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RON MATUSA company hopes to buy Westshore Mobile Home Park, close Everett Street and put apartments on the site.
Plans to redevelop the Westshore Mobile Home Park continue to move forward - even if the tenants don't know it.
Phillips Development and Realty told the Port Tampa Civic Association last week that it is planning to buy the 7.5-acre park, build 250 upscale apartments and then manage them.
Port Tampa residents who consider the aging park an eyesore are thrilled.
Those who call it home are ticked.
The park's owner, the Weis Group Inc. in Tampa, still hasn't told tenants the park may be sold and developed, said resident Ethel Lang. Weis filed paperwork with the city in September indicating it wanted to redevelop the site at West Shore Boulevard and Everett Street.
"They are sneaky," said Lang, a 14-year resident who found out about the proposal in a February City Times story. "It wouldn't surprise me if I got a notice to get out tomorrow."
Company owner Stephen Weis could not be reached for comment and has not returned repeated calls in the past.
The company's plans came to light after Weis asked the city to close Everett - just north of the park - to make room for the new development. So far, city officials have balked, concerned about a greenways trail slated to run along the street. They also want Weis to detail his plans.
Officials with Phillips Development, based in Raleigh, N.C., won over a skeptical civic association during a presentation April 22.
The company wants to build one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that rent from $700 to $1,200, said company president Don Phillips. The land is already zoned for multifamily development.
Phillips has promised to build a paved, landscaped trail on the south end of the property in place of the city-planned trail on the north end.
Closing Everett Street means the developer can build the project closer to the existing apartments north of the park. It also will allow the trail to serve as a buffer between the project and single-family houses to the south, Phillips said.
The company is in the process of buying the Weis land, but the deal is contingent on the road closure, he added.
Based on the developer's presentation, all but one member of the Port Tampa Civic Association voted to support the road closure.
"We're ecstatic," said association member Ray Rowe.
Loitering, dumping and drug sales have been a problem at the park in the past. Many homes are vacant and dilapidated. Replacing them with tony apartments is a plus, neighbors say.
At the developer's request, the City Council last week postponed a decision on the street closure until June 19.
Phillips said his company won't be talking to tenants until its plans are approved. In the meantime, many park residents still don't know if they might have to find new homes.
"I can't get the tenants to listen to me," said Lang, who is making plans to move to Gibsonton. "The people in the office tell them we're not going anywhere."
- Ron Matus can be reached at 226-3405 or matus@sptimes.com