No Super Bowl bounce for beach hotels

Pinellas beach hotels are expecting normal or below normal occupancy over Super Bowl weekend, according to dismayed tourism officials.

"I am so disappointed," said Sheila Cole, executive director of the Clearwater Beach Chamber of Commerce. "The area is not going to see the financial influx that was hoped for from this Super Bowl."

Cole said the lukewarm demand for rooms may be rooted in the grim economy. Or perhaps Arizona Cardinals fans, unlike fans of teams up North, don't need a trip to Tampa Bay to escape the cold, she said.

Watch the street signs

Note to out-of-towners: Don't trust Yahoo! Maps or your TomTom on your drive through the Channelside district in downtown Tampa.

The street formerly known as Saint Pete Times Forum Drive, a sliver of road that runs behind the St. Pete Times Forum and connects Franklin Street to Channelside Drive, was recently renamed Old Water Street. The change is so recent that it hasn't been updated on many maps.

It's not a huge deal, but the new Old Water Street will be a spot of some major traffic during Super Bowl week. A few notable spots along the route: the Marriott Waterside (one of downtown Tampa's largest hotels), Cotanchobee Park (the site of ESPN's main set), and the new Tampa Bay History Center.

-- Eduardo A. Encina, Times staff writer