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HISTORIC HYDE PARK - The City Council pushed back a vote on a proposed high-rise near Bayshore Boulevard by two weeks.
The council will now hear the issue May 22 at 6:30 p.m. at 315 E Kennedy Blvd.
Nearly 70 Hyde Park residents packed an Architectural Review Commission meeting last month to protest the 31-story high-rise planned for the corner of Bayshore and DeSoto Avenue.
The developer, Citivest Corp., has proposed a parking garage on the first four floors and three- and four-bedroom condos and penthouses in the rest of the building. Residents said that was far too much construction for the 1.1-acre site.
Commissioners agreed and recommended that council members not approve the requested variances. They said a tall building would inevitably be built but suggested redesigning the structure.
The council meeting originally was scheduled for Thursday.
UT alumnus to speak at graduation May 10DOWNTOWN - University of Tampa graduate and businessman John Jaeb will speak at the school's graduation May 10.
More than 700 students, the largest graduating class in UT history, are scheduled to take part in the ceremony, which starts at 1 p.m. at the St. Pete Times Forum.
Jaeb is the president of Quest Capital Corp. and Quest Automotive Inc., the largest Midas franchisee in greater Atlanta.
UT also plans to award composer and conductor Anton Coppola an honorary doctor of fine arts degree. The uncle of film director Francis Ford Coppola, he has been instrumental in establishing opera in Tampa.
Volunteers create oyster habitat at Palonis ParkGANDY - A handful of volunteers stacked several tons of oyster shell in the waters off the east end of the Friendship Trail Bridge on April 25 in an effort to enhance natural habitat and protect shoreline.
Tampa Bay Watch expects to plant 58 tons of shell at the location, known as Palonis Park, by spring 2004. More than 100 volunteers are expected for round two May 10.
Oyster bars in Tampa Bay have declined due to mining for road-bed material and dredging, said Tampa Bay Watch Executive Director Peter Clark. The planted material, packed into mesh bags, will be a magnet for live oysters and, eventually, other wildlife.
Last year, Tampa Bay Watch built oyster bars near Green Key in Hillsborough Bay and Whiskey Stump Key at the mouth of the Alafia River.
The Palonis Park project will cost about $20,000.
CVS to be built at corner of Kennedy, S Dale MabryBON AIR - Bye-bye, Citgo and Krystal. Hello, CVS.
A CVS Pharmacy will replace the Citgo gas station and Krystal fast-food restaurant on the southeast corner of Kennedy Boulevard and S Dale Mabry Highway.
The City Council approved a zoning change April 24 that paves the way for the new drugstore.
It's not clear how soon construction will begin, or when the new store will open. CVS officials, based in Woonsocket, R.I., did not return calls for comment on Tuesday.
Two meetings set for Davis Islands residentsDAVIS ISLANDS - Two big meetings for islanders are next week.
On Tuesday, Mayor Pam Iorio will address the Davis Islands Civic Association about her plans for City Hall, and Tampa General Hospital representatives will discuss the hospital's proposed expansion.
The meeting begins at 7:30 a.m. at the Davis Islands Garden Club, 81 Columbia Drive.
On Thursday, the Davis Islands Neighborhood Plan Task Force holds a communitywide meeting on a proposed neighborhood plan.
The plan addresses roads, parks, homes and businesses, and will guide future decisions.
The meeting is set for 6 to 9 p.m. at Davis Islands Baptist Church, 97 W Biscayne Ave.