Residents of Central Park Village learn about proposals for redeveloping their neighborhood.
By KEVIN GRAHAM
Published December 10, 2003
TAMPA - Nearly 50 Central Park Village residents listened to Tampa Housing Authority officials Tuesday night outline redevelopment plans for the downtown Tampa complex that may or may not involve the vision of developer Ed Turanchik.
They had some reservations about how it could affect their own prospects, but expressed curiosity about the private development proposal. Jerome Ryans, housing authority executive director, said his board's goal is to insure that whatever plan it chooses will allow the most residents to move back into the newly developed site.
"Whether that's our plan, whether it's a joint plan or whether it's a third plan out there," he said, "the idea of investing millions of dollars in this area makes sense."
Under the Tampa Housing Authority's plan, Ryans said, 482 housing units would be rebuilt. Turanchik's plan calls for 974 "affordable units," he said. Housing authority board members must file a proposal by Jan. 19 to be eligible for a $20-million federal Hope VI grant to redevelop Central Park.
Wence Cunningham, director of operations for the housing authority, said the biggest question residents had was: "If they tear down Central Park, where will I go?" He prepared an 11-page information packet detailing the steps for moving residents to comparable housing while the complex is redeveloped.
"No one is required to move tomorrow, next week, next month or in the next 12 months," Cunningham told residents.
It could take up to two years, he said, before anyone has to worry about leaving. So why so much discussion now, residents asked.
"Because if we do anything with Central Park, it's going to have a drastic impact on your life," Cunningham said. "We're going to do something with Central Park, whether the housing authority does it or someone else gets involved."
Elease Moore, 65, a Central Park resident since 1955, said after the 90-minute meeting that it doesn't matter who gets involved.
"There's no hope for us," she said. "We're losing. We're just going to stray away to different areas, too far away from the city, and we won't come back."
Moore said she has raised 13 children at Central Park, and she is looking for a better place to live. "I've been looking and looking already," she said. "We don't make enough to live decent with our disability income."
Deborah Goffe, 35, supports the housing authority's Hope IV plan. She said she knows nothing about Turanchik's ideas, which call for a mix of 3,500 upscale condos, townhouses, and low-income housing, plus retail stores.
"If Hope VI is going to help me better my life, I have no problems with Hope VI," said Goffe, who has lived at Central Park for three years with four children and is the resident council's secretary.
Andre Curtis, 35, has lived at Central Park all his life and now raises his three children there. He wants to know more about what Turanchik is offering. "If I hear more about Ed's plan, I'm willing to support any plan that will bring back more families," Curtis said.
Ryans said there were no immediate plans for Turanchik to present his ideas to residents.
The advantage to Turanchik's plans, Ryans said, "is getting more units. I like that piece of it."
He's concerned about how closely the buildings would be built and the height of the buildings. The authority is still reviewing Turanchik's plan.
