The Seminole Heights community is banding together to help businesses hurt when the Seminole Heights killer was at large.
"It's a breath of fresh air after we've been like waiting for so long in just fear," Drew Drotleff, manager of Seminole Heights City Wine Bar, said.
With drinks flowing, music playing and one very important tree lighting, not just holiday cheer, but cheer in general, is back in Seminole Heights.
"We're all relieved, definitely relieved," Lynn Schwarzenbach said.
"It is a relief, there was a little stress, just walking out the door some nights," Anthony Plasse said.
Relief is a word on many lips at the Graham building holiday party, after a serial killer terrorized the Seminole Heights community for weeks. Tampa police arrested a suspect.
"I wouldn't go out at night, and I quit going out to dinner and yeah I realize the businesses were suffering but I wasn't going to go out there either," Schwarzenbach said.
Those businesses really felt the sting of customers staying home.
"The area just died we were all hurting and sad and scared to go out too so it's like it's bringing life back into the community again," Drotleff said.
Now, shopping, dining and drinking in Seminole Heights has become a priority for locals.
"They were hurting for business and I feel it's important to, can you show up, show support for them," Plasse said.
Business owners say, your visits now will help them make up for what was lost.
"Night and day, it would really help mitigate some of the damage we experienced the last few months," Drotleff said.
