Both trades involving city-owned land will achieve some long-range goals and solve some immediate problems.
By ANNE LINDBERG
Published April 18, 2004
PINELLAS PARK - Council members this week will consider land deals involving two pieces of city-owned property.
In one case, officials would give a developer 3.18 acres on Park Boulevard that cost taxpayers $796,000. Pinellas Park would receive no land in return. Instead, the developer would combine the city land with two other properties and build an upscale condominium/townhouse complex.
The city would benefit from the new property taxes, plus the developer proposes to take over the construction and maintenance of a drainage pond that would help relieve flooding along Park.
In the other trade, officials would give up the land under the Waffle House on Haines Road and get the property underneath the Joto's restaurant on 49th Street N. The deal would bring the city closer to owning the entire three-square-block area at City Hall and the England Brothers Bandshell.
Council members are scheduled to discuss both matters during a 7:30 p.m. workshop Tuesday at City Hall, 5141 78th Ave. N. The meeting is open to the public. Here are the details.
Park Boulevard
Council members bought Summers Mobile Home Park, 4165 Park Blvd., in May 2002 to use as a drainage pond - part of the multimillion-dollar plan to stop flooding along the city's main east-west thoroughfare.
In an April 2 letter, Larry Jordan, managing director of Park Blvd. Venture LLC, a development company with headquarters on Gandy Boulevard, proposed a public-private partnership with the city:
- Jordan's company would buy Mellow Mood and Paradise I Mobile Home Park, both at 4101 Park Blvd. Paradise I is in foreclosure. The goal would be to build approximately 105 condominiums/townhomes.
- Pinellas Park would give Jordan the Summers property for inclusion in the condo project.
- Jordan would build and maintain the drainage pond for Pinellas Park and give the city a perpetual easement to the drainage area.
- Jordan would pay the city $127,227 to satisfy a lien for unpaid water bills on the Paradise I land.
- Pinellas Park would waive all development fees. (It is unclear how much this might be.)
The city would benefit from the deal because the developer would pay for the construction costs for the retention pond, Jordan wrote.
Other benefits, he wrote, would be the perpetual maintenance of the pond, the return of the property to the tax rolls and "the intrinsic value of area redevelopment."
Jordan was out of the office Friday and could not be reached for comment. An associate, Steve Jorgenson, did not return a phone message asking for comment.
Pinellas Park council member Rick Butler said he found the proposal interesting. "It accomplishes one of our big things: drainage. Plus, it puts a nice entranceway to the city."
49th Street
Council members also will talk about swapping property the city owns at 6999 Haines Road. The Waffle House, which pays rent to the city, is moving out June 30 and city officials have no plans for the property, according to Pinellas Park documents.
But Clear Ocean Investments, based in St. Petersburg, wants to buy the land, said Bud Wortendyke, Pinellas Park's economic development director. City officials turned down the offer because council members had previously refused to sell the property to Waffle House.
But one council member knew Joto's Pizza restaurant, 8080 49th St. N, was for sale. So the city suggested that Clear Ocean buy the Joto's and swap that land for the Waffle House land, Wortendyke said.
As part of the deal, Clear Ocean also would give the city $30,000 - the difference in value between the properties. The Waffle House land is estimated to be worth about $339,000; Joto's, $309,000.
Joto's would remain on the property and pay rent to Pinellas Park.
If the council agrees to the deal, it would put the city one step closer to owning the entire area to the north and east of City Hall. The city already owns the park that abuts the western portion of the Joto's property.
Last year, Pinellas Park paid $3-million for the Pinellas Park Baptist Temple, 4981 78th Ave. N at the southeastern end of the government complex area.
The church is building a new headquarters at 11225 U.S. 19 N, the former Joyland band and dance joint. Until the new building is complete, the church is renting its former home from the city for $12,500 a month.
Although both purchases pave the way for a city mall-type area, Pinellas Park officials say there is no formal plan to develop such an area.
"We have not done any planning per se, but that's always a possibility," said Tom Shevlin, assistant city manager. "I guess it would probably depend more on (whether and when) things become available."
