Although crime in Ybor City has gone down precipitously over the past eight years, the perception stubbornly remains that the historic district is dangerous, and a couple of violent incidents at hip-hop clubs within six weeks of each other last fall didn't exactly boost the spirits of the Ybor City Chamber of Commerce.
So Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn, speaking at the Chamber's luncheon at the Columbia Restaurant on Tuesday, did some spirit-boosting of his own. He praised the diversity of the district and promised to make life difficult for any businesses that don't play by the rules — using as his prime example the notorious Club Empire, which closed after the shooting death of a 20-year-old man there in October.
"Part of my decision to use my pulpit is to go out there and preach the message of Ybor City," the mayor told the audience at the Columbia. "We dealt with Empire. It was long overdue," he said to a large round of applause.
Emphasizing his tough-on-crime reputation, Buckhorn said, "Those businesses who choose to disregard the rules and regulations and in pursuit of profits destroy what we have worked so hard to build in Ybor City. We're coming after ya. We are coming after ya. And I am not going to tolerate — you all have worked too hard to build this community into what it is."
He said he knew it was a struggle for some of the businesses in the district, but promised, "We're not going to let those who choose to flaunt common decency, in pursuit of profits, destroy what all of you have done. Empire needed to be closed a long time ago, and anybody else who engages in that kind of behavior, we are coming after you. Period. End of discussion."
The mayor kept mostly to familiar talking points in his 20-minute speech at the Columbia, which included, as all of his presentations do these days, a reference to the upcoming Republican National Convention — and tough talk for anyone planning to disrupt it.
This article appears in Jan 5-11, 2012.