^I do, but so do others, as a member is who gave it to me (I forget who now). I simply didn't post it, because I don't know if someone got that rendering in confidence, or found it publicly (on the web).

And yes, that is Morgan it spans, not Jefferson... Hi, my name is Jason. I am a RETARD.

Eh, can't you release a sliver of the rendering? A hint? *sticks out the tounge at Jason*

What's the worst that could happen? ;)

I know where it came from . . . no need to put it up right no because we aren't sure what it is for.

As for this project - it is where the 4 Seasons was to be. THe 4 Seasons was not going to be on Jefferson - which runs north of (to the right of) the Sun Trust building

I also want to point out hat I don't think any two renderings is actually consistent. Whatever - let em build it.

i wonder if the name will include Four Seasons at some point....like one of the towers being a hotel or at least part of a hotel.....

Looks pretty good and much better then the original Four seasons project. I also love that something will be finally eating up some of those parking lots north of Lee Roy Selmon.

Interested design for the Tampa Towers. On one picture it shown a spires at the top and on others pictures they don't show the spires. Does anyone know how many story this will be? Is the developer for this project is the same one for the Trump Tower Tampa? I've gone into http://www.towertampa.com/ and it does shown both projects.

details: 51 stories - 625 ft - 472 units - 10,000 sq.ft. of retail space - 9 floors of parking. Check out: http://www.amoninvestments.com/

These new twin towers look very Chinese.

Like any Chinese residential in SH, SZ, BJ.

I kindof like it...

My first impression was that this project is somewhat reminiscent of the Petronas Towers. Obviously, much smaller, etc. etc.

Although I really like a lot about this project, my concern is the height. If nearbly O2 is (reportedly) running into problems with the FAA over the height of their 41 story towers, wouldn't Tampa Towers project be facing the same issues at over 600 ft?

Hope that's not an issue and the bad boy gets built...

I like it!!! It looks similar to the Tradition Towers proposed in Orlando.

Any idea why this is not "news" in the local SP Times, TT, or Tampa Bay Business Journal??? Seems kind of odd?

I like it!!! It looks similar to the Tradition Towers proposed in Orlando.
That's the first thing I thought. Tampa Towers will not have quite the base that the Tradition Towers will have, but they will be taller. They look awesome - and in an ideal location perfectly suited to Tampa's needs for infill in the area.

I love it looks like a nice signature tower for Tampa way better than four seasons.

Here are some new renderings of the tampa towers from the web site.

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146132.png

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146133.png

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146134.png

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146135.png

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146136.png

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146137.png

http://www.imagecabin.com/imagehost/pic/4754FGVLv/146138.png

Thanks for the heads up Matt. Some of these are continuing to make my jaw drop...

The pool being on the first bridge and such.

Has ANYONE in the local media (not counting bloggers - like my buddy at Sticksoffire.com) pickedup on this yet?

No. why don't you email the papers - give the dude some hype, maybe get his units selling . . . well, his condo units . . . otherwise it would be illegal . . .

"There's a thin line between news and propoganda, John"

... and you didn't do a very good job saying that Smiley

Damn ! They've got to build this thing. Now I'm not saying it's great architecture. But it's surely a spectacle.

No. why don't you email the papers - give the dude some hype, maybe get his units selling . . . well, his condo units . . . otherwise it would be illegal . . .

LOL :D

"There's a thin line between news and propoganda, John"

... and you didn't do a very good job saying that Smiley

I am unclear what you are trying to say - I actually think maybe we should get a reporter bothering this guy and see what really comes of it- if he is legit or just putting up websites. A little investigation never hurts.

The rest was just a joke as an afterthought

On the Amon page, I like the rendering that puts the towers against the rest of the skyline. That shot hasn't been posted, if anyone wants to grab it. Seems to be the rendering of the older building, but it's interesting none the less.

It's too bad we don't have a really tall building proposed to sort of diminish Tampa's table skyline.

What a nice base for a building. The renderings are awesome for this project. :)

Wow, I love those new renderings. I really hope it gets built especially because there is not much in that area of downtown.

Tampa condos topped off

The framework for the Valencia in Old Hyde Park is in the place. Gaspar Residential, the developer of the 7-story condominium tower, held a topping off party on Friday.

A Christmas tree will be placed on top of the building for good luck, a construction holiday tradition that dates back to the 1800s.

The Valencia's floor plans range from 1,636 to 3,435 square feet, with two, three and four-bedroom options.

Wichman Construction is the project's general contractor.

Gaspar is a division of Gaspar Properties Inc., a Tampa-based development company.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2005/11/28/daily49.html?jst=b_ln_hl

On the Amon page, I like the rendering that puts the towers against the rest of the skyline. That shot hasn't been posted, if anyone wants to grab it. Seems to be the rendering of the older building, but it's interesting none the less.

It's too bad we don't have a really tall building proposed to sort of diminish Tampa's table skyline.

Yes it has...

See post #746 in this thread.

Yes it has...

See post #746 in this thread.

746 is an axonometric. There is an elevation view comparing it to other buildings as well.

amon has removed both the website and any reference to the project on its website......hmmmm

someone snitch to them. Who did it? Maybe they didn't want to cause too much over excitement and just took it down.

amon has removed both the website and any reference to the project on its website......hmmmm
CRAP!

Well, if they didn't want folks to get excited they shouldn't have taken about a two-page add in the latest Florida Trend, giving the website address, along with all the info on the project.

Condo proposal tops Trump Tower
Felix Amon wants to build two 625-foot-tall towers, connected by sky bridges, in downtown Tampa.
By STEVE HUETTEL, Times Staff Writer
Published December 6, 2005

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TAMPA - A Daytona Beach developer says he's assembling land in downtown Tampa for a wildly ambitious project: twin 51-story condominium towers connected by sky bridges.

Felix Amon of Amon Investments is thinking big: two 625-foot-tall towers that would reach higher than the planned Trump Tower Tampa, already touted as the tallest condo project on Florida's west coast.

"We want to build buildings that create inspiration, something that puts Tampa on the map," he said Monday. "They need to be spectacular."

The project, dubbed Tampa Towers, is at "a sensitive stage" with most of the land - parking lots south of the SunTrust Financial Centre along the Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway - under contract, Amon said. He has held only preliminary talks with a city planning official.

A couple weeks ago, Amon Investments launched a Web site complete with an artist's renderings of the towers, showing their location in relation to other downtown skyscrapers and the future Trump Tower.

Tampa Towers would have 472 residences, a combination of residential condos and condo hotel rooms owned by investors and managed by a nameplate hotel, Amon said.

Condos would sell from $350 to $1,200 per square foot or $700,000 to $2.4-million for a 2,000-square foot unit. There would also be 10,000 square feet of retail space on lower floors.

Renderings show towers with green glass and metal facades and gold tops cradling glass or silver domes. Two or three sky bridges would connect the buildings. They were inspired by the 88-story Petronas Towers in Malaysia, Amon said, the tallest buildings in the world.

News of his project appeared Friday evening on a Tampa blog site. Amon said he didn't plan on announcing Tampa Towers soon and put up the Web site to attract investors. The project Web site and Tampa Towers information on the company site were pulled down after Amon talked with a St. Petersburg Times reporter Monday afternoon.

An Austrian-born investor, Amon moved to America to capitalize on the euro's strength against the dollar, said Geri Campos, Clearwater economic development director. Amon says he has undertaken about 20 projects, both single-family homes and condos, mostly in the Daytona Beach and Orlando areas.

In May, Amon bought the rights to build a 126-unit, 15-story downtown condo development in Clearwater called Station Square, which had floundered for more than a year under a previous developer. Amon is expected to break ground in February.

He'd like to begin building Tampa Towers in 2007 and finish in two or three years. But he admits there's a long way to go.

It will take several months to hash out with city staffers issues on zoning, possible street closings and measures to make the southern part of downtown more "pedestrian friendly," said Amon.

He will also need to build any skyscraper to a height acceptable to the Federal Aviation Administration because the downtown area is so close to flight paths for Peter O. Knight Airport on nearby Davis Islands.

--Staff Writer Aaron Sharockman contributed to this report. Steve Huettel can be reached at huettel@sptimes.com or 813 226-3384.

[Last modified December 6, 2005, 02:15:34]


Past 14 Days December 5, 2005 December 4, 2005 December 3, 2005 December 2, 2005 December 1, 2005 November 30, 2005 November 29, 2005 November 28, 2005 November 27, 2005 November 26, 2005 November 25, 2005 November 24, 2005 November 23, 2005 November 22, 2005 Search further back

AS I said, let a reporter check it . . .

and put the URL
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/06/Business/Condo_proposal_tops_T.shtml

Wonder which 'Tampa blog site' they're talking about ?

www.sticksoffire.com

www.sticksoffire.com

He mentions SSC. Might we be at the epicenter of this controversy ? :)

"We"? Dale, you broke the news (how did you find it anyway?)... Step up, thump your chest a little...

*blushes* First two pages of a special insert on Florida Real Estate, in the current issue of Florida Trend, is devoted to Amon. I clicked on the website and 'Voila!'

It's great that it was discussed here before the media ever knew about it.

There's an article in the Tribune today too. Not as detailed as the article in the Times. Ever notice that the Times writes about Tampa condo's in a negative tone? The way they wrote about o2 was kinda like "ha ha ha, it's not going to happen"!

lol... I sent the article's writer an e-mail about citing that blog, when SSC was actually the first place it was mentioned.

Hey JohnF, don't you run that blog or something?

I tink Amon is a little PO that this broke out before expected, but this might be a good thing.

^Well, then they shouldn't have made their plans public on the internet like they did. It was clearly only a matter of time before folks like us picked up on it, and then word got around to the newspapers.

lol... I sent the article's writer an e-mail about citing that blog, when SSC was actually the first place it was mentioned.

Hey JohnF, don't you run that blog or something?


I'm friends with the guy who runs it. And I did tell him about what was found here first and I cited here when I told him about it (which wasn't included on the original post) and today after he found out they talked about his site in the article. He finally posted the link to this thread.

He origianlly cited me as the source of the info which was wrong.... I did lead him to it but it's not like I broke the news in general... This forum (and namely Dale to speak of members) did.

^That's what I told the dude at the STP Times.

lol... Dale has ALWAYS been a trouble maker! :)

^That's what I told the dude at the STP Times.

lol... Dale has ALWAYS been a trouble maker! :)

:bowtie:

:bowtie:

Even though you didn't get mentioned in the article, you deserve all of the credit, Dale. Noone else would have known about it if it weren't for you.

I saw a report about this on our local fox news channel and I thought of you!
Thanks for doing the research! I know that all of us here at SSP appreciate it! :)

^This is SSC.

:dunno: :nono: Even though you didn't get mentioned in the article, you deserve all of the credit, Dale. Noone else would have known about it if it weren't for you.

I saw a report about this on our local fox news channel and I thought of you!
Thanks for doing the research! I know that all of us here at SSP appreciate it! :)

Unique Skyline Addition In Works
By DAVE SIMANOFF dsimanoff@tampatrib.com
Published: Dec 7, 2005




TAMPA - Paris has its Eiffel Tower. Londoners love their Big Ben. In Kaula Lumpur, locals look up to the Petronas Towers.

Now a Daytona Beach developer is promising Tampa residents their own skyline icon.

Felix Amon, chief executive officer of Amon Investments, said he is assembling land just south of downtown's central business district for a pair of 625-foot-tall, 51-story condominium towers that will be linked by sky bridges.

The project is still in the early stages of planning: Amon said he has had conversations with city officials and that he won't begin the permitting and application process until next year. Nonetheless, the Austrian-born businessman said he's looking to break ground and start sales in 2007, and he's optimistic the buildings will be open for business when Tampa hosts the Super Bowl in 2009.

Amon Investments joins a growing list of condo developers with designs on downtown. The Tampa Bay Partnership, a not-for-profit group representing downtown businesses, counts 30 condominium projects either under construction or in the works for the downtown area, with a combined total of 6,679 condominium units.

Amon said he's not worried about the number of condominiums slated for downtown. He said his firm picked Tampa because of the area's white-collar job growth and comparatively low land costs. He said the Bay area - and the Interstate 4 corridor through middle Florida - is a promising market for condominium development because of the growing number of jobs and rising population.

Byron Moger, senior director for commercial real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, doesn't think too many condominium developments are planned for downtown. Newcomers to the area fill thousands of new apartment units and single-family homes each year, he said. The downtown development reflects a growing trend toward urban, instead of suburban, living environments.

"I don't think it's a glut," he said. "I think it represents something that's exciting - a whole change in lifestyles in Tampa Bay. I think 10 years from now, downtown Tampa is going to be an exciting, vibrant city - and that's a big change from what it is now."

Christine Burdick, president of the Tampa Downtown Partnership, said developers and lenders will adapt their plans if the market demand for downtown condominiums isn't as strong as anticipated.

"I don't think there's going to be more built than people are willing to buy," she said.

Ask Amon about the condo towers, and he'll talk first not about price points and market research but about international city icons and his love of vibrant, bustling urban environments. His examples include Rockefeller Center and the Eiffel Tower.

"I want to build something spectacular - a real landmark - to put Tampa on the international map," he said. He wants his condominium towers to be "a symbol of success and good feeling, not just for the people in it, but for all the people in the city."

A rendering sent to potential investors shows a sand-colored facade with light-blue glass. The buildings are connected by sky bridges. Plans call for 472 condominium units, 10,000 to 17,000 square feet of commercial space, and nine floors of parking.

Amon said the towers would be south of the SunTrust Financial Centre, but he wouldn't identify the site because he hasn't assembled the land yet and is negotiating with owners. He's calling the buildings the Tampa Towers for now.

Amon said he'll build a variety of units. Prices will probably start around $350 to $370 a square foot and run as high as $1,200 a square foot, which means a 1,000-square-foot unit would cost $350,000 to $370,000.

In comparison, the prices at Trump Tower Tampa run from $700,000 to $6.5 million for units ranging in size from 1,991 to 6,150 square feet. Skypoint, under construction near the Tampa Museum of Art, is selling units from 725 to 1,400 square feet for $170,000 to $475,000.

Burdick said she's hoping to see more information soon about the Amon Investments proposal. She said she favors buildings that add distinctiveness to the city's skyline.

"Tampa has a very interesting, eclectic skyline now: We don't have buildings that all look the same," she said. "Anything that's added to the skyline - I'd like it to be kind of unique and symbolic."

http://tampatrib.com/businessnews/MGBXMNOZWGE.html



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

^lol.... Don't know the site? Anyone with two eyes and access to the property appraiser's site can figure it out in about 2 minutes.

I wanted to point something out, guys, that I found while snooping around... Just to show this (Tampa Tower) has been in the works for a bit.

I went to the web site whois.sc -- it's about domain names and such. I looked into towertampa.com and there was a screen shot of the web site for Tampa Tower...

Singular.

You can't see it very well but it's only one building or originally the plan was for only one building. Same makeup and design, I think, but it was only one tower as to two.

Wow ! I'm impressed the Trib writer didn't trot out the usual nayayers. Instead, he cited an optimistic point-of-view.

What will they think of next ?

^Maybe they'll actually endorse someone other than a Republican for President someday?


....Nah... That's just crazy talk.

^Maybe they'll actually endorse someone other than a Republican for President someday?


....Nah... That's just crazy talk.

Well, they did refuse to endorse President Bush last year. Not exactly an endorsement for John Kerry, but not Republican boot-licking either.

An who can blame them? They have a conservative bent, but it's a business-conservative bent (like New York/New England style GOPers). They're actually surprisingly moderate-to-liberal on social issues. If you believe in smaller government and fiscal responsibility, George W. Bush doesn't exactly inspire confidence.

www.tampaciti.com (http://www.tampaciti.com)

Tommy (from www.sticksoffire.com) wanted me to thank everyone here about the Tampa Towers project scoop... And with his lobbying and Jason's lobbying about SSC, it was included in an article today that talks about Sticks being the bay-area media outlet getting the scoop on the project...

The Article in question:

Blogger gets jump on news of big condo (http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/08/Hillsborough/Blogger_gets_jump_on_.shtml)

Tampa Bay area media outlets play second fiddle to a freelance guy with an Internet connection.

By CURTIS KRUEGER, Times Staff Writer
Published December 8, 2005

TAMPA - The big news about a massive new condo project planned for downtown Tampa might be the way the news broke.

The first Tampa Bay area media outlet to carry the story was not a newspaper or a television station but a blogger who says, "I have zero journalistic education."

What Tommy Duncan does have is his own blog, a passion for Tampa news, and a friend who just happened to read about the proposed Tampa Towers project on a different Internet site.

After getting his friend's tip, Duncan posted an item about the condos on his blog, www.sticksoffire.com on Friday.

It was a digital milestone in the evolving Tampa Bay media scene, a case of a freelance guy with an Internet connection getting the story before the mainstream newspapers and television stations.

Duncan, 37, is married, has two daughters and lives in Brandon. He works in customer service for a software company and also sings in the Johnny G. Lyon Band. He spent a decade working for the Tampa Tribune - in accounting. He said he had nothing to do with writing news.

Duncan loves reading blogs, short for "Web logs," which are personalized Web sites that are regularly updated, like journals. But to Duncan, it seemed that most blogs focused either on big national issues or intensely personal ones. Duncan wanted something in the middle, a blog for people to share important information about local politics and community events.

So a couple of years ago he launched "Sticks of Fire," which harks to a Calusa Indian name for Tampa.

"The long-term goal was to get people interested in local politics and get them interested in the things that are most important to us Tampans," Duncan said.

The St. Petersburg Times independently learned of the Tampa Towers condo project this week, then discovered Duncan's blog, and interviewed the developer. The Times published a story about the project Tuesday, describing the plans for two 625-foot-tall towers that, if built, would be higher than the planned Trump Tower. The newspaper story noted that, "News of his project appeared Friday evening on a Tampa blog site." It appeared even earlier on www.skyscrapercity.com

Duncan said that "At first I was thrilled that I got a scoop," although slightly miffed the Times didn't mention his blog by name.

In the future, Duncan said he hopes the Tampa Bay blogosphere matures to the point that it produces more and more news of importance to local readers. And that, he hopes, will create more readers for local blogs.

"I think there's an opportunity for a lot of public participation . . . if you could imagine, if you will, somebody who goes to all the county commission meetings, just to write about that. There could be some things in there that newspapers or other people miss."
[Last modified December 8, 2005, 00:49:13]

Port Boss Discusses Sea Change
Stories by TED JACKOVICS tjackovics@tampatrib.com
Published: Dec 8, 2005




TAMPA - The principals in a controversial hotel/condominium proposal on Port of Tampa property have modified architectural plans and asked port officials for an extension on a March 31 groundbreaking deadline, port Director Richard Wainio said Wednesday.

Developer Murray Klauber envisions a 55-story tower with 400 hotel units and 180 condominiums. The $450 million proposal would displace part of International Ship Repair and Marine Services, whose lease on a segment of port property expires in January.

Wainio said port attorneys and planners are in discussions with development officials.

"I am not prepared to recommend an extension because I do not have all the facts," Wainio said. "They have changed the architectural design and site plan several times. They need to have a plan that makes sense and will pass all the standards the city has established."

The project's attorney could not be reached for comment.

:fiddle:

Wow... I guess a little e-mail to the newspaper guys does some good every now and then.

Thank you St Pete Times!

Port Boss Discusses Sea Change
Stories by TED JACKOVICS tjackovics@tampatrib.com
Published: Dec 8, 2005




TAMPA - The principals in a controversial hotel/condominium proposal on Port of Tampa property have modified architectural plans and asked port officials for an extension on a March 31 groundbreaking deadline, port Director Richard Wainio said Wednesday.

Developer Murray Klauber envisions a 55-story tower with 400 hotel units and 180 condominiums. The $450 million proposal would displace part of International Ship Repair and Marine Services, whose lease on a segment of port property expires in January.

Wainio said port attorneys and planners are in discussions with development officials.

"I am not prepared to recommend an extension because I do not have all the facts," Wainio said. "They have changed the architectural design and site plan several times. They need to have a plan that makes sense and will pass all the standards the city has established."

The project's attorney could not be reached for comment.

:fiddle:

Yeah, buh-bye.

http://www.tampatrib.com/Business/MGB7F5PE8HE.html

Developer Drops Condo Plans
By SHANNON BEHNKEN sbehnken@tampatrib.com
Published: Dec 15, 2005




TAMPA - A much-hyped proposal to build twin 41-story condominiums in Channelside is dead, a lead partner says. The backer of an adjacent Space Needle-like tower contends that his project remains possible.

The group involved in the so-called 02 property said it does not know how that site may ultimately be developed. They say rising construction costs have made the O2's original plans for the twin, high-rise residential towers unviable.

"This is the grim reality of the rising costs in today's market," Tim Morris, chief executive officer of Corvus International, said Wednesday. 'Some [buyers] really like the site and want to stick it out. Others want their money back so they can look at other options."

Morris, who said his Birmingham, Mich.-based company owns 65 percent of the condo portion of the O2 twin-tower project, said Corvus is starting over.

He said Corvus is working on plans for three smaller condominiums and a hotel and retail component.

In the meantime, Morris said buyers with reservations can either get their deposits back or reserve the right to have first pick of condos in the new development.

The original condo proposal called for using half of the 12-acre master-planned site that included the space needle. Morris said the new proposal may take up more acreage because he thinks the space needle may not happen - although the Tampa developer who proposed it some 11 years ago says his dream remains possible.

Frank DeBose, president of Pinnacle Group Holdings, said Wednesday that his space needle proposal remains undetermined and that Corvus is on the way out. Still, DeBose said the needle "won't happen anytime in the near future because of what's happening on the site and construction issues related to cost."

DeBose said Corvus is under contract to sell its stake in the property and that Morris "isn't involved in anything that will happen on that site, period."

The project is part of the original plan for the proposed 12-acre Pinnacle Place, a mix of condos, retail stores, an amphitheater and a 624-foot observation tower, referred to as a space needle. The site is on Channelside Drive, west of Meridian Avenue.

DeBose brought in Corvus about a year ago to develop the condos. Tampa Bay area developer Ken Morin also is a partner in the O2 project.

Morris said he's talked to several potential buyers and would sell out of the project for the right price. For now, he said, he's moving forward with plans to redesign the site and ask the city of Tampa for approval to build 850 units, instead of the original 425.

The three condo towers, he said, would be 33 to 35 stories and about 340 feet tall. The site would also include green space and retail. One of the towers would include a hotel. He said his company is looking for a hotel management company to run it.

Morris plans to move forward with asking the city for more density because it will make the property more valuable if Corvus decides to sell.

Corvus has other projects in Florida under construction, including Bel Mare, a complex of three 15-story condominiums and a waterfront shopping village in Palmetto, and Positano on the Gulf, 28 luxury condominiums on Longboat Key.

The Channelside condo project is one of more than two dozen planned for downtown Tampa. A few developers have sold their projects this year or delayed construction because of rising costs, financing trouble or trouble selling units.

"With the large mega developments happening downtown, everybody is rustling with the same issues," DeBose said. "Right now, no one can guarantee anything."

With the housing market beginning to slow I expect a few more proposed developments not to take place. It appears that in most of the newer condo developments, developers aren't selling out in just a week or two as they were two years ago or even last year.

The whole story about rising construction prices is bull crap. The price of concrete, steel, and wood have all heald steady for the past year and a half. Some construction materials have even gone down in price. The reason these developments are falling through is becasue of G R E E D! Developers want to make more money than they really need on each unit, thus have priced nearly everyone out of the market now. Even upper middle class can't afford these prices anymore.

It's not just condos but even single family homes. A friend of mine who works for lennar Homes has told me that on the sale of a $500k home, the company nets approximately $125-175k depending on add-ons. Thats after everyone has been paid. Incredible!!

There has to be a group of people out there who could get together and build smaller developments that are afordable and instead of making $80k-$200K on each unit just take in say $15-$25K. If I had the cash I'd do it myself only to proove it can be done!

I'll step off my soapbox now.

It would have been nice to see this project through but in a way I am kind of happy it all fell apart. The prices on these units are absolutely ridiculous! The 300k-400k range is fine for states where the median incomes are higher but what is Tampa's median income? 25k-30k tops?

good rid... I haven't been confident in thid corp since it started. I hope a better company wil maker a a good offer and do something better.
This is all about money and we need to get a body that is willing to do something.

At least this gives us a vague idea:
New Port Tampa Bay
By MICHAEL CANNING
Published December 16, 2005

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

LOCATION: 52 acres around the Imperial Yacht Basin, near Gandy and West Shore boulevards.

DEVELOPER: EcoGroup, Tampa.

DESCRIPTION: Multiphase residential, commercial and office development proposed to include 1,750 townhomes, condominiums and apartments, a community park, a renovated 200-slip marina with adjoining restaurants and shops, office buildings and an extension of the Friendship Trail. Phases 1 and 2 will consist of twin 16-story condominium buildings, Marina Tower I and II, and BayCity Place townhouses. The towers' 213 units will average 2,200 square feet and have three bedrooms and two bathrooms or four bedrooms and three bathrooms. BayCity's 175 units will average 3,000 square feet.

PRICE: $300,000s to more $2-million for Phase 1 and 2.

ARCHITECT: Curts Gaines Hall Jones Architects, Tampa.

AMENITIES: Common areas will include a 2-acre marina park with a performance venue. The Club New Port development will have a restaurant, spa and fitness center, pool and conference rooms. Each Marina Tower will have an outdoor pool and spa, rooftop garden, fitness room with spa, guest suites, concierge, social salon with catering kitchen, billiards room, movie theater, boardroom and cabanas.

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: EcoGroup president Ed Oelschlaeger says the deep marina will remain the heart of the development. "At mean low water, the Imperial Yacht Basin is 8 to 9 feet deep, which is very deep for the west coast of Florida." The Imperial name will soon change to New Port Tampa Bay.

TIMELINE: Infrastructure upgrades and construction will begin in January. Phase 1 and 2 construction is scheduled to start late in the spring and take about two years. The entire development is expected to take seven to nine years.

MOVE-IN DATE: Upon completion of construction.

FOR INFORMATION: Call listing agent Mark Purtee at Bentley Sales Group, 226-1900, or go to www.newporttampabay.com

- MICHAEL CANNING, Times correspondent

The Latest Development features a new residential or commercial project. To suggest a project, e-mail mikecanning@hotmail.com or call 226-3394.

[Last modified December 15, 2005, 10:05:12]
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/16/Citytimes/New_Port_Tampa_Bay.shtml

BY the way, I don't know if anyone noticed the tower crane down by the Gandy for the other condo in the WCI development - the name of which escapes me at the moment. - Me gusta.

Judge rules in favor of Hyde Park condo tower
Homeowners say the proposed 346-foot development is too tall for the Hyde Park Historic District.
By JANET ZINK, Times Staff Writer
Published December 17, 2005

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TAMPA - In his ruling, he quoted Big Yellow Taxi, Joni Mitchell's classic song lamenting the paving of paradise.

But Hillsborough Circuit Judge William Levens on Friday still ruled in favor of a developer fighting the city of Tampa to build a condominium tower at DeSoto Avenue and Bayshore Boulevard.

"The homeowners' concerns are legitimate and well-taken regarding the development of Bayshore Boulevard. One of our city's treasures looks more and more like Miami Beach," Levens wrote before invoking the Mitchell lyric, "They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

"However," he wrote, "the court is bound to apply the law, not to decide a case based on personal or popular opinion."

At issue was the height of the proposed 346-foot tower in the Hyde Park Historic District.

The height complies with the city's zoning laws. But homeowners complained it was too tall. The city's Architectural Review Commission agreed, voting last year to deny the proposal.

Citivest, the tower's developer, appealed the decision to the City Council, which upheld the review commission's ruling.

Citivest took the matter to court. City attorneys tried to settle the case. But in July, under pressure from homeowners, the City Council voted against the settlement and sent the attorneys back to court.

Levens' eight-page order concludes that the city's zoning laws regulate height and the Architectural Review Commission should focus on design within the parameters outlined in the land development code. He directed the City Council to reconsider the case and follow the terms of his ruling.

"This clarifies the role of the ARC," said Scott McLaren, an attorney for Citivest. "All along we have argued exactly what the judge has decided. The appearance and style of a building should be decided by the Architectural Review Commission, not how tall it is."

Seth Nelson, an attorney working on behalf of the Hyde Park homeowners, isn't convinced.

"Size matters," he said. "The most important feature of the architecture of any building is the size. I'm not an architect, but when you describe a house, one of the things you always describe is its size. Oh, it's the big one on the corner. It's the little one in the middle of the block."

City Attorney David Smith agrees.

"Part of our initial argument was that height is one of the things you can consider when determining architectural issues," he said.

Nelson also worries how the ruling will affect the future of the historic district.

"Now anything in the historic district that is zoned to whatever, the footprint of the building can be to the envelope of what's allowed under zoning. It doesn't have to conform to historic guidelines. The only thing left for the architectural review commission to consider is architectural candy.

"The judge got it wrong. we're disappointed and we believe that the city should appeal."

Smith said he's reviewing the ruling and hasn't decided what step to take next. Options include letting the matter go back to the City Council, filing a request for reconsideration within 10 days and filing an appeal within 30 days. Smith said he'll review the issue as soon as possible with the City Council, which is on winter break until Jan. 5.

Several legal issues are pending, including claims that the city violated the developer's equal protection and due process rights, which could entitle Citivest to attorney's fees.

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

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/17/Hillsborough/Judge_rules_in_favor_.shtml

URL, goddammit . . .

http://www.sptimes.com/2005/12/17/Hillsborough/Judge_rules_in_favor_.shtml

Update on Rocky Point

Change of plans for Oasis condos
Developer moves on with Westin
Carl Cronan
Real estate editor

TAMPA -- Development of the 200-room Westin Airport Tampa Bay hotel on Rocky Point will proceed early next year, with or without the neighboring condominiums that were originally proposed at the former Days Inn site.

The Impact Group in Tampa has agreed to sell part of its 6.2-acre waterfront site along Courtney Campbell Causeway to High Point Development, which will design its own condo project to replace the previously proposed Oasis Rocky Point Island.

High Point made what Dilip Kanji, president of Tampa-based Impact Group, considered "a very lucrative offer" to buy the Oasis segment. Kanji declined to disclose financial details of the offer. But he said his firm plans to begin construction in February on the 12-story Westin after several months of delays.

"The hotel segment was basically ready to go. We just couldn't get it going until the Oasis got started," Kanji said. He had planned to build the condos ahead of the hotel, then determined that trying to build both projects under the same developer and general contractor would be too cumbersome.

James Landers, president and CEO of Tampa-based High Point, did not return telephone messages seeking comment for this story. Sources familiar with the development say High Point will likely submit new plans for city approval and will likely call the new condo tower Blue Meridian.
Changed intentions

Originally valued at $50 million when it was announced in 2003, the 14-story, 208-unit Oasis was intended as a companion property to the Westin, which has been designed as a luxury hotel with amenities similar to those at two others across the causeway, Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay and Radisson Bay Harbor.

Kanji, whose firm has developed and sold various hotels on Rocky Point and throughout the Bay area, had never before attempted multifamily development but wanted to replace the old Days Inn Rocky Point Island hotel with a higher-and-better-use property.

Impact Group bought the aging 150-room Days Inn, which dated back to the mid-1950s, for $2.7 million in 1992 and razed the buildings this past spring. Hillsborough County property records list the site's current taxable value at more than $5.2 million.

"As a developer, you would like to do both at the same time, but it becomes a monumental task. You have to make the numbers work," Kanji said. Rather than holding off hotel construction to wait for a partner for the condo segment, he said he would rather forge ahead with the Westin and mitigate those building costs.
New use welcome

The hotel, which will likely open in early 2007, should benefit from continued corporate growth in the Rocky Point and West Shore office districts, along with its proximity to Tampa International Airport.

Nearby hoteliers welcome the prospect of Westin replacing the Days Inn, which in recent years was better known as a popular rental site for personal watercraft and the location of the Green Iguana beach bar.

"It's going to be good for the entire island," said Ben Wacksman, a former Hillsborough County commissioner and now president of Capital Realty Investors LLC, which bought the Radisson Bay Harbor in May for $13.8 million.

High Point is currently involved in developing at least a dozen multifamily projects including Legacy Park, a 135-townhome project on 15 acres in south Tampa with prices starting in the low $200,000s.

Living units for Oasis were previously being marketed at prices from $400,000 to $2 million, with condo sizes ranging between 1,450 and 4,300 square feet. A Web site promoting the development was no longer active earlier this week.

ccronan@bizjournals.com | 813.342.2468

© 2005 American City Business Journals Inc.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2005/12/19/story1.html

Oasis was ugly anyway. . .

Yes it was! This may be the best news as the hotel can now commence will it appears the new developer is starting right in on a new condo for the Oasis site, hopefully a little better design.

Judge rules in favor of Hyde Park condo tower.....


......Several legal issues are pending, including claims that the city violated the developer's equal protection and due process rights, which could entitle Citivest to attorney's fees.



It was extremely poor leadership for the elected officials to cave in to what was basically mob rule. Anyone with a brain could see clear as day that the developer had every legal right to develop the revised plan as it was submitted.

If there is any real justice in the world, the city will pay the developer's attorney fees, and will then recoup that cost from the idiot residents who demanded the city sue, by way of a special tax leveed against only those residents...

Nelson also worries how the ruling will affect the future of the historic district.

"Now anything in the historic district that is zoned to whatever, the footprint of the building can be to the envelope of what's allowed under zoning. It doesn't have to conform to historic guidelines. The only thing left for the architectural review commission to consider is architectural candy.

"The judge got it wrong. we're disappointed and we believe that the city should appeal."

Don't take it up with the judge. If the city doesn't want highrises in the area, just change the zoning ordinance. That's a lot cheaper and less complicated then spending taxpayer money in court to stop something your own law clearly promotes.

^That's a nice article Tampa610, but it has absolutely no relevance whatsoever to what this thread discusses.

I'm going to split it off into its own thread called "Housing bubble may be about to burst for some Florida cities".

Oasis was ugly anyway. . .

Yup, and it didn't really fit in with Rocky Point anyway. The buildings around there are mostly glass and having a 14 story pink, concrete wall on the water wouldn't fit in at all. The Westin is a better design although still not a great one, i'm glad overall its getting built, or appears atleast.

Maybe I'm just clueless here...but does anybody have any idea what development this is that is going to take an entire block?

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/12/21/135004.html

Maybe I'm just clueless here...but does anybody have any idea what development this is that is going to take an entire block?

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/12/21/135004.html

I believe this is the Franklin St. development. Three towers at staggering heights built by the Doran Jason Group.

Maybe I'm just clueless here...but does anybody have any idea what development this is that is going to take an entire block?

http://www.baynews9.com/content/36/2005/12/21/135004.html
I think it is the Patel development which includes the old Maas Brothers Building.

If the Patel development, then it certainly is proceeding under the radar screen.

what a crappy article-i hate when they don't give the project dets

I believe this is the Franklin St. development. Three towers at staggering heights built by the Doran Jason Group.
No, it isn't.

That is on the other side of the street, several blocks to the north between Polk and Tyler.

The block they show (which is wrong) is presently unremarkable SFAIK. It used to have a Walgreens at the end pictured, and also used to have a Burger King mid block. There is a CVS at the other end, in the base of that midrise office tower... More importantly, the block is comprised of 8 parcels, owned by 7 different parties.

The block the article talks about is the Maas block, which is on the same side of the street, but one block north. It has the old Maas buildings on the northen half, and other storefronts on the southern half... But the whole block is owned by Patel's company "610 Franklin LLC".

There are no details for Patel's project, because SFAIK, it is in schematic redesign, and has yet to be presented to the city for approval.



oh, and btw... Consuming an entire DT block isn't a big deal... Each block is only about an acre.

Just go to Mapquest. It's two blocks north of Kennedy and four or five blocks south of Kress. If businesses are already being told to leave then this is a good indication that demolition is on the way. What could be the problem with finding another spot in DT?

^huh?

You try finding ground floor retail space in DT, where the rent is relatively close to what these people were paying in these old buildings... And the space isn't off on the NE edge of DT, near the ghettos.

Actually I'm not sure if Mr. Empanada is a franchise. I assumed they were...they have more than one location.

They had another feature story on downtown developement on WTVT but I missed it -- just saw the tail end of it during the 6 PM broadcast.

There goes the Maas Bros building . . .

They had another feature story on downtown developement on WTVT but I missed it -- just saw the tail end of it during the 6 PM broadcast.

I'll be sure to try and watch at 10 then.

Does anyone have any updates or know whats going on with Seaboard? Would have thought we would see more going on by now...

Any updates on sales and projected start of their first building?

If you all haven't already looked at the website please check out www.tampabayone.com. They make it look so promising. Where exactly do I put a new quote/message if it's not related to the one I'm answering?

^????

Quote what where?

Tampa Bay One's project website hasnt changed since 2002.....I think you are asking how to post a new thread...on the main florida forum just hit "new thread" and thats it. For an actual quote just hit the last icon on the format toolbar that looks like a text bubble and then copy and paste the text you would like to quote and then hit hit the quote icon again to close the quote.

Just a heads up I talked with someone about the Tampa Teleconvergence Center who stated that it will be 62 stories.?...I saw the color rendering of the B&W we have here and supposedly I will get to see more pics which I will try to post if this really happens. Have a great New Year everyone!

You too.

Sorry to ask you this, but what will the Tampa Teleconvergance Center look like, I'm new to everything.

Look at the first page of this thread and you will see the sketch, pretty bad quality though.

Sketch need some touching, but what I can see, it looks like a great tower.