Historic Old Northeast Neighborhood Association
att: Chris Eaton
833 Oak St. NE
St. Petersburg, FL 33701


Dear Ladies and Gentlemen,

There is good reason for this: a hurricane evacuation route is needed to save thousands of lives in the event of a dangerous storm. To that noble end we are planning to smash the southern end of your neighborhood to extend Interstate I-375 west all the way to downtown Tampa. To get you to agree to an expressway on your southern border (and minus more than a few condemned homes and offices); in compensation, your property values will improve. We will offer to sound insulate affected homes and businesses at our expense and compensate home sellers for any drop in home value from historic trends.
The area being disturbed is already noisy from downtown traffic, but we plan a COVERED expressway at ground level to muffle all noise. The covering will have sound-deadening insulation, a ventilation system to control air pollution, and vibration-free pavement. As it stands now, your neighborhood looks to be the only one affected.

The 43 Bridge will likely also bring light rail and high speed rail in addition to four lanes of traffic over the bay. When Mac Dill Field on our side of the bay becomes a commercial airport, you will be one exit away from it.

We hope to be the best neighbors you ever had. Give us a shout and we will send someone over to talk to your group. The ?’43 Bridge Project is planning to extend I-375 across Tampa Bay to Port Tampa to hook up with the Lee Roy Selmon Expressway with a beautiful bridge or tunnel. Please check out our website at

WWW.43Bridge.com

Yours in service,
Bubba Nicholson

Thank You

Bubba,
Because Chris is currently out of the Country, I am responding to your message as President of HONNA for 2003. Thank you for your offer to come speak to us. If this project receives consideration at the City/County/Metropolitan Planning Organization/State level, we will pursue it further. Residents currently interested in learning more about Bubba's proposal can access a recent St. Petersburg Times article at the following link:

http://www.sptimes.com/2002/10/31/TampaBay/Another_Tampa_Bay_bri.shtml

Best Regards,
Julie Turner

new bridge

Now let me get this straight, a bridge from Interbay/Port Tampa to Downtown St. Pete through Historic Old Northeast. The Bridge will help those Tampa residents reach our museums, art galleries, downtown restaurants and nightlife, and beautiful waterfront and beaches; and we will have greater access to ... uh ... I think there is a tackle shop over there. Bubba, while we think it over, go ahead and send over the down payment on the $350 Million necessary to build the bridge. Thanks for the idea and save some of what you are smoking for me.

The Pinellas MPO is interested

We're in preliminary discussions, however there is no opposition in Pinellas County so far.

I have presented the proposal to the Agency on Bay Management and have two appointments with Hillsborough County commissioners next week.

Unless there is some compelling reason to save your neighborhood's southern edge, the bridge will be coming through it.

The area to be demolished appears from my casual inspection to be an area ''in transition'' from residential to commercial use. If we are careful in building this, we can put an end to further commercial development and improve your neighborhood significantly.

In response to the other response: Yes, all we have over here is a bait shop, but it is a very good bait shop. Steven Spielberg once asked me ''Are you on drugs? What are you taking!'' To which Ann Richards smiled shyly and interjected: ''I don't know, but I want some.'' Those projects worked out, this one will, too.