What does Tampa need?

[Dean]

Originally Posted by gstolze

We need to think long range here. Tampa Bay needs rail mass transit as a back bone of new development. Along the rail corridors should be high density development/redevelopment. That would generate ridership and leave more room for new green space elsewhere.

Melbourne's future Transport plan was released late last year and the centre piece involves a massive 17km long North-South metro rail tunnel from Footscray in Melbourne's West to Caulfield in the South East. It's expected the 1st stage will cost $4.5 billion with the 2nd stage around the same amount. It's proposed to start construction by 2012 and be done by about 2018.

Melbourne Metro Rail Map - Stages 1 and 2
http://www4.transport.vic.gov.au/vtp...metro_rail.pdf

Government Announcement
http://www4.transport.vic.gov.au/vtp...o41/index.html

[tampasteve]

Originally Posted by gstolze

We need to think long range here. Tampa Bay needs rail mass transit as a back bone of new development. Along the rail corridors should be high density development/redevelopment. That would generate ridership and leave more room for new green space elsewhere.

Very true. One of the main objectives HART is studying at the same time as rail is TOD along the corridor. This of course is a major step towards building a sustainable urban community in Tampa.

Steve

[FlaNatv]

I think a lot of Melbourne's transit lines are historic...I wonder how Tampa would look if all the original transit lines were still in use today? We would probably not be debating this subject...

[FLHawk]

a surface parking lot on one of THE prime lots downtown.
I understand that the market will not support actively developing a residential or office tower at this time, but it's such a shame that all we'll get from tearing down the historic Maas Brothers building is an F'ing parking lot.

http://tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2010/01/25/story1.html?b=1264395600^2764141

Price of former Maas Bros. block drops after bust
Property has played important part in Tampa’s history
Tampa Bay Business Journal - by Janet Leiser Staff writer


TAMPA* – The city block that was home to the Maas Bros. department store for more than seven decades has stood vacant since the building was razed in the spring of 2006 to make way for a condominium tower.

Soon the land, bounded by Franklin, Zack, Twiggs and Tampa streets, will be a parking lot for 111 vehicles. Its future development use is unclear since supply exceeds demand for real estate, from condos to hotels to offices.

Last month, shopping center developer Cliff Levy partnered with Seven One Seven Parking Enterprises’ owners and brothers Jason Accardi and John Accardi to quietly buy the block from Wood Partners LLC of Atlanta.

The limited liability company established by Levy and the Accardis paid $2.7 million — nearly 24.5 percent of the $11 million paid by Wood Partners, a prominent Southeastern multifamily developer, in March 2006 amid the pre-bust days of Florida’s housing boom.

In fact, Maas 18 LLC paid $1.1 million less than the property traded for in 2004.

“It was a great opportunity,” said lawyer Ron Weaver, who represents the new owners. “It’s one of the greatest parcels in downtown Tampa.”

A site for flipping
The property at 610 N. Franklin St. has changed owners at least four times since the late 1990s when historic preservationists failed in an effort to restore the dilapidated building.

In 2002, commercial real estate developer Gregory L. Hughes announced Renaissance Tampa, a Chesapeake Atlantic Holdings Inc. project that was to include a 27-story, 450,000-square-foot office building with residential and retail space.

The development was to tie into the city’s planned downtown cultural arts district along the Hillsborough River. In recent years the history center, children’s museum and art museum have been built.

But the block wasn’t redeveloped.

In 2004, Hughes sold the property for $3.8 million to an investment group led by Pradip C. Patel. Fifteen months later, Patel’s group sold to Wood Partners for $11 million.

The residential market tanked before Wood Partners broke ground on a proposed 32-floor, 503-unit condo tower.

While calls to Wood Partners weren’t returned, a news article last year stated the company was shifting its focus from development to the acquisition of multifamily properties.

Little development is expected in the private sector over the next few years.

Levy, one of the new owners of the Maas Bros. block, said he believes the downtown area will be successful in the long term because the recession is temporary.

“You have to have the strength of your convictions,” said Levy, whose family is originally from Toronto. “Tampa has so much going for it.”

One of the city’s biggest challenges, according to Levy, is its ability to develop reliable public transportation, including light-rail service connecting downtown to the University of South Florida and Orlando.

“If they can get the public transportation, it really will be phenomenal,” Levy said.

Weaver, a real estate lawyer, said there has been a flurry of real estate activity in the past seven weeks.

“A lot of people are beginning to look at buying,” Weaver said. “It is a good time to buy at a great price.”


jleiser@bizjournals.com | 813.342.2468

[I-275westcoastfl]

What a fail... I cant believe they are allowing such a thing.

[HARTride 2012]

Yeah, we don't need another dumb parking lot

[DShenise]

When these types of situations occur, a development deal falling through that is, the City ought to force the owner into creating a "temporary" park, ala Lykes Plaza. Just some crushed shell paths, shade trees (10 max), and sod, nothing crazy or expensive. That way the public gets something good out of it until the market picks up and you can develop as originally planned. The only thing the owner would be out is about $10-$20K in landscaping. It would provide a bit of an incentive to keep things moving.

[FlaNatv]

I remember that gaslight park is temporary, Lykes was supposed to build their headquarters there....that's going to be sad if that park really goes away...

[TampaMike]

Originally Posted by FlaNatv

I remember that gaslight park is temporary, Lykes was supposed to build their headquarters there....that's going to be sad if that park really goes away...

I actually like Lykes Park and its a very nice pocket park. If I would choose it over something in the 50 story range is a different story though.

[DShenise]

Its fine if something viable goes up, hell anything over 20 stories would be fine with me. But vacant, fenced lots should not be allow. Make it a part of the demo permit in certain areas (CBD, Channelside, Kennedy Corridor, Westshore BD, and Ybor) that if you don't commence work on the "final" use within 60days, you have to install a park.

[FlaNatv]

image hosted on flickr


Cool??

[TampaMike]

I like it. The only thing I can say negatively is that the light rail is going to be sharing the rail with Amtrak. I think we could work out a deal with them like Miami did, but of course it will be time.

Btw, whats the puke green color location for?

[FlaNatv]

Oh yeah, sorry, that's the Convention/hotels district...

[FlaNatv]

image hosted on flickr


I revised the map adding HSR ...

[gstolze]

Nice concept, but I'm missing the connection of the light rail with the HSR station...

[FlaNatv]

image hosted on flickr


Maybe this would work...

...just to point out, I think the cruise terminals need to get out of the channelside district, especially between the aquarium and the plaza

[jonknee]

The cruise terminals bring a huge amount of business to Channelside.

[tampasteve]

True, and frankly, I doubt they would be willing to build new terminals when the ones that are there now are so new, not to mention the revenue that they generate for the parking garages in channelside.

Steve

[FloridaFuture]

Originally Posted by tampasteve

True, and frankly, I doubt they would be willing to build new terminals when the ones that are there now are so new, not to mention the revenue that they generate for the parking garages in channelside.

Steve

Revenue from parking garages. Yay!

[FlaNatv]

I mainly think it's a shame that the cruise terminals block access to the waterfront because security precautions, etc.

Well, what do you think of the area at the north end of the Ybor channel....a lot of "ifs" but if they were to build the Rays stadium near Ybor would it not be a prime waterfront area for some commercial development? Somekind of Boardwalk with shops, entertainment, blah, blah, blah