TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa is stepping up its effort to renew the northern part of downtown. While the areas around Channelside and Water Street have seen enormous growth over the last decade, the area in the north part of downtown is still filled with vacant lots and urban blight.

Thursday, the Tampa Downtown Partnership heard from one of the foremost experts in city planning on how to bring the area up to par with the rest of downtown.

What they're saying:

The owner of a new local coffee shop said he is glad to be in on the area's growth from the very beginning.

"We are just at the cusp of what is to come," said Jordan Copher of Late Start Brewing on Cass Street. "We've got our own neighborhood that's only half developed."

Dig deeper:

To be sure, there are already new developments goi

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