Wimauma Downtown Revitalization Action Plan
Wimauma Downtown Revitalization Action Plan
Award of Excellence
2023 APA Florida Project Award - Neighborhood Planning
About this project
Wimauma, founded in 1902 along a railroad route, has experienced significant change over the years. Stories from the past bring forth visions of a Mayberry-like community complete with soda shops, corner gas stations, and the sound of ringing church bells. Wimauma was a community where everyone knew everyone, and families established roots for decades. Today, Wimauma is a diverse community. Agriculture remains a main source of jobs and family-owned taquerias and small businesses line Wimauma’s main thoroughfare, State Road 674.
In 2007, Hillsborough County worked with residents and community partners to create a Wimauma Community Plan. The plan was developed embracing the priorities of safety, its traditional small town character, clustered housing, preservation of native habitats, recreational opportunities, and developing commercial opportunities. However, Wimauma’s demographics and population has changed since 2007.
The residents in Wimauma’s downtown area have an annual median income (AMI) of $25-34K which means many are living in poverty according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s definition. However, in just a three-mile radius of Wimauma’s downtown, the AMI jumps to $50-74K and is characterized by new subdivisions and a surge of new residents.
Like the rest of Hillsborough County, Wimauma is experiencing a population boom. The town, which has over 16,000 residents, is on pace to double in population over the next 20 years. Smart planning and steady development will create a structure to support long term prosperity.
Therefore, in 2020, the Wimauma Community Plan was updated through a community driven process. The updated Plan was adopted in the Comprehensive Plan Livable Communities Element and changes to support the Plan were made to the Land Development Code. The update and adoption of the Community Plan was the first step in codifying and establishing the vision of the Community.
With their sights on a lively, safe, and connected downtown Wimauma, community leaders in partnership with the County, non-profit organizations, and the Florida Department of Transportation wanted to create a sense of place in south Hillsborough County, a destination rich in diversity.
Hillsborough County works with Wimauma residents to support its community building efforts. The County’s Community & Infrastructure Planning Department combines key principles of land use and infrastructure planning and has been a resource to this community as it works to revitalize Wimauma’s Village Center and improve access to infrastructure and public amenities.
In 2022, Hillsborough County partnered with the University of South Florida, Urban3 Consulting, and formulated a community empowerment group to draft the Wimauma Downtown Revitalization Action Plan. The Action Plan’s purpose is to create a vibrant downtown for Wimauma, one that could become a path to economic prosperity for the entire community.
The Plan lays out the foundational sequence of specific steps that will help the community to move forward to make their larger vision a success. As steps are taken to make it a reality, Hillsborough County continues to engage and empower Wimauma residents and community leaders every step of the way to ensure diversity and balanced growth and development.