar.”
He added that, “We’re making up for decades and decades of neglect of the roads not being paved. So, this isn’t a problem solved in one, two or three years; it’s a much longer-term project, but we will get to those roads.
“There’s a commitment on City Council and the administration to make sure we have the funding and the other six people I sit with on City Council are absolutely committed to improving the city’s infrastructure.
“I’m happy for New Tampa for this accomplishment. This is the first, not the last. And, we look forward to continuing this momentum.”
Up next was Campbell, who said that, “You’ll probably notice that the contractor is not out here today because this road carries about 12,000 cars a day, which hopefully means that we’ll have 12,000 happy customers at the end of this project. But, it also means that they’re doing most of their work at night.”
Campbell also noted that along with New Tampa Blvd., “we recently repaved Commerce Palms and Compton Dr. as well — and that really just highlights our commitment to not only New Tampa, but to all areas of the city.”
He added that, “So, far this year, we’re at about 30 lane miles of resurfacing and this project will ad three-and-a-half more lane miles to that bank as we make our way towards last year’s record of 80 lane miles being resurfaced. Since 2019, we have resurfaced over 330 lane miles throughout the city, which I think is a testament to the commitment from the Mayor, City Council and my department.”
The final speaker was van Rooyen, the president of The Promenade at West Meadows Homeowners Assn. “and I previously served as president of the West Meadows Property Owners Association. I also served three four-year terms on our Community Development District.
“I have lived here for 22 years and I honestly thought this project was never going to happen. But, while Marvel has Captain America, we finally got ‘Capt. New Tampa,’ Luis Viera.
“I want to thank Luis for listening to us. He’s stayed engaged with the community. He heard our concerns and he advocated for us.
“New Tampa asks for very little of the city. We have homeowners associations and CDDs who take care of our infrastructure, so all we ask for from the city are safe roads, mobility and public safety — and this is the first administration that has heard our concerns. So, thank you to the Mayor, City Council and city staff for making this project a reality.”
Viera has since posted that now with New Tampa Blvd. underway, “Before I leave Council, I hope to see the ‘cut-through’ finally being open for K-Bar Ranch, formal passage of $8 million for the historic K-Bar Ranch park, passage of our Public Safety Master Plan ordinance and some progress on provisional funding for a New Tampa Police Substation presence.”
