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Local
New TV/Internet Productions Feature Local Arts Agencies
Evaluation Process Continues For Tampa International Airport Concession Bidders
BY LEON B. CREWS Sentinel Staff Writer
Evaluators are preparing to wrap up their process in the first step of granting bidders the right to operate conces- sions at Tampa International Airport.
The bidders are all vying for a package that is worth $1.3 billion in gross sales over a 10year period.
Airport spokesperson, Emily Nipps, said the evalu- ators are scoring the Food and Beverage portion of the con- cessions, and that process is expected to be completed next week.
“Each of the bidders will be scored based on the evalua- tions. No one has been elimi- nated, and next week we’ll know what he recommenda- tions are.
“The final step will be a re- view by the Aviation Authority in June.”
Nipps said there are six Food and Beverage packages, and the criteria the bidders are being evaluated on is experi- ence and background, an op- erations plan, management
plan, concept and design plan, financial proposal, and the presentation.
“Different weight is given to each criteria. The evalua- tions are based on how each bidder scores in the separate criteria areas.”
Including the Retail por- tion of the process, there will be a total of 13 concession packages available.
The contract with TIA’s ex- isting sole concessionaire, that dates back to 1971, expires this year.
The six Food and Beverage packages range in size from 3 to 11 units, or businesses, that will be located in various areas of the terminal and airsides.
Four Retail packages in- clude 3 to 14 units, also lo- cated in a mix of terminal and
airside locations.
Two service packages, that
could include nail salons, bar- bershops and spas, will have four to five units each, located in each of the airside termi- nals.
There will also be one duty-free package with two units.
African American owned concession bidders for Food and Beverage units are:
Bay Coffee and Tea Company, LLC
Estes Joint Ventures, LLC
Green Clay Conces- sionaires, LLC
Phase Next Hospitality
Superior Hospitality Group, LLC
Tinsley-Bridgeman, LLC
TBCN Community Media Center recently completed production on three new pro- grams for its Culture Vul- tures TV series.
In the first, Education Di- rector Joie Johnson high- lights family friendly activities at the Tampa Mu- seum of Art’s and promotes the upcoming Norman Rock- well exhibit.
In the second, Michael Martz and Ann Taylor in- troduce Second Screen Cult Cinema, a curated, monthly pop-up film series in the Tampa Bay area that feature one-night only engagements of unconventional and unfor- gettable cult films.
In the third, Executive Di- rector Sigrid Tidmore shares Community Stepping Stones’ multidisciplinary ap- proach to teaching arts and sciences appreciation at this Sulphur Springs-based after school program.
Culture Vultures airs at 1 p.m. on Saturdays on Veri- zon channel 30, Bright House Networks 639 and Comcast
20. Viewers anywhere may also watch the show at that time from a live stream on www.watchus.tbcn.org. Pro- grams repeat at 12 noon, on Mondays on Verizon channel 36 and Bright House Net- works 638. On-demand view- ing is available through www.YouTube.com/tam- pabaycommunitynet.
Established by TBCN in 2006, the Culture Vul- tures series promotes all art forms. Viewers have been en- tertained and informed by vi- sual, performing and communications artists and the administrators of arts-re- lated non-profit organiza- tions.
Local and visiting authors, actors, dancers, playwrights, filmmakers, poets, story- tellers, musicians and others have been featured on the program.
Co-executive producers of the series are Linda Saul- Sena, Alexandra “Sandy” Frye and Nancy Cole, three community volunteers with long histories in the arts.
Brewery, Tasting Room To Open In Ybor City
The rebirth of Ybor City is continuing with Rock Brothers Brewery and Tasting Room preparing to open.
With a 5-star hotel and other new businesses already committed to open in Ybor City, Rock Broth- ers will be housed in an old 10,000-square-foot building on 8th Avenue near the trolley tracks behind Centro Ybor.
Attorney Tony Casoria, who is a partner in Mandarin Hide and POW Restaurant in St. Peters- burg said he and his partners are developing the brewery that will have a tasting room and an intimate music venue.
Casoria and his team plan to start renovating the building in May or June with a target date of the fall to open.
Rock Brothers is a Tampa-based craft beer brand. Each of its flavors is tied in with a rock musician – Hootie’s Home Grown Ale, Nare Sugar Brown (JJ Rey) and High Road Ale.
FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 13-A