Conservation Florida President and CEO Traci Deen joins TBD Podcast to explain how Florida can handle explosive population growth while protecting the state parks, water, wildlife corridors, farms, ranches, and wild places that make Florida unique.

0:00 - Intro

1:41 - State park development controversy

10:06 - Florida's explosive population growth

17:16 - Balancing growth and conservation

31:02 - Data centers spark political debate

36:50 - Polk County conservation tax referendum

49:17 - Choosing which land to protect

54:42 - Military and ranching partnerships

1:00:35 - Turning stormwater ponds into parks

1:22:04 - Florida's story and culture

Tampa Terrence joins the TBD Podcast to reveal how he became one of Tampa’s biggest social media personalities, found the viral “Lieutenant Dan” during the hurricanes, ran the Boston Marathon barefoot, and ended up traveling across America working with Jake Paul.

00:00 Intro

02:50 Lieutenant Dan goes viral

14:02 University of Tampa series

18:44 Why he goes barefoot

21:17 Barefoot Boston Marathon

28:00 Jake Paul RV summer

38:25 What's next for Terrance

43:53 Tampa history and growth

51:25 Ybor City's future

1:05:43 Running for city council

Tampa entrepreneur Ed Buckley joins Garrett Greco to break down how Water Street transformed downtown Tampa, why Channelside struggled to create the same energy, what Gasworx could become next, and how walkability, restaurants, high-paying jobs, startups, and private investment are reshaping the city.

00:00 Intro

03:06 AI models and personalities

13:32 PureFit's college origins

24:14 Water Street and downtown Tampa

39:21 Rays stadium public funding

51:02 Dubai and the UAE

57:36 America's sovereign wealth fund

1:10:54 Tokyo and Japanese culture

1:44:45 Selling to Peloton

1:49:46 Scholar and education tech

Tampa Electric CEO Archie Collins joins Garrett Greco on TBD Podcast Episode 201 to explain why Florida electric bills have risen, how Tampa Electric sets rates, what AI and data centers mean for the power grid, and the future of solar, nuclear energy, hurricane resiliency, and electricity in Tampa Bay.

They discuss:

◼️ Why electric bills have increased and how investments in generation, storm recovery, fuel, and a stronger power grid ultimately affect what Tampa Electric customers pay

◼️ How Tampa Electric is using solar, natural gas, backup coal generation, underground power lines, and self-healing grid technology to make Tampa Bay’s electricity system more reliable

◼️ Why AI and massive data centers are creating unprecedented electricity demand, and why Florida law requires those data centers to pay the costs of the new infrastructure they require

◼️ How Tampa Electric is preparing for hurricanes by burying vulnerable power lines, replacing infrastructure, managing trees, and building a grid that can automatically isolate outages and restore power faster

◼️ What the future of energy in Florida could look like, including more solar through 2030, the possible return of nuclear power, free home energy audits, and programs designed to help Tampa Electric customers lower their monthly bills

0:00 Intro

0:21 Why electric bills rise

9:27 Clearwater's privatization debate

19:47 Fuel mix: gas, solar, coal

32:43 Giving the grid a brain

48:43 Solar limits, no wind

55:20 Nuclear power in Florida

1:02:33 Battery storage future

1:10:24 TECO history and streetcar

1:29:29 Home energy saving programs

Domain Homes President Adam Mays and project manager and lot specialist Guy Frankenfield join Garrett Greco to reveal why Tampa Bay homes have become so expensive, how $400,000 lots, construction costs, city codes and flood regulations are reshaping Tampa and St. Petersburg real estate, and how builders are helping families rebuild after the 2024 hurricanes.

00:00 Intro

02:21 How city codes shape homes

10:18 Cost to build a home

21:40 CRA subsidies and affordability

37:34 Inherited lots and generational wealth

43:46 Flood zones and elevation costs

53:53 Rebuilding after Helene

1:07:14 Historic neighborhoods and design costs

1:17:02 The alleyway problem

1:31:21 Domain's podcast on a plane

Tampa Bay Rays CEO Ken Babby and Tampa City Councilman Bill Carlson break down the NEW Tampa stadium proposal, how the financing has changed, where the tax revenue could go, and why the project could reshape Tampa far beyond baseball.

Under Carlson’s new proposal, Tampa would eliminate the previously contemplated $80 million Community Investment Tax contribution and $100 million backed by future Drew Park CRA tax growth. Instead, a new 35-year tax-increment financing district would use property taxes generated by the private development surrounding the stadium, with revenue going to Tampa, Hillsborough County, and a new public Community Development District.

The Rays have also asked Tampa to advance the CDD $80 million through four annual payments of $20 million, which the CDD would repay to the city from its share of future tax revenue generated by the district. Tampa’s share of the new revenue, combined with a proposed redirection of roughly half of future Downtown Tampa CRA revenue, would help create a citywide infrastructure trust fund that Carlson estimates could generate $1.5 billion to $2 billion over 30 to 35 years without raising taxes.

00:00 - Emergency episode, Rays deal

00:53 - Taxpayer concerns about ballpark

07:26 - Who's been negotiating this

12:35 - The infrastructure trust fund

14:17 - How the TIF works

16:43 - Parking lots generating zero taxes

20:18 - Development milestones and incentives

24:24 - Hillsborough College and tech jobs

26:37 - Not another Raymond James

32:59 - August vote, September shovels

Garett Greco and producer David break down the latest fight over the Tampa Bay Rays stadium, Florida property taxes, Ybor City’s transformation, AI data centers, Tampa transportation, Amtrak, housing affordability, and what Tampa needs to get right as the city continues to grow.

They discuss:

◼️Why Tampa should understand the impact of Florida’s property tax changes before committing massive public dollars to a new Rays stadium

◼️How restoring Castle Lala and moving the TBD Podcast headquarters to Ybor City fits into his vision for preserving Tampa’s history while building its future

◼️Why Tampa Union Station, expanded rail service, walkability, and better connectivity could transform the way people move around Tampa and Florida

◼️Why AI data centers could create major questions around land, electricity, drinking water, infrastructure, and whether local communities actually benefit from them

◼️What Florida’s property tax amendment, rapid population growth, rising housing costs, and development pressure could mean for homeowners, renters, businesses, and local governments

0:00:00 - Intro

0:01:10 - Stadium & Development News

0:07:41 - Casa Da Lala Building Purchase

0:19:31 - Ybor Connectivity & Totem Grocery

0:25:02 - Miami-Tampa Train Ride

0:37:31 - Autonomous Vehicles & Robotaxis

0:53:22 - 9/11, Covid & Surveillance

1:05:10 - AI Data Centers Debate

1:11:35 - Florida Governor Race

1:25:37 - Property Taxes & Wrap-up

Hosted by Stephanie Harrison-Bailey, the neighbors of Ybor City sat down with Garrett Greco to ask questions about Ybor’s past, present, and future. Together, they explore the neighborhood’s history, redevelopment, nightlife, infrastructure, local government, and how Ybor can grow without losing the culture and character that make it unique.

00:00 Intro

00:24 Garrett's family history in Ybor

03:52 What makes Ybor special

06:07 Decades-long push to redevelop

09:22 Micro development and vacant lots

12:30 Origin of the podcast

19:36 Buying back family's Ybor building

23:12 Red tape and daytime business

29:36 Radical ideas for the district

33:08 Neighborhood activism and city council

On TBD Podcast Episode 197, Garrett Greco and AJ DeSimone unpack how Cousin Vinny’s Sandwich Co. grew from a 100-square-foot Tampa ghost kitchen into a breakout Italian American restaurant brand, survived an 18-month storefront buildout, used social media and AI to maintain momentum, and prepared to expand across Tampa Bay.

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:38 - How founders met

00:03:11 - Ghost kitchen testing begins

00:10:53 - Ghost kitchen not sustainable

00:16:29 - City permitting delays

00:35:02 - Opening day, huge lines

00:39:14 - "Cousin Vinny" name origin

00:48:07 - Everything made in-house

00:50:55 - New equipment, scaling production

00:53:00 - Two new locations announced