TAMPA | Encore/Central Park Revitalization | several midrises | retail | office | residential | site work

[CF221]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

They should rename the place "Central Median".

COMMENT OF THE YEAR.

Anyone else think Florida looks ridiculous in its seemingly insatiable and FDOT-endorsed self-harming path towards car-centrism? Lol I betcha if the park was for cars it would be as big as NY's Central Park. Sad sad state-endorsed car-centrism.

[USF802]

Originally Posted by tampaizzy

According to their website timeline they should have broken ground on two other buildings already, the trio and the reed?

That's what I thought too. Every time I drive by on 275, I keep expecting to see two new cranes.

[TampaMike]

Originally Posted by tampaizzy

According to their website timeline they should have broken ground on two other buildings already, the trio and the reed?

I thought so too, but would had expected an article or a post on the Mayor's FB page on him attending the groundbreaking if that was the case. But work is at the final stages for Ella I believe and they want to start about the same time that the first residents start moving in. Which I bet they will surely love to deal with.

[koopalicious]

The groundbreaking for the Trio is supposed to be on Dec. 4, and the Reed on Dec. 18.

[TampaMike]

Even better, hopefully nothing has changed.

[USF802]

http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-ne...way-ar-579309/

We finally have ground breaking on the Trio!



Ella is soon to be open to residents

And The Reed with have a ground breaking ceremony Dec. 18th.

[tampaizzy]

you beat me to it! I was just about to post that. I found it interesting that they said in the article he was expecting to announce plans for a grocery store in the next 60 days

[USF802]

It makes sense, I think the area has hit the critical mass needed to draw a grocery store, especially considering there is not a large grocery store anywheres nearby. Will be good for Channelside residents too.

[tampaizzy]

I know, its something that has been needed and talked about for a while now, lets hope it finally happens now.

[TPAMAN]

I guess they will do a free standing store? Hopefully not a sea of parking around it...

[Jasonhouse]

I had a strong hunch that they would add a grocery store.


By "hunch" I mean that I had heard as much from an insider.

[smiley]

There has been a plan for a freestanding grocery store in there for years

ENCORE’s grocery parcel is zoned for a 36,000 SF +/- store and offers great visibility. Downtown’s daytime population of 50,000+, Channelside’s 2,500+ residents, on-site residents, hotel guests, business professionals, retailers and tourists combine to create a viable, high-demand grocery store destination. 2008 retail market data indicates Downtown Tampa is underserved and in demand of a grocery retailer as evidenced in an estimated retail gap of $21,182,695. Data also shows tremendous growth in median household incomes within ENCORE’s Downtown Tampa market ($47,585 up from $25,992 in 2000) with even higher median household incomes projected through 2013 ($54,257).

http://www.encoretampa.com/site-plan.php

Whether they have one lined up - I assumed at some point they would get one. Hopefully they have one.

[TampaMike]

Ella's grand opening is today and the first residents start moving in next Tuesday. And if the schedule holds, we'll see Reed start construction next week too. I wonder if they have anyone interested for the retail in Ella.

[jonknee]

Encore seems to be picking up steam. I'm halfway impressed, now they just need to get that grocery store going.

Federal housing officials grant $30 million to Tampa's Encore redevelopment project


TAMPA — The Encore Tampa redevelopment project north of downtown got a $30 million boost Thursday from federal housing officials.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, D-Tampa, said Tampa was one of only four communities in the nation — Seattle, San Antonio and Cincinnati were the others — to receive a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Choice Neighborhood initiative.

The money will be used to further the redevelopment of what used to be Central Park Village, a rundown, crime-ridden and obsolete community of 483 public housing apartments that was demolished five years ago.

When finished, the 28-acre Encore is expected to cover 12 city blocks and include 794 mixed-income apartments, 300 condominiums or other privately owned units sold at market rates and 268,000 square feet of offices and stores, including a hotel, museum, school and grocery store. The value of the new construction could approach $425 million.

In announcing the grant, Castor called the grant "one of the most significant community investments for Tampa and our neighborhoods."

"It will boost Tampa's economic recovery, create jobs and provide residents a new chance at urban living near their place of work," she said in a news release. "The award will uplift this neighborhood and everyone who will call it home."

This month, the Housing Authority broke ground on Trio, an apartment building, and held a grand opening for Ella, a seven-story apartment building for seniors, on Wednesday. Ground is expected to be broken for the Reed, which also offers senior housing, next week.

A total of $109 million was awarded through HUD's Choice Neighborhoods Initiative to redevelop housing and work on neighborhood revitalization efforts. Tampa is receiving the largest

[Jasonhouse]

Great news. I presume that this will allow Tempo to be developed? Sounds like enough to do the last one as well, or at least pay for a chunk of it.

btw... Wasn't Tampa passed by during the last two rounds of grants awarded?

[USF802]

Looks like it will cover Tempo and list of other items, including an urban garden.

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Public_...tFactSheet.pdf

I am curious if the development timeline will move forward some. Currently Tempo is projected to begin construction late 2013, with the grant in place could we see them get the ball rolling on Tempo sooner rather than later?

Also how long will it take the retail on the base of Ella to be filled in, hopefully that's a case of sooner rather than later as well.

[Jasonhouse]

Probably going to be later. The only developments occurring so far are the subsidized ones to house people with little in the way of disposable income.

[jonknee]

Originally Posted by Jasonhouse

Probably going to be later. The only developments occurring so far are the subsidized ones to house people with little in the way of disposable income.

Though that may have been part of the deal, considering they tore down subsidized housing to start.

[jonknee]

Originally Posted by USF802

Looks like it will cover Tempo and list of other items, including an urban garden.

http://www.tampagov.net/dept_Public_...tFactSheet.pdf

Interesting piece from your link is about how there is a lot of local money tied to the Federal money.

For every federal dollar for social or community services, local entities will provide $3.30; for every federal dollar for neighborhood improvements, local entities will provide $4.00; and, for every federal dollar targeted to housing improvements, local partners will provide $5.90.

It seems like this $30m grant could have a very large impact.

[USF802]

Does anyone know what is going on in the southeast corner? For the past several weeks they have been doing a lot of site work, but when I looked to the site plan on Encore's website it shows nothing besides the chiller plant, etc.

See link of webcam: http://www.evsboca.com/encore/silver.htm