I can't believe this thread now has 1,000 posts, and it getting over 1,000 hits a week. That is insane for a single thread, especially of Tampa...:cheers1:


The hits are all from The Donald!!!! :lol:

I understand that the new city council (or county commission ?) has a pro-development stance.

The county comission is a bunch of poor planning, walled subdivision loving idiots. The previous commission was slightly different in make up but equally stupid. I think is amazing that when you watch city council meetings -as lame as loval government can be - at least they discuss and get somewhere - the county commission is like 7 or 9 or whatever people in a marriage counselling session - every very reserved and quiet, then arguing, then stomping out.

Follow this link for a map of of all downtown and channelside projects that has some renderings and project information. It purports to be current according to the Tampa's Downtown group.

http://www.tampasdowntown.com/100704downtown2.pdf

I feel bad throwing this in with all the great news about Tampa, but thought it might be of intrest. I recieved this E-mail at the fire station yesterday(11/10/04).



The following buildings were recently condemned by the Fire Marshal's Office and Code Enforcement:

205 E. Zack Street; Maas Brothers high-rise on corner of Zack and Tampa. Remainder of Maas building from Twiggs to Zack on east side of Tampa and the Maas building on corner of Franklin and Zack were previously condemned. The buildings are partially sprinklered but shut off due to structural instability of the buildings and leaks. Basements are flooded.

801 N. Franklin

807-809 N. Franklin

811 N. Franklin

815 N. Franklin
This entire block was once Woolworth, Kress and Newberrys and another retail businesses. The buildings are partially sprinklered but shut off due to structural instability of the buildings and system leaks. Basements are flooded.

908 N. Franklin; 3 story heavy timber and brick with extensive termite and wood rot.

915 N. Franklin; Exposures to the south with 911 and 901 N. Franklin. Unsprinklered; was last an antique store.

916 N. Franklin; Exposures to south with active restaurant on ground floor. Extensive weather deterioration to inside with west side open to elements. Was once the Leroy Hotel on upper floors. Fire escapes unstable.
Structural stability issues need to be taken into consideration dealing with incidents in these buildings. Take extreme caution when entering. Scheduling of the demolition of these buildings is unknown at this time.

West Shore Office Space May Get Boost Next Year
By DAVE SIMANOFF dsimanoff@tampatrib.com
Published: Nov 11, 2004




TAMPA - Florida's largest office district may be getting even larger.
West Shore, the business district near Tampa International Airport, likely will see construction on two office buildings start next year. They include a 300,000-square-foot, 10-story tower across the street from International Plaza mall, and a 210,000-square- foot building, overlooking Old Tampa Bay, near the east end of the Howard Frankland Bridge.

The West Shore district, which includes businesses on Kennedy Boulevard and Dale Mabry Highway, already boasts the title of Florida's No. 1 office district. West Shore has nearly 11 million square feet of commercial office space in 113 buildings, according to commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

In comparison, downtown Tampa has 29 office buildings with a total of 6.1 million square feet of commercial office space.

Commercial real estate brokers generally define West Shore as the area fanning out from West Shore Boulevard, bounded by the airport, Kennedy Boulevard, Dale Mabry Highway and Old Tampa Bay. The office district also includes the Rocky Point area to the west of the airport, the southern stretch of the Veterans Expressway, and several office areas along the Dale Mabry Highway corridor from Kennedy Boulevard to Drew Park.


Location, Location, Location

Many businesses seek office space in West Shore because of its location, said Bill Obregon, senior vice president for CB Richard Ellis, a commercial real estate services firm. West Shore is close to the airport, close to south Tampa neighborhoods and easily accessible by highway from the entire Tampa Bay area, he said.

As the economy picks up, ``West Shore will tighten first, followed by all the other suburban markets,'' he said.

West Shore's additions mean more than just numbers and bragging rights for the business district. Observers say the buildings are a sure sign that the economy is on the mend, because local companies are expanding, moving and calling for more office space.

``Over the past two years, we've seen some good activity,'' said John Fish, director of office services for Cushman & Wakefield.

``Inquiries there are up, and there's not much space out there,'' he said. ``And there are quite a few tenants out there looking for space.''

Crescent Resources LLC, the real estate development subsidiary of Duke Energy, wants to accommodate those tenants needing additional space with its planned Corporate Center I at Cornerstone Plaza, a 300,000-square-foot, 10-story office building at the southwest corner of Lois Avenue and Boy Scout Boulevard.

The company is weighing several development options for the 12-acre site. In addition to the office building, the company is considering building retail space, condominiums, apartments, a 100- to 120- room hotel, or a second office building, said Ron Ruff- ner, Crescent's director of development.

The project will cost more than $100 million, he said.

Crescent has been one of the busiest developers during the economic downturn, building and leasing out three new office buildings next to the International Plaza mall. Corporate Center at International Plaza I, which opened in 1999, is fully leased, and Corporate Center II, which opened in 2002, is more than 95 percent leased. The latest addition, Corporate Center III, which opened four months ago, has leased out 50 percent of its space.

``We've been pretty successful with what we've built so far,'' Ruffner said.


Costs Are A Concern

One problem Crescent is facing in the preconstruction period is pricing.

Costs for steel, concrete and shipping are on the rise, and the cost for transporting goods has gone up because of rising oil prices, yet Crescent officials don't want to spend so much on construction that it has to charge rents higher than tenants would be willing to pay: about $26 a square foot per year, Ruffner said.

``We're evaluating the cost of the buildings right now,'' he said. ``As soon as we figure out what we're going to do, we're going to start. It wouldn't surprise me if we started in the second or third quarter of next year.''

The other new building in the works for 2005 will take shape at Highwoods Bay Center, a development by Highwoods Properties in the former Koger Center office park south of Kennedy Boulevard. Plans call for two matching buildings, each 210,000 square feet, overlooking the Bay. The second of the two buildings would be built at a later time.

Highwoods Vice President Steve Meyers said his firm was talking to prospective tenants. The company wants to line up an anchor tenant - one needing at least 60,000 square feet - before starting construction on the first building.

``For us, we'd love to think construction could start sometime in the first half of next year,'' he said. ``Needless to say, the first firm that signs up usually gets the best deal.''

Highwoods will charge about $25 a square foot per year at Highwoods Bay Center. The entire project is expected to cost $67 million.

Meyers said the company needed more space in West Shore in order to accommodate growing and expanding companies.

``In our portfolio, we don't have a full floor left in any of our eight buildings in West Shore, except at Tampa Bay Park,'' he said.

Improving conditions in West Shore are a good sign, he said.

``Clearly, there's been a rebound,'' he said. ``But the issue that's always in everybody's mind is this: Past performance is not an indicator of future results. It's the same disclaimer you'd see for a mutual fund or stock broker.''


A `Regional Activity Center'

Crescent and Highwoods may not be alone in developing new buildings for the West Shore area. The Bromley Cos., a New York-based development group, has been planning for several years to build a major office, hotel, condominium and retail complex, called Tampa Bay 1, at the southeast corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Interstate 275.

Bromley Co. recently announced it would pursue financial services companies for an anchor tenant for Tampa Bay 1's 700,000-square- foot office component.

Ron Rotella, executive director of the Westshore Alliance, said the master plan for West Shore development was amended this year to accommodate up to six million more square feet of office space.

The West Shore district has grown from an area known primarily for office space into what some call ``a regional activity center,'' with more than 7,000 hotel rooms, two large malls, restaurants, and residential development.

``West Shore has really evolved,'' he said.


Reporter Dave Simanoff can be reached at (813) 259- 7762.
http://www.tampatrib.com/Business/MGB5VOJBE1E.html

Tampa Bay One needs to get going. perhaps they should do two ~20 story condo/hotel towers, and just one office tower. I doubt they would have much trouble selling units at such a location.

Mayor would alter Central Park plan
Iorio envisions private redevelopment of the entire 28-acre public project with mixed-income housing.
By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published November 13, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TAMPA - City, county and Tampa Housing Authority officials are discussing alternatives to the Housing Authority's plans to redevelop Central Park Village near downtown, Mayor Pam Iorio said Friday.

Iorio said she wants a private developer to rebuild the entire 28-acre public housing project rather than a portion of it, as the Housing Authority's top official has proposed. Any developer would have to create a blend of housing for a range of income levels.

She presented the idea recently to Housing Authority executive director Jerome Ryans and Tom Scott, chairman of the Hillsborough County Commission, who plan to talk about it again next week.

In October, Ryans unveiled a $56-million proposal that involved selling half of the authority-owned land at Cass Street and Nebraska Avenue to a private developer for market-rate housing and building 590 low-income units on the remaining property.

But Iorio said she prefers a more integrated mix of subsidized housing, market-rate housing and high-quality commercial development.

"We think we might end up with something better if we take the whole 28 acres and see what a developer might propose," she said.

What happens on the strategically located property between downtown and Ybor City will have a major impact on how the surrounding areas evolve, she said.

Ryans said he's not sold on the mayor's idea, which would need approval from his board.

"Our biggest concern is affordable housing," Ryans said.

The Housing Authority wants to play a part in developing the land so it can generate money to upgrade other housing projects in the city, including Robles Park.

Last year, Central Park was at the center of a proposed 157-acre master-planned community envisioned by Civitas, a for-profit developer. Hillsborough County commissioners crushed the idea in January, refusing to grant tax incentives needed to get construction going.

The Housing Authority pursued a backup plan, applying for a $20-million federal grant to tear down and rebuild the aging, dilapidated homes, but federal officials rejected it.

Ryans said the plan presented last month is preliminary and open to revision. Any proposal must include a fair relocation plan for residents and plenty of access to social services, he said.

"It's monumental," Ryans said, that the city, county and Housing Authority are working closely together. The Civitas plan originated with private developers and caught some government officials by surprise.

"At the end of the day we'll come up with something that's not only good for the residents of Central Park but all the community as a whole," he said.

Janet Zink can be reached at 813 226-3401 or jzink@sptimes.com

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/13/Hillsborough/Mayor_would_alter_Cen.shtml

Why didn't she just push harder last year and the work would be underway this year. Somethimes she is way too timid for her own good.

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/12/images/medium/TCT_1_theatr12b_193310_1112.jpg

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/12/images/xlarge/TCT_1_theatr12c_193310_1112.jpg

To own a classic
The Tampa Theatre Foundation is negotiating to buy the building from its multiple owners to preserve and improve a jewel. Estimated cost: $4-million.
By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published November 12, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TAMPA - Nineteen years seems like a long way away.

But when it's the final two decades of a 99-year contract, 2023 sits just around the corner.

That's the position of the historic Tampa Theatre.

Theater operators signed a 99-year lease in 1924 when construction began on the building.

Now, with the lease's end in sight and city leaders promoting the north downtown area for redevelopment, the Tampa Theatre Foundation is working to buy the building from three groups.

"The best place for the title of this building rests with a community organization dedicated to its preservation," said theater director John Bell. "You never know what's going to happen."

Owning the building will guarantee its proper preservation, Bell said, and will serve the thousands of people likely to be living downtown.

"There's no doubt in five years this area of downtown will look completely different," he said. "This is a very important property, and it needs to be developed with the utmost creativity and panache."

Nearly 20 people control the Tampa Theatre.

The lobby is part of a 10-story office building owned by a partnership of eight people who bought the building in 1980. Many of them, all locals, operate businesses from there, mostly law firms.

Two family trusts, one in Florida and the other in Scotland, own the auditorium.

The city pays about $90,000 a year to lease the lobby and auditorium for public use. Tampa also contributes $200,000 to the theater's $1.5-million budget, half of which comes from ticket sales.

Theater officials have pondered buying the building for years but began negotiations in earnest three years ago when Bob Glaser, owner of Smith & Associates realty, became the foundation chairman.

After months of intense, closed-door negotiations, the foundation is ready to ink a deal with two of the three ownership groups, Glaser said.

The buyout will cost an estimated $4-million, Glaser said, and require a major fundraising campaign.

"We're going to need help," Bell said. "It's one thing for us to negotiate a contract and a price. It's another thing for us to have the money to do the deal."

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio said the city supports the foundation's efforts to buy the building but can't offset the cost.

"We don't have any pot of money that could be used to purchase the theater," she said. "But if we can take some of the monies that we would normally spend for lease payments for the lobby and theater . . . we'd like to do that."

Owning the theater will make it easier for the foundation to get state preservation grants for future projects, something that's difficult to do now.

"The state's not into improving private property," Bell said.

Private donations were used to upgrade the projection and sound system and computer system. The city paid for a new marquee this year. The theater still needs improvements to its electrical, plumbing, and heating and air conditioning systems.

If the sale goes through, the theater would get the revenue from the office building tenants and the city lease, but those relationships would be re-examined, Bell said.

"We want to operate the building in a matter that minimizes public subsidy," he said. "If we can reduce the amount of money that the city has to pay out, then great."

Continuing the tenant leases for at least the short term has been part of the negotiations. What happens after that remains open.

"There's a lot of interest in residential downtown. Whether or not the building is suitable for that, I don't know," Bell said.

To craft a plan, the theater has created a 20-member task force made up of business and civic leaders, including developer Richard Beard, Tampa economic development director Mark Huey and arts and cultural affairs director Wendy Ceccherelli. The group was scheduled to meet for the first time Thursday. Among the possibilities: adding a second screen, showing first-run movies, expanding the lobby, opening a cafe and creating meeting space and classrooms.

"This will become one of the amenities for people living down here," Glaser said.

Nationwide, owners of old movie palaces built with one screen are expanding their offerings to compete with megaplexes.

Many have bought adjacent office space so they can put in a second screen, said Tisha Sheldon, spokeswoman for the League of Historic American Theatres in Baltimore.

"When you book a film, if you can guarantee that you can run it for longer, you can get better rates and better films," she said. "Movie studios don't want to tie up a print if you're only going to show it over the weekend."

In Durham, N.C., a historic theater added two screens and turned the surrounding building into a hotel. A theater in San Rafael, Calif., added a screen and created a home for the California Film Institute. The Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor gained a second screen.

Although a second screen would take Tampa Theatre to a new level, Bell said the venue is not in financial trouble. The theater continues to expand its programming and has a devoted fan base.

Nearly one-quarter of the theater's guests each year come from Pinellas County, Bell said, making it both a neighborhood haunt and a regional destination.

The theater hosts more than 600 events a year, including films, lectures and performances for schoolchildren. Last summer, the theater launched a summer camp on moviemaking and created the Balcony Club, a networking group for young professionals.

The summer's Sunday classic movie series attracts up to 700 people, and more than 300 people turned up on a recent Thursday night for the final showing of What the Bleep Do We Know? a movie about metaphysics and God.

"When you wrap it all up, the theater is one of the busiest historic theaters in the country," Bell said. "We're almost at capacity. We simply don't have the space to do all the things we want to do."

Because it's a landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places, the building faces few possibilities of demolition.

"I don't sense there's a developer right around the corner that's got its eyes on the theater to turn it into Planet Hollywood," Bell said. "But I've seen stranger things happen."

So he's not taking any chances.

"Our interest in acquiring the property is not because we think it's any sort of great investment but simply for preservation purposes."

- Janet Zink can be reached at 226-3401 or jzink@sptimes.com

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/12/Citytimes/To_own_a_classic.shtml

This is the disguised bus, not the streetcar

Downtown: Hyde Park hooks onto trolley loop downtown
Conventioneers and tourists are the primary target of the new service, which will charge 50 cents a trip or $5 for a monthly pass.
By ELISABETH DYER, Times Staff Writer
Published November 12, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Getting from downtown to Hyde Park is about to get easier thanks to the expansion of the Uptown Downtown Connector beginning Dec. 5.

Riders can get a sneak peek of the new service and a sampling of venues along the way tonight during the Taste of the Trolley, which starts at the Downtown YMCA.

The rubber-wheeled trolley runs north and south through downtown to Harbour Island. The new route, the In-Town Trolley-Hyde Park, will extend to Old Hyde Park Village with stops at HARTline bus stops along Swann Avenue.

The route will run weekdays every 20 minutes from 6 to 11 p.m. and every 40 minutes from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. To accommodate weekend diners and shoppers, it will run every 20 minutes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday and until 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The trolley has been free but will charge 50 cents per trip when the Hyde Park service starts. Monthly trolley passes will cost $5, and a one-day pass with transfers to the streetcar and HARTline buses will cost $3.

Tourists and conventioneers are the primary target of the new route, said Toni Short, HARTline's special projects and business development liaison. Next come downtown employees and residents.

HARTline decided to extend the trolley service after talking with businesses, tourism officials and Old Hyde Park Village about ways to revitalize downtown. They said Tampa needs to be promoted as a destination with many places to go and options for getting around.

In the past, getting from downtown to Hyde Park using public transportation meant taking a bus from a station along Marion Street.

The extension to Hyde Park costs $400,000 a year, funded by grants from the Florida Department of Transportation, HARTline, the city of Tampa, the Tampa Downtown Partnership and businesses that stand to benefit from the increased traffic.

Eventually, HARTline plans to expand the trolley's hours to start at 6 a.m. so that Hyde Park residents can ride to work downtown. Some businesses also have expressed interest in extending the line to Howard Avenue.

- Elisabeth Dyer can be reached at 226-3321 or edyer@sptimes.com

If you go
Taste of the Trolley runs from 6 to 10 p.m. today with free samples at stops along the way, including the Wyndham Harbour Island's Luna di Mare; Radisson's Ashley Street Grille; Lady Tampa Bay, a 92-foot luxury dining yacht; Trolley's International Cuisine; Jerk Hut; Spain Restaurant; Mise En Place; Old Hyde Park Village; and Sunrise Cinemas. The event starts at the Downtown YMCA, 104 S Franklin St. Tickets are $20 and benefit the YMCA. To reserve tickets, call 229-1305.

[Last modified November 11, 2004, 13:43:40]
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/12/Citytimes/Downtown__Hyde_Park_h.shtml

http://www.theresidencesonfranklinstreet.com/images/default_right2.gif
Residences at Franklin St has a website up. Helpfully they indicate how many uints have been sold. right now it is 15 of 40, so they need 8 or 10 more before they start (allegedly in Dec 2004, but I don't beleive that unless they are counting "sold" as people who actually signed cotnracts and they are in the process of converting reservation into contracts.) We shall see - though it is not my favorite design it would help kick off the area.

Fianlly a big Ventana - not sure about the pakring garage, but generally not bad
http://www.ventanatampa.com/images/Bldg_Rend.jpg

From the form email of the Place:

You may be feeling like Mayor Pam lorio about The Place, especially if you’ve visited the $1million Discovery Center: “I wish I could live in a place like this…I think Channelside will be the place to live,” she told the press at The Place's grand opening recently. You’ll be delighted to know that over 60% of our homes have sold at guaranteed preconstruction prices. Our pre-sale requirements have been fulfilled and construction will start next spring.

Great. . . onward . . .

I like to hear they haven't forgotten about central park. And I specially like to hear Civitas is not completely dead. I don't know if there were posted before or not, but here are pictures of what would have been the central park area under Civitas.

http://www.glatting.com/Feb%2004/Nuccio%20final.jpg
http://www.glatting.com/Feb%2004/park%20final.jpg
http://www.glatting.com/Feb%2004/Regional.jpg
http://www.glatting.com/Feb%2004/z_CPwithStreets.jpg

btw, the two condos on Bayshore are both up to the 3rd floor... The Embassy Suites is still trying to get the caissons right...:lol:

Those renderings are so stylized I want to puke my brains out. They also don't reflect the current plans of our socialist local government because they are still forging the details, which takes a long time because it is so convoluted (I interned for the Hillsborough County Planning Commission this summer--I know from first-hand experience). I do, however, like Iorio's idea of mixed-income housing for downtown, even if it is an obvious rip-off from a previous developer.

Ahh, but that developer in turn was ripping off the existing projects in other cities, most notably Chicago. (Cabrini Green, for ex)

Well, I am dubious anything will happen anyway, given the sloth of the government.

I am happy the Place will go up because it will make for two blocks in Channelside actually becoming what they should be. additionally, the website that listed downtown development above indicated that there are other projects under cosntruction (namely 1000 Channelside) - which I have not seen - and thus I do not believe.

1000 Channelside is not U/C. I just looked yesterday. The Meridian definitely is though.

Didn't think so.

Downtown Tampa comes alive - really

TRIGAUX
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E-mail:
Click here
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Archive
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

By ROBERT TRIGAUX, Times Business Columnist
Published November 17, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAMPA - Put your ear to the ground and you'll hear a freshened heartbeat in this city's once-flatlining downtown. There's new life in Tampa's core. More than you might realize.

The coming revitalization of Tampa's moribund downtown is not news to those careful to track the small signs of change. But to most folks in the Tampa Bay area - from those who never venture to Tampa's downtown, to those who commute there but mechanically exit without a second glance - the rebound in downtown Tampa may prove to be this region's biggest economic surprise of the next five years.

This is far from just a Tampa story.

After all, how great can the Tampa Bay area become when downtown Tampa itself sits dormant? Injecting energy, buzz and people 24/7 in Tampa's downtown is one of the last missing links in this region's journey toward becoming a first-tier metro area.

Jolting the downtown area back to life has taken a bit longer than expected. Just ask Christine Burdick, who moved here 21/2 years ago to become president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership and help steer the downtown's rejuvenation.

"I am impatient. It's later than I thought but I knew it was going to happen," Burdick said in an interview Tuesday.

"Tampa is about to live up to its own expectations. I think the whole region deserves to have a downtown it is proud of."

Tampa's spotty downtown still feels like a scene out of CSI. Sometimes you have to gather all the scattered economic evidence before it becomes clear a rebound is under way. Consider these diverse signals:

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio continues to make downtown revitalization her priority.

The powerful transformation of downtown St. Petersburg from hobbled to hoppin' reminded Tampa that remarkable urban comebacks are indeed possible and worth the effort.

Tampa's population is growing at a faster rate than the overall Tampa Bay metro area.

The St. Pete Times Forum in downtown Tampa sold 287,776 concert tickets through the first three quarters of 2004, making it the sixth-ranked indoor concert venue in the entire country and the ninth-ranked in the world. People - lots of them - are traveling to downtown Tampa.

A downtown cultural district along the Hillsborough riverfront that includes an expanding number of museums and entertainment sites is taking shape.

Growing regional traffic congestion is encouraging people to reconsider the benefits of living near where they work.

In the past year and a half, plans were unveiled for more than 3,500 housing units in downtown Tampa. That translates to more than 5,000 people living downtown when all the units are complete.

How to build and keep downtown housing momentum was the topic Tuesday morning at a breakfast held, appropriately, in downtown Tampa by the Tampa Downtown Partnership.

Ben Wacksman, president of Capital Realty Investors and moderator of the breakfast panel, said the influx of new residents downtown was equivalent in size to such giant suburban developments as Westchase or FishHawk Ranch.

The trick, the panel agreed, is creating a mix of affordable housing instead of a downtown crammed only with fancy condos and townhomes.

A downtown Tampa housing market that appeals to young and more adventurous first-time buyers, as well as modestly paid teachers, firefighters and police officers makes for a far more interesting urban scene.

So far, things look promising. Panelist Marybeth Storts, a Bank of America senior vice president, pointed to Tampa's Mobley Park near I-275 as a successful housing development of 238 units made possible with a combination of public and private financing.

Forty percent of Mobley Park's units are structured as "affordable" housing, which means a three-bedroom unit goes to eligible residents for a modest $655 a month. The remaining 60 percent of the units are market priced, with an identical three-bedroom unit renting for $975 a month.

Multiple housing projects, including Channelside 212 Lofts, Art Center Lofts and Victory Lofts, have offered downtown units starting at under $170,000. That might not sound cheap. But look around at housing prices near any downtown in this area and that price will start to look more modest in a hurry.

For the high-enders, of course, there are downtown condos galore with $1-million-plus price tags.

"Every dynamic downtown has diverse housing," says Capital Realty's Wacksman. At this early stage in the Tampa downtown rebound, that's a mantra well worth repeating.

Robert Trigaux can be reached at trigaux@sptimes.com or 727 893-8405.

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/17/Business/Downtown_Tampa_comes_.shtml

It is very promising, but I remian cautiously pessimistic. When they come out of the ground, then I will believe.

Latest news on One Bayshore - not sure how this all works out - we shall see . . .from the realtor:

The apratment building is being replaced with a smaller building that is retail/office and 80 condos (much smaller than the 310 apartments). Good Thing!!!!! One condo building is going to be constructed on the apartment site, including 170 (+-) , all with water views of the bay, lots of glass, big
terraces. Reservations starting hopefully March or so.

I am trying to ascertain more details. Will let you know what I find out.

I think it sucks. At least apartments would have had some hope of being affordable. These condos clearly will not be.

Also, it seems as though now that end of Bayshore will have a monotonous "tabletop" look to it, with basically 5 towers all between 200 and 250ft tall. :(

Those really expensive condos on Armenia and Swann have a website (and a really cheesy video). What's with that name???? http://www.victoriaparksoho.com/

Also, which is One Bayshore?

All I could get was a smaller building and smaller footprint - nothing about height, though I suspect 17-22 stories when you add parking and all. as for affordability - in a New building on Bayshore? Good Luck, even with apartments.

I don't mind if all the buildings are about teh same height if they are nice, but a 25 would have been good. Whatever, fewer units means that people who want condos will still have to go elsewhere - hopefully to the bigger more crucial buildings in DT/Channelside - that is the real possible renewal.

Which high-rises can we expect to break ground first in the CBD ? Novare ? Pinnacle ? Towers at Channelside ? Ashley and Whiting ?

All I could get was a smaller building and smaller footprint - nothing about height, though I suspect 17-22 stories when you add parking and all. as for affordability - in a New building on Bayshore? Good Luck, even with apartments.



Affordability is relative. On a dollars per sqft basis, renting nets more for the owner, even though the rent itself may be a bit lower than a mortgage for the occupant. It's also simply a slice of diversity. Renters are different crowd than owners... Remember, the apartments next door will be going soon, and 345 Bayshore was already converted... I'm rather surprised that some developers aren't looking to do rentals, with the foresight to tap into the more favorable renter's market which will come about when rates rise, and housing prices continue to inflate much faster than incomes. It's not like occupancy rates for rentals have been low or something.

Yes, but the margin and lack of hassle in the get in, build, get out condo market is much more attractive. Debt is quickly retired and payment is up front - especially in a place like Bayshore where you can charge a premium.

As for condos going up - I am researching that right now, but we know the Place will be going up (they told me - see above). Allegedly Towers at Channelside and Grad Central are very close (though this is not confirmed) and I as told a while back at least one Pinnacle building is very likely. Not sure exactly wehn, but I would think by Arpil we will have a number of things going and Meridian well on its way (as well as the Embassy Suites)

Now this is a silly idea - they should buildthe road around the building, build a parking garage and get the otehr lots for sale to develop. Why take out 400 workers - that will help a lot. . .

http://media.tbo.com/photos/trib/2004/nov/1118frn2.jpg

Saul-Sena Urges Demolition Of Park Trammell Building
By ANDY REID areid@tampatrib.com
Published: Nov 19, 2004




TAMPA - Preservationist Linda Saul-Sena wants the city to break out the wrecking ball.
To reconnect a once thriving downtown commercial corridor, the city councilwoman proposes toppling the state's Park Trammell Building and extending North Franklin Street under Interstate 275 to reconnect it to Tampa Heights.

The city could then work with developers to bring new homes and businesses to state land now occupied by the Trammell building, 1313 Tampa St., and the parking lots that surround it, Saul-Sena said.

``I don't know what they were thinking,'' Saul-Sena, a former urban planner who has fought to save other downtown buildings, said about the decision to build an interstate and then a state building that blocks North Franklin Street.

``All these areas initially were a neighborhood. ... We have the opportunity now to reconnect them and redevelop them in a very positive way.''

City and state officials are close to finalizing a deal to allow the city to extend North Franklin Street around the Trammell building.

They say Saul-Sena's idea might one day be possible, but it would require getting approvals all the way up to the governor's office, and to try it now would send the current North Franklin Street deal back to square one.

``I would like to get construction of the Franklin Street extension started first,'' Mayor Pam Iorio said about trying to get the state to give up its building. ``If you want to make that a really livable neighborhood, people want connectivity.''

The effort to reconnect North Franklin Street started under Iorio's predecessor, former Mayor Dick Greco, and has continued for more than a year under her administration.

Getting the state onboard and designing a road that can curve around the east side of the Trammell building caused delays.

The city expects to finish design plans by the end of this month, needs state officials to sign off on the final plan and then has to put the project to bid. Construction could start in the spring, said Thomas Capell, chief design and construction engineer for the city's traffic division.

The city has $750,000 budgeted to build the two-lane road extension with 12-foot-wide sidewalks. Supporters say the project should help lure more developers and new businesses to vacant buildings and lots on North Franklin Street.

Developers have proposed 5,000 new condominiums and lofts downtown, mostly to the south in the Channel District.

Iorio's administration proposes city incentives such as building a parking garage in the North Franklin Street area and extending the road in an effort to lure development to north downtown.

``It is reconnecting the Franklin Street commercial corridor with Tampa Heights,'' Economic Development Administrator Mark Huey said. ``Both of those areas are seeing development interest.''

North Franklin Street downtown stops at Fortune Street and the Trammell building.

The state's nine-story, 102,708-square-foot building was built in 1979. More than 400 state employees work there for departments including agriculture, education, health and the parole commission, said John Kuczwanski, spokesman for the state Department of Management Services.

Knocking down the Trammell building has not been part of the state's negotiations with the city, but the state plans to include the building in a review of consolidating facilities, Kuczwanski said.

``At some point we will be assessing the buildings in the Tampa area,'' he said.

Urban renewal in the 1960s led to the interstate severing North Franklin Street and the removal of offices, business and homes - many of them owned by black residents - north of downtown.

Saul-Sena proposes to use the Trammell building property to help return Franklin Street to its former glory. A few blocks away, she would turn the old Morgan Street Jail into green space, parking and retention ponds.

To redevelop Central Avenue, once main street for black businesses, Saul-Sena proposes design standards that honor the architecture of buildings that came down long ago.

Saul-Sena said she does not have a price tag for all she proposes and does not expect it to be easy to persuade the state to part with property. But correcting the mistakes of Tampa's past can help downtown's development future, Saul-Sena said.

``We were supposed to remove things and rebuild them, and we never quite got to that,'' she said.


Reporter Andy Reid can be reached at (813) 259-8409.

http://www.tampatrib.com/MGB0549UP1E.html

Ok, some more info:

Pinnacle - still in reservations. First building almost all reserved. real sales to commence shortly - my guess is that they will get at least 60% sales, but we will see. Nice to gget that one up, it will add a lot.

The Riverside Tower/Residences, whatever, on ashley does have some Trump factor. not sure what. Expect news sometime in the next month or so.

Downtown Channelside - still nothing much going on.

btw, on the Whiting/Ashley condo, I have a contact now, as the engineering firm who works often with my company is also doing some work on that project. I actually talked to one of their inspectors last week and he confirmed that the developer is trying to lure Trump (as he chuckled about it). It's all about PR, not needing the financing. From what I gathered, they might actually be exploring paying him for "naming rights" as it were... Now that's an interesting concept. ;)

Yea, I figured as much. the only thing that mildly concerns me is if they feel the need to get a name to sell the thing (which I care about) or if they just want the name as an excuse to raise prices (which I don't care about)

See if you can find out what stage they are in and how it is going. I hate these total mystery, luxury projects. . .

I will see the guy again in a few weeks regardless, so I'll try to find something out then.

Excellent. Just around the time they are supposed to announce something - though I am not in the know about what that something might be.

Tampa Central Park to be rebuilt
The Housing Authority accepts Mayor Pam Iorio's plan to seek a single developer for a blend of public housing.
By MELANIE AVE, Times Staff Writer
Published November 20, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
TAMPA - The third time could be a charm for the redevelopment of Central Park Village.

The ongoing push to improve the public housing complex moved forward Friday after the Tampa Housing Authority unanimously accepted Mayor Pam Iorio's proposal to seek a private developer to rebuild the entire property.

It is the third attempt to alter the aging complex in two years, after a private plan and a federal grant fell through.

"We feel we've finally gotten off center," said Housing Authority executive director Jerome Ryans.

The authority agreed to delay its own proposal to rebuild a portion of the 28-acre downtown complex in favor of Iorio's suggestion to take six months and find a developer who would revamp the entire property and create a blend of housing for people of several income levels.

The plan would seek private development of all Central Park, not just 13 acres the Housing Authority wanted to sell under a separate proposal floated by Ryans in October.

Iorio wants to improve Central Park through a joint effort by the city, county and Housing Authority.

"I think having everybody talking with each other will result in a much better outcome," said authority board member Sophia Sorolis.

Iorio wrote a letter to Housing Authority members Wednesday, saying: "We all have the same goals, and want the very best for our citizens who live in public housing. I believe that with all of us working together in true partnership, we can achieve these goals."

Housing Authority officials applauded Iorio for stepping in to help, saying Central Park is a community issue.

"We've got a real opportunity here," Ryans said. "We've got an opportunity to look at the broader community.

"We appreciate the mayor's leadership on this."

Authority member Toni Riordan said her hope is for Central Park to be like any other Tampa neighborhood.

"We don't want pockets of poverty," she said.

While the Housing Authority embraced the proposal, Central Park resident Mary Williams said she and her neighbors are frustrated. They were hoping to move soon from the complex she described as not air-conditioned, crime-ridden and bug-infested.

The mayor's plan undoubtedly would delay any relocation.

"The residents of Central Park are tired of the conditions," said Williams, president of the Central Park Residents Council. "We are anxious to get on with our lives."

The authority's action shelved a $56-million proposal from Ryans in October to sell half of the Central Park land at Cass Street and Nebraska Avenue to a private developer for market rate housing and build 590 apartments on the remaining property.

Last year, developer Civitas proposed tearing down Central Park and replacing it as part of a larger, 157-acre master-planned community stretching between Ybor City and downtown Tampa. The Hillsborough County Commission nixed the plan in January by refusing to grant tax incentives necessary for construction.

After that plan died, the Housing Authority applied but lost its bid for a $20-million federal grant to tear down and rebuild the complex.

Iorio's plan would have a recommendation to the authority by May after a committee of Housing Authority, city and county officials meet with Fradique Rocha, a housing consultant.

"I think we're going to create some real results," said authority board member Gerald White. "This is a historic day."

Melanie Ave can be reached at 813 226-3400 or melanie@sptimes.com

[Last modified November 20, 2004, 01:04:15]
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/20/Hillsborough/Tampa_Central_Park_to.shtml

^^^ I perceive that vote as nothing but good news. They can do much, much better than just basically perpetuating the same shitty "projects" that we've had for years.

Personally, I'm still of the opinion that they should completely move the subsidized housing somewhere else completely, and allow the area between DT and Ybor to actually flourish.

Rapidly Changing Channel District Squeezing Industry
By JANIS D. FROELICH jfroelich@tampatrib.com
Published: Nov 20, 2004




CHANNEL DISTRICT - Artist Dominique Martinez is certain he will keep some of his business in the Channel District.
Surrounded by new construction, the owner of Rustic Steel Creations said he is feeling the squeeze from the upcoming onslaught of residential high rises in this once-gritty industrial and artists neighborhood.

``The changes are coming very fast. It's difficult to predict what all of us early residents will do eventually,'' Martinez said.

Martinez plans to keep his Rustic Steel studio-office- apartment where it has been since 1996, at 114 S. 12th St.

Because of lack of viable space as his business grows, he probably will have to move the furniture, railing and gate- manufacturing work to another area, possibly east of Ybor City.

Amazon Hose and Rubber Co., 222 N. 12th St., a Channel District fixture since the early 1970s, is moving in February to a location north of 60th Street, leaving its property across from Channelside 212 Lofts to a residential-project buyer.

``This development is probably a good thing,'' said Amazon manager Ron Brackeen. ``You used to not want to come down here during the night if there was an emergency because of the transients and crime.''

Brackeen said because his company sells to shipyards, Amazon didn't want its new building too far away.

``It's all changing,'' said Brackeen, who has been with the company since 1987. ``It would be interesting to come back in five years. I could almost guarantee there would be no industry serving the port still left.''

Artists and industrial-shop owners will have a tough go remaining in the neighborhood as residential demands increase, raising property values.

Genie White, president of the Channel District Community Association, figures the dozen or so light-industrial places will be gone. She said she hopes artist studios and galleries, which number about 14, will be able to stick around, though. ``It won't be easy,'' she said.

Since 1993, White and her husband, Bill, have operated Artists Unlimited at 223 12th St. N., where 29 artists work. The Whites have a waiting list to lease the cubicles.

``I guess if the bidding for our property began at $3 1/2 million we'd be interested,'' White said, and laughed. ``Bill and I have thought about breaking up this building for condo space, but we really like how it's all worked out for the artists.''

Jeff Whipple, a painter who has lived and worked the past two years at 209 S. 12th St., is leaving his rented space at the end of the year because the building has been sold for redevelopment.

``My studio is listed as an amenity on a lot of condo brochures,'' he said. ``But now I won't be here when most of them open.''

Whipple said artists moving into marginal neighborhoods, improving the quality and then being forced to relocate when the area becomes a hot real estate destination is typical.

``It's a shame because I'd rather be making art than moving,'' he said.

Artists bring a special flavor to neighborhoods, White said. She said some developers have promised to make gallery space in their buildings, but she's not sure all will keep their word.

Grand Central at Kennedy, which is building a $10.6 million, 392-unit complex on East Kennedy Boulevard, plans a 2,0000-square-foot art gallery and a 4,500-square-foot community theater.

Victory Lofts, a $28 million, 89-unit residential project, is set to open Dec. 9 in two buildings on 12th Street. It offered to set aside four two-story work-living units on a ground floor opposite Rustic Steel. ``Two may be used by artists as studio space,'' Victory Loft spokesman Casey Ellison said. ``The other two are a hair salon and real estate office.''

Amid all the coming condominiums, White likes artists because they lend a not-so-homogenous look. Whipple's building is a distinctive bright red. Martinez added quirky touches to his space and the building he leases next door to Expressions Custom Furniture. For the new furniture store owned by Amanda McMahon, he added a vine- wrapped railing, distinctive door handle and steel sign.

White also doesn't want to see nightclubs moving into the area. ``I'll fight to my death to not have this neighborhood turned into another Ybor City,'' she said.


Reporter Janis D. Froelich can be reached at (813) 259-7143.

http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGB5I52ZQ1E.html

Hey, I don't mind a mix - I just want them to stop talking and start doing. . .

A Turf War For Channel
By JANIS D. FROELICH jfroelich@tampatrib.com
Published: Nov 20, 2004







CHANNEL DISTRICT - Artist Dominique Martinez is certain he will keep some of his business in the Channel District.
Surrounded by new construction, the owner of Rustic Steel Creations said he is feeling the squeeze from the upcoming onslaught of residential high rises in the once-gritty industrial and artists neighborhood.

``The changes are coming very fast. It's difficult to predict what all of us early residents will do eventually,'' Martinez said.

Martinez plans to keep his Rustic Steel studio-office- apartment where it has been since 1996, at 114 S. 12th St.

Because of lack of viable space as his business grows, he probably will have to move the furniture, railing and gate- manufacturing work to another area, possibly east of Ybor City.

Amazon Hose and Rubber Co., 222 N. 12th St., a Channel District fixture since the early 1970s, is moving in February to a location north of 60th Street, leaving its property across from Channelside 212 Lofts to a residential-project buyer.

``This development is probably a good thing,'' said Amazon manager Ron Brackeen. ``You used to not want to come down here during the night if there was an emergency because of the transients and crime.''

Brackeen said because his company sells to shipyards, Amazon didn't want its new building too far away.

``It's all changing,'' said Brackeen, who has been with the company since 1987. ``It would be interesting to come back in five years. I could almost guarantee there would be no industry serving the port still left.''

Artists and industrial-shop owners will have a tough go remaining in the neighborhood as residential demands increase, raising property values.

Genie White, president of the Channel District Community Association, figures the dozen or so light-industrial places will be gone. She said she hopes artist studios and galleries, which number about 14, will be able to stick around, though. ``It won't be easy,'' she said.

Since 1993, White and her husband, Bill, have operated Artists Unlimited at 223 12th St. N., where 29 artists work. The Whites have a waiting list to lease the cubicles.

``I guess if the bidding for our property began at $3 1/2 million we'd be interested,'' White said, and laughed. ``Bill and I have thought about breaking up this building for condo space, but we really like how it's all worked out for the artists.''

Jeff Whipple, a painter who has lived and worked the past two years at 209 S. 12th St., is leaving his rented space at the end of the year because the building has been sold for redevelopment.

``My studio is listed as an amenity on a lot of condo brochures,'' he said. ``But now I won't be here when most of them open.''

Whipple said artists moving into marginal neighborhoods, improving the quality and then being forced to relocate when the area becomes a hot destination is typical.

Artists bring a special flavor to neighborhoods, White said. She said some developers have promised to make gallery space in their buildings, but she's not sure all will keep their word.

Grand Central at Kennedy, which is building a $10.6 million, 392-unit complex on East Kennedy Boulevard, plans a 2,0000-square-foot art gallery and a 4,500-square-foot community theater.

Victory Lofts, a $28 million, 89-unit residential project, is set to open Dec. 9 in two buildings on 12th Street. It offered to set aside four two-story work-living units on a ground floor opposite Rustic Steel. ``Two may be used by artists as studio space,'' Victory Loft spokesman Casey Ellison said.

Amid all the coming condominiums, White likes artists because they lend a not-so-homogenous look. Whipple's building is a distinctive bright red. Martinez added quirky touches to his space and the building he leases next door to Expressions Custom Furniture. For the new furniture store owned by Amanda McMahon, he added a vine- wrapped railing, distinctive door handle and steel sign.

White doesn't want to see nightclubs moving into the area. ``I'll fight to my death to not have this neighborhood turned into another Ybor City,'' she said.

http://centraltampa.tbo.com/centraltampa/MGBPL3KZQ1E.html

Tampa exploring light as art in outdoor spaces
Potential sites include the Performing Arts Center, Tampa Theatre, even the Hillsborough River.
By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published November 19, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


TAMPA - As city officials try to keep downtown hopping past sunset, they're putting into a motion a plan to shine a light on city streets.

Artists have been asked to submit proposals for Lights on Tampa, an exhibit of light-based artwork planned for downtown Tampa.

The art projects won't be on view until November 2005, but Tampa residents will get a preview this spring when the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center installs a public art piece involving light.

"We were going to do a public art piece anyway and we thought it would be great to coordinate with Lights on Tampa," center director Judy Lisi said. "It will really bring the building to life."

The center considered designs from more than 50 artists for the project. Top on the list: a proposal by Fort Lauderdale artist Tobey Archer to install pulsating, brightly colored fiber optic cables around the multilevel roofline of the Performing Arts Center and the Pallavi Patel Conservatory for the Arts, set to open next month. The idea was to take the center's existing architecture, which is boxy and beige by nature, and make it its strongest asset, said Robin Nigh, head of Tampa's public arts program.

The installation of the project hinges on whether the lights will shine strongly enough and the cost.

Funding for Archer's artwork, which could exceed $155,000, includes $50,000 from the city of Tampa and $50,000 from the center as required under the city's public art ordinance for new construction. The remainder will come from the Performing Arts Center or private donations, Lisi said.

Whatever artwork lights up the Performing Arts Center will pave the way for Lights on Tampa, a recurring art show aimed at putting Tampa on the leading edge of the art world, Nigh said.

"Lights on Tampa is really looked at as an opportunity for wonderful economic development downtown," Nigh said. "One of the goals is to market and present downtown Tampa as a laboratory for experimentation in the arts."

She pointed to a recent study that revealed Hillsborough County as the No. 3 market in the country for testing new products, based on the region's diversity. It follows that Tampa should also be a test market for new art forms, she said.

"It's okay if something doesn't necessarily work, if one or two pieces have a hiccup because of their technology. That's why we're doing this," Nigh said. "It's all about being willing to take chances."

Innovative light-based art has been popping up in cities around the world. Pieces have been as simple as a creatively lit storefront to a more elaborate flamenco dancer projected on an entire side of the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables. In Seattle, Internet-fed video of salmon swimming upstream played on a three-story parking garage.

Even Tampa tested the light-based art waters in recent years with images of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Lightning players shining on downtown buildings.

The city assembled a panel of jurors with extensive experience in high-tech artwork for the first 2005-2006 Lights on Tampa show. They include James Rondeau, curator of contemporary art at the Art Institute of Chicago; Patricia Phillips, dean of the School of Fine and Performing Arts at the State University of New York at New Paltz; and Peter Schjeldahl, art critic for New Yorker magazine.

They'll select artists in January, and their creations will go on display next November after Daylight Savings Time so people will see them as they leave work, Nigh said.

The pieces will remain in place through May 2006, although some might become permanent fixtures. Potential sites include City Hall, Tampa Theatre, the old Federal Courthouse, the Poe Garage, the Hillsborough River and the Tampa Museum of Art construction site, Nigh said.

Depending on funding, the display will involve four to 10 pieces, Nigh said. Related activities could include a symposium, artist lectures, publications and tours.

So far, Lights on Tampa has $75,000 from the city and $50,000 from Verizon, which has a building downtown. The city also has applied for a $75,000 matching grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

"The idea is to catch the wave of a new kind of artist," said Alan Ciamporcero, president of Verizon's southeast region.

And when it comes to high-tech art, "Tampa is pretty much an empty canvas," he said. "Downtown Tampa has to wake up at night."

-For more information or to see examples of light-based art, go to www.lightsontampa.org

http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/19/Citytimes/Tampa_exploring_light.shtml

^^^ That sounds pretty sweet. Anything to liven up DT and the surrounding area is aces in my book.



btw, I am in the procdess of slowly updating the compilation post at the front of the thread... Anyone who wants to make up a overview of any Tampa project please feel free, and I will edit it into the initial post, along with credit for you. The more info and/or pics/renderings of the project, the better. Most info can be found within the latter parts of this thread itself. It just needs compiled.

Jason, just make sure some of the projects are removed -- the completed projects. I mean if Stetson Law School is goign to be included again, cool, but at least have a current picture.

I removed some of them, but not all yet. That was only completed 3-4 months ago. Once they've been around for at least 4-6 months, they go bye-bye.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/photopost/data/500/8TempleTerrace-Concept_11-5-04_STPTimes.jpg

Here's that rendering of the condo envisioned for Temple Terrace that will never see the light of day. Sorry it took me so long Smiley. I lost track of it.

For that area, I'd take two 10-story condos any day. Anything to make the area a bit more vertical and walkable.

And no problem on the delay. If I thought it was crucial, I would have reminded you. thanks for posting.

The crane is going up at the Embassy Suites. It makes me happy.

Developers Seek Help From Taxes For Project

By ANDY REID areid@tampatrib.com
Published: Nov 23, 2004






TAMPA - A team of developers wants city help to reshape 45 acres of Tampa Heights with town houses and condominiums beside the Hillsborough River.
Mayor Pam Iorio met Monday with backers of the project called The Heights, which would include land where Bank of America planned a riverside development off North Boulevard.

Iorio said the group includes Don Wallace and Bill Bishop, who were among the leaders of the failed Civitas redevelopment plan for nearby Central Park.

Like Civitas, the group proposes using a portion of property tax money generated in the targeted redevelopment area to help make infrastructure improvements.

Unlike Civitas, Iorio said the group believes it might not need approval from Hillsborough County commissioners to tap into the tax money.

In addition to realigning city streets and changing city parks, The Heights developers plan to build the northern leg of a river walk Iorio wants to extend south through downtown to the Channel District.

Iorio said the group didn't discuss the number of homes planned or how much they would cost, but would start meeting with community leaders to help shape the project.

The mayor expects The Heights to target a mix of income levels. Construction could begin within two years, she said.

``It looks like it has a lot of potential,'' Iorio said. ``It could really be beneficial for that part of our city.''

Ralph Schuler, vice president of the Tampa Heights Civic Association, said residents have wondered what would become of the long- dormant Bank of America property and heard rumblings about Bishop acquiring land in the area.

The project idea seems attractive, Schuler said, but he wants to see specifics.

``It is about dang time,'' Schuler said. ``They are very, very quiet. ... Hopefully they will come public soon.''

Representatives for The Heights couldn't be reached for comment.

Bank of America in 2002 announced plans for a 300-unit condominium and about 70 town houses off West Palm Avenue, North Boulevard and Ola Avenue.

The Bank of America project makes up about 12 acres of The Heights and Bishop and his group said they have control of much of the rest of the land they need for the project, Iorio said.

Bishop also acquired land in east Tampa where he has begun to build homes with prefabricated steel. He plans to mass produce steel frames, trusses and other materials at a factory planned near Ybor City and build housing for low-income residents.

Bishop's Renaissance Homes were once intended as part of the affordable housing proposed in the Civitas plan.

Civitas unveiled plans in December to redevelop 157 acres between Ybor City, downtown and Tampa Heights. Public housing was to be replaced with more than 3,500 homes, including $125,000 lofts and $600,000 town houses.

The city signed on less than a week before a January deadline, but the Hillsborough County Commission balked, citing the rushed time frame, and the plan didn't pass.

Because Tampa Heights already has a redevelopment area established, The Heights developers might not need county approval to use tax money for the project, Iorio said.

The city didn't commit to anything at Monday's meeting and community meetings - in addition to public hearings for any potential zoning changes - would be required, Iorio said.

``This was our first look at what they are proposing,'' Iorio said.


Reporter Andy Reid can be reached at (813) 259-8409.

http://news.tbo.com/news/MGBHCEUJV1E.html

Latest news on One Bayshore - not sure how this all works out - we shall see . . .from the realtor:

The apartment building is being replaced with a smaller building that is retail/office and 80 condos (much smaller than the 310 apartments). Good Thing!!!!! One condo building is going to be constructed on the apartment site, including 170 (+-) , all with water views of the bay, lots of glass, big
terraces. Reservations starting hopefully March or so.


I noticed this while trying to update the list...

Smiley... I am confused... Is the apartment tower being replaced by an 80 unit, mixed-use condo tower, a 170 unit luxury tower, or both?

See if you can get a clarification and maybe some floor numbers, please. :)

There will be two buildings - I think - a building on the empty lot next to the building now under construction and then the apartments (3 story thingy) will go and another building will go there - my impression is that it will stretch down bayshore a bit.

As for details - they are not too forthcoming but will leak out in the next few months. I will work on it.

They very specifically did not answer my very specific question about floors. My guess is 15 to 20 - but with some office spae it might be taller. If you do the calculations for decent apartments 170 gets you close to 20 with parking and whatnot.

Developers, bank joining forces for Tampa Heights rejuvenation
By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published November 24, 2004

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TAMPA - Two development groups have combined their holdings in Tampa Heights, expanding a plan for condominiums along the Hillsborough River to create a 45-acre residential and commercial complex north of downtown. The group behind the project, which is called The Heights, includes Don Wallace and Bill Bishop, who were among the leaders of Civitas, an organization that last year made a failed bid to redevelop a public housing project near downtown and the land around it.

Bank of America is also a partner in The Heights, which includes 12 acres where the bank's community development arm has been planning to build 300 condominiums and 75 single-family homes. The project, scheduled for groundbreaking in 2003, was delayed while the bank worked out environmental issues and finished acquiring some of the land involved in the plan, said Marybeth Storts, senior vice president at Bank of America.

Storts said Bishop, whose development group has purchased land all around the Bank of America property, approached her several months ago about working together on a larger master-planned community for that part of Tampa Heights. "The more we talked, the more it made sense," she said. "Our vision and their vision matched up well."

Single-family houses, townhouses and condominiums would be the primary feature of the community, Storts said, but with the larger site there's a possibility of some neighborhood retail space. The developers have also proposed building a river walk from the Tampa Museum of Art to Columbus Drive, which would comprise the northernmost portion of a waterfront sidewalk that Mayor Pam Iorio envisions running from Columbus Drive through downtown to the Channel District. Amenities in the neighborhood would include swimming pools, a fitness center and parks, Storts said.

Storts couldn't say how many homes would be built or how much they would cost.

"We're really in the conceptual phase," she said.

Bank of America's original, smaller plan called for homes to sell for $150,000 to $300,000. The 157-acre Civitas project's residences included everything from public housing to $600,000 town homes.

Iorio said Wallace told her he felt very strongly about building homes in The Heights for a wide range of income levels.

The parcels are part of a neglected area that has been targeted by the city for redevelopment. That means the developers might be able to take advantage of a program that would reinvest property taxes generated into infrastructure improvements.

"We would use it as one of the financing tools," Storts said.

Bishop and Wallace had hoped for similar help for the Civitas project, which focused on land between downtown and Ybor City. But because that part of Tampa hadn't already been identified as a redevelopment area, it needed approval of the Hillsborough County Commission. The commission denied the request, objecting to the haste with which the project's backers were pushing for a decision. That killed the plan.

Iorio said the developers need to hear what residents of Tampa Heights have to say about the plan, but she thinks the proposal she heard about Monday would be a boon to the area.

[Last modified November 24, 2004, 00:08:11]
http://www.sptimes.com/2004/11/24/Hillsborough/Developers__bank_join.shtml

Just FYI.
There is a trailer and some ground clearing at the 900 and 1000 Channelside site.
It's a bout freakin time. This project was the First project announced in Channelside, about a year before any of the others . Of course it was originally called "Washington Crossing".
Still the same developer though

Excellent. It would be nice to get clusters of construction going rather than this drip, though I guess the real deal allegedly will start next year.

This Tampa Heights project sounds promising, but I wish they'd not build the single family units. Hopefully it won't look as corny as the Civitas/Central Park proposal looked from the renderings.

There should never again be a single family unit constructed within 2 miles of DT Tampa. To do so is an affront on common sense IMO...

Actually, IMO there is a strip from Westshore to DT that should never have a single family house ever built again... It should at minimum be redeveloped with 12/per acre townhouses, or higher.

AS I said many months ago - this thinkg will be in court:
High-Rise Arguments Make Way Through Courts, Commissions
By IVAN J. HATHAWAY ihathaway@tampatrib.com
Published: Nov 27, 2004




BAYSHORE - Although more than 18 months have passed since plans for a Bayshore Boulevard condominium surfaced, and despite repeated rejections from the city, a developer's battle to erect the high- rise is far from over.
So is a Hyde Park neighborhood's resolve to stop the project.

Next month, a circuit court hearing is scheduled to discuss procedural details in Citivest Construction Corp.'s lawsuit seeking to overturn rulings by the Architectural Review Commission and Tampa City Council.

Then, at a hearing tentatively set for Jan. 6, city attorneys will ask a judge to dismiss the lawsuit.

While the court case works its way along, attorneys for Citivest and developer Bill Robinson also are approaching the legal stumbling blocks from another angle.

Lawyer John Grandoff has requested public records in an effort to re-create how the property at Bayshore and DeSoto Avenue came to be drawn into the Hyde Park Historic District when it was created in the mid-1980s.

Grandoff, who represents Robinson, wants the Tampa Historic Preservation Commission to hear his request to redraw the district's boundaries. He said the commercially zoned property shouldn't have been included in the historic district.

He hopes to present his case to the preservation board early next year.

A win by Citivest in either arena could result in workers pouring the foundation of a luxury high-rise.

Because of the site's location and the need to get construction waivers for the originally planned 31-story, more than 400-feet-tall building, Grandoff began presenting the plans to the architectural commission and city council in spring 2003.

Neighbors railed against the plans, which were rejected by the commission and withdrawn before the city council could vote on them.

A scaled-down, 24-story version needed no waivers and left the city council out of the loop. With neighborhood opposition still strong, the commission also rejected that version as too large for the historic district.

Robinson appealed to the city council, which in June upheld the commission ruling.

The lawsuit contends those rulings should be reversed because they weren't based on substantial evidence and Citivest was denied due process.

Not so, said Jerry Gewirtz, the chief assistant city attorney in charge of litigation.

``The city council acted properly,'' Gewirtz said. ``The city believes council's decision is totally defendable.

``The city is confident that the court ultimately will find this lawsuit to be without merit,'' he said.

The president of the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, Jeanne Holton Carufel, said the opposition is steadfast.

``We're committed. We're not going anywhere,'' Carufel said. ``It's our neighborhood, so why should we give up?''


Reporter Ivan Hathaway can be reached at (813) 835-2103.
http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBHQKCZ02E.html

``We're committed. We're not going anywhere,'' Carufel said. ``It's our neighborhood, so why should we give up?"
http://www.tampatrib.com/News/MGBHQKCZ02E.html

They should give up , so they have time to pack and move to the suburbs, which is obviously the type of life style they are looking for. I never understand these people that move into "the city" and then wine when someone actually wants to add some descent density to an area.

Tampa needs to either discourage single family homes from being built or unincorporate. Calling Tampa a city is decieving. I think of a city as high density with very few single family homes within it's borders. When I lived in Philly, the few single homes there were, were reserved for the very rich only.

^^^ Bingo. Alot of people like living in cities, and they don't want the experience ruined by haters, who want to push their own agenda at the expense of the rest of us.

Clearly the NIMBYs like the amenities of a city, but don't like the city... There's a place for yokels like that... The burbs. Get out and leave the rest of us be! I hear that Inverness and Brooksville have some fine single family home available.

:bash:

They should give up , so they have time to pack and move to the suburbs, which is obviously the type of life style they are looking for. I never understand these people that move into "the city" and then wine when someone actually wants to add some descent density to an area.

Tampa needs to either discourage single family homes from being built or unincorporate. Calling Tampa a city is decieving. I think of a city as high density with very few single family homes within it's borders. When I lived in Philly, the few single homes there were, were reserved for the very rich only.

I agree with you 100%. I have literally given up any hope on Hyde Park/Bayshore area. It is the same people making a fuss about a tall building being built on Bayshore that are responsible for the failure of Hyde Park center. Eventually that neighborhood will continue to become sterile and lifeless while Channelside and Ybor become THE neighborhoods to live in.

^^^ It's already happening. Hyde Park will be for old, cranky haters, who should be living in Idaho, while Ybor and Channelside will be for people who actually like living in a city, without imposing their selfish agenda on everyone else.

The problem is that this "city" was founded as a transient area of Suburbia.... It's ALWAYS been perceived as Suburbs and everyone is goign to continue to perceive it as suburbs. Suburbs on the waterfront, suburbs at the city center... That has been Tampa (and Tampa Bay in general) and people just won't change their perception of it...

We're one big sprawl capital of the south and density is desperately needed but who's goign to finally win people over on that concept? Hopefully the developers.... but they need to become civic minded and help lobby for improved infrastructure (IE mass transit so people stop whing about the additional traffic to an area)