Even though Tampa’s downtown skyline hasn’t changed in 8 years, a lot of good is happening. The infrastructure renovations of downtown Tampa is going full speed ahead. Things that are often hidden below the streets but need to be financed and addressed. You have to have the foundation before we can expand into new basic need developments. A full throttle ahead idealism has an increased community awareness with the continued Tampa Riverwalk Project. Finished paved segments connecting the Port of Tampa all the way around downtown riverfront to anticipated end at the North Blvd. old Tampa Armature Bldg.

A recent $11 million Federal grant from the U.S. Dept of Transportation will help increase the speed to finalize the planned 30 year on going progress of the downtown attraction. A completion date 2015 is now set. Obstacles are of course a dilemma at Kennedy Blvd bridge and the Hillsborough River. Building an under the bridge pedestrian Riverwalk pathway is going to have to be creative and of course eye appealing. Watch for more segments along the Riverwalk project being completed in months to come.

On another Tampa redevelopment story, a very memorable landmark site to Tampa has been demolished this week in West Tampa. The 15,000 square foot West Tampa Convention Center has been razed and is changing from community forum center, political rally stop, Anniversary & birthday party venue and a place for the Tampa GLBT Community Center events in the 1990’s. The cleared land site will become a new Dollar General store. The 40 year old Columbus Ave. sparkle of Centro Espanol de Tampa, the Spanish/ Cuban community center for the West Tampa cigar factory workers, activities center was to much for the diminished mutual aid society.

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Metro Launches New YouTube.com Video Campaign to Bring New Awareness to HIV(Tampa Bay, FL) April 25, 2013 – Metro Wellness and Community Centers celebrates 20 years of serving the community this year. Since the organization’s founding it has been on a mission to provide compassionate HIV/AIDS Services, health and wellness programs and social networking opportunities to enhance the quality of life. “We dream of a world that is free of HIV and AIDS, but until that happens, we are dedicated to setting the highest standards and providing the highest quality of services to all infected and affected by HIV/AIDS,” says Lorraine Langlois, CEO.

At the end of 2010, 95,335 Florida residents were known to be living with HIV/AIDS. In 2010, 5,022 adults and 20 young (age <13) Floridians were newly diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in Florida. Florida ranked second among states in the estimated number of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) cases diagnosed in 2009 (most recent year available for US data). That year, a total of 4,392 AIDS cases were diagnosed in Florida.

Data statements such as those above, the guiding principles of the National HIV/AIDS Strategy (NHAS), High‐Impact Prevention (HIP), and the need to reduce the number of new HIV infections, are the forces that drive the state’s community planning process along with Metro’s efforts to educate the community on the seriousness of the disease and help prevent new infections.

Although the AIDS epidemic is widespread throughout Florida, the majority of cases were reported from eight counties: Broward, Duval, Hillsborough, Miami‐Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pinellas and St. Lucie, all reporting 100+ cases in 2010. These eight counties reported a combined total of 2,551 cases, or 74% of Florida’s total reported cases in 2010 (N=3,461).[i]

In a new video project, titled “The Raw Facts on Bareback Sex”, Metro seeks to address the spread of HIV as part of its larger prevention program including the Expanded Testing Initiative, City Mix and Healthy Men Unleashed (HMU) which are geared toward gay and bisexual men, Young M.I.N.D.S. (Minorities Identifying Necessary Decisions for Safety) which educates and increases awareness among those 18-24, METRO² (Minority Empowerment Through Risk-Reduction and Outreach), WEST (Women Empowered Standing Tall) and others. The videos will help reach a new audience that is engaged by social media. In a series of 7 video clips, a diverse group of members from the community helped the organization in direct HIV prevention messages.

To view the videos visit http://www.youtube.com/user/MetroWellCtr/videos and click on “Raw Facts on Bareback Sex”. The videos will be shown through Metro’s social networking sites including www.facebook.com/healthymenunleashed and https://www.facebook.com/metrowellness.

The video project was produced, filmed and edited by Swell Fella Productions in St. Petersburg, FL on site at the Metro Center in St. Petersburg. A special thank you goes out to Jeffrey Klein (producer and editor), Daiv Russell (film crew and actor), Jeremy Westrate (film crew), Richard R. Anasky (film crew), Christopher Tate (actor), Adam Jahr (actor), Shirlene Lightsey-Manuel (actor), Sister Monica Muffdiver of the Tampa Bay Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence (actor), Erin Brennan (actor) and Leo Gallego (actor).

Metropolitan Charities, Inc. d/b/a Metro Wellness and Community Centers is a 501(c)3 organization committed to providing premier HIV services, social networking, and other health and wellness programs that enhance the quality of life. The organization strives to promote a healthy environment for all and to foster diversity within the community as a whole regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or economic status.

Media Contact:
Metro Wellness & Community Centers
Chris Rudisill
Director of LGBT Community Center Services
Phone: 727-321-3854 ext. 238
Email: chrisr@metrotampabay.org
www.MetroTampaBay.org