A woman jogs alongside Bayshore Boulevard's balustrade railing.
Tampa, Florida -- Tampa city leaders want to impress politicians and others who visit the Bay area in August for the Republican National Convention. To do that, they've considered giving ritzy Bayshore Boulevard a million dollar facelift.
But that has people who live in other parts of town questioning the city's priorities.
For example, it was in November that 27-year-old Monica Alverez and her unborn child were struck and killed at the East Tampa intersection of 43rd Street and Hillsborough Ave.
There were no street lights at the spot Alvarez was killed. No sidewalk either, and residents had complained about the potential danger for months.
Today there is a light and a new sidewalk, thanks to private property owners who voluntarily ceded the right of way. There're also speed humps and new pavement.
There is also lingering resentment.
"It had to take someone to get hit for someone to step up... a lady lost her life. A daughter lost her life. And now they finally want to put a sidewalk up. It should have been done. As long as this has been here, it should have been done," said James Murphy, a neighbor of Alvarez.
That's why residents, who've been told the city is cash-strapped, were angered to learn about expedited plans to re-pave Bayshore Boulevard ahead of the Republican National Convention. The same paving project wasn't scheduled to take place until 2014.
On Thursday Tampa leaders temporarily tabled the tarring idea to see if Hillsborough County, which owns the road, would kick in some cash. Tampa has, however, set aside $700,000 for new landscaping along Bayshore.
Councilman Harry Cohen, who asked for the temporary delay, defended the city's plan.
"It'll look good for the convention, but the day those people all leave, everyone who uses Bayshore will be able to enjoy a nice smooth asphalt surface," said Cohen.
Critics say it's ridiculous to cater to the wealthy and the politically powerful when so many of the city's less visible streets desperately need real safety improvements, if not basic maintenance.
Janice Rodriguez, who lives just off the same road where Alvarez was killed, said side streets still need repairs.
"Make it better. Fix the holes, the cracks."
"At the end of the day, there's communities like this one that actually need this stuff fixed," said Murphy.
The city council is set to take-up the paving issue again at its February 16th meeting.