Modernization and Legacy Events: A Look into How Modernization Impacts a City’s Likelihood to Host Legacy Events

Legacy sporting events have long been an attraction of major cities all over the world. This study looks into what a city is willing to do to make their bid/proposal stand out more than the others through modernization of their city attractions. Specifically, looking into how the multi-million-dollar modernization of Water Street in downtown Tampa has changed the amount of legacy events hosted in Tampa. Examining similar studies of the effects both before and after legacy events, there are many factors which go into generating a proposal to host such events. Everything has to be included, hotels, restaurants, outdoor attractions, transportation, and how the city can handle the influx of people. Comparing Tampa’s Water Street modernization project to that of the Staple’s Center and SoFI in California, along with itself before and after these renovation, this thesis examines how much, if any, influence this could hold on committee decisions as well as looking into if these renovations truly help a City host a greater magnitude of legacy events