west tampa needs heritage project
Editor’s note: Ed Turanchik sent this email in response to an earlier post about the Heritage Square proposal suddenly in question.
I truly hope that all members of City Council will support and embrace the Heritage Square project. The site is singularly inappropriate for affordable housing or market rate housing. The exception would be some very limited housing in connection with mixed use. At the same time, these parcels are particularly appropriate for office, restaurant, retail, and even limited industrial (which is consistent with its history). If Heritage Square can make hotel word, good for them. Further, there is a serious residential upsurge in West Tampa. There is not a corresponding business and commercial development upsurge. This is what West Tampa needs. Shops, businesses, restaurants and place making. I daresay that you will find vociferous and virtually united opinion on this point in our community.
Second, it would be wholly disheartening to the private sector if City Council were to now call into question a good project that won a long competition. It is difficult enough in the marketplace to arrange financing without layering on top of it uncertainty by government officials. That a project could be this far along and be called into question really borders on the absurd and pathetic. Unlike Ybor City, in which the City has invested close to $100 million in public funds (the sum of investments in the Street Car, parking garages, Centro Ybor etc), West Tampa’s resurgence has been fueled largely by private sector initiative and investment. I do not know whether Heritage Square can be pulled off, but the last thing it needs is for local elected leaders to undermine its prospects. I truly hope that this is a false alarm and that the City will rally around the Heritage Square entrepreneurs.
I sending this email as an investor in West Tampa and active member in the West Tampa Chamber of Commerce. As Chairman of the West Tampa Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee, you should know that our committee believes that Heritage Square is a significant project and one that we are anxious to see come to fruition. I am copying to members of the Marketing Committee and other West Tampa activities so that they are aware of this potential issue.
Please feel free to post this to your web and to circulate it accordingly to all interested parties.
Ed Turanchik
Tags: city, development, history
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September 21st, 2007 at 1:12 pm
its the job of elected officials to question spending. if they won’t do it — who will?
September 21st, 2007 at 1:27 pm
West Tampa probably has the most potential of any area in Tampa.
Channelside also had that potential, once, but it’s unique historic character has been wiped away by all of the new condo towers.
Whatever happens in West Tampa, they should be very careful they don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.
Developers will build single-use multi-family residential forever, if you allow them. (RE: Channleside)
Mixed-use development–shops, businesses, restaurants and place making–is much, much more difficult and time consuming (and requires a certain sophistication and expertise) to achieve and often requires a new code which allows it. Very few firms in Florida, much less Tampa, have this true mixed-use planning, and building, experience.
But West Tampa had true mixed-use in the 1920s.
September 21st, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I noticed the Heritage Square group has Wilson Miller on their project team, a local company with a great reputation and a good deal of experience. People who think affordable housing can go on that site overlook the fact that the successful bidder, whomever it ends up to be, is going to have to spend $6 million to move the Natl Guard before they spend a single dime to make the property development ready. Those costs have to be recouped somehow. Only the City of Tampa and the Housing Authority would be able to afford to do that using public dollars. My understanding is the current project is using private funds.
September 22nd, 2007 at 5:57 pm
Don’t even get me started on Wilson Miller…..
September 24th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
You can get additional followup to this story at http://www.sohotampa.com.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:44 pm
The overall reaction to this project has been favorable from the onset and it is at least one opinion that the popularity/enthusiasm stems from the fact that this project will yield several key accomplishments:
1. Provide a mixed-use community within the community.
Those with appropriate experience and knowledge of great cities are quick to point out that the great cities of the world were spawned as a collection of villages that provided residents with most all of their immediate needs. The city of Tampa stands at the threshold of eveolving to become a city of the highest caliber through the continued introduction, support and completion of mixed-use developments.
2. Preserving an architectural feature with a unique history, The Armory, not only allows future generations to enjoy the site, but also pays homage to a rich past.
3. The unique location is situated between two major arteries and collector routes providing cross-access unparalelled in the area.
4. Since it’s inception, West Tampa has celebrated a rich cultural heritage amidst a vibrant community. A project of this scope, coupled with the other activities currently taking place within West Tampa, will fuel the resurgence of West Tampa and the dynamic found within.
It is my hope that members of the community and local government alike will see to it that this project proceeds as planned.
October 24th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
The Heritage Square Project is just anothre example of the insensitivity of outsiders who want to come into West Tampa, develop their projects, make tons of money, then levae without any regard to the people of that area of the needs of people other than the middle class or rich. The people must have a voice when it comes to their community and elected officials need to hold that voice in the highest regard when entertaining proposals for this project or any other that directly affects the standard of living for poor people.
October 24th, 2007 at 7:55 pm
The Heritage Square people are locals. They are using their own money to restore an old cigar factory on Howard to use as their company headquarters. There company history is posted on their website. Been in Tampa 15 years. Own Coast Dental. They are preserving our history and including the artist community in the development. They have held community meetings, got lots of input and are very active in the community. You must be thinking of a different group. These guys are very much a part of the local scene.