Channel District: Vision of 4-block village is spiced by Spanish city
Channelside Village would have about 400 homes and a vibrant street life.
By CHRISTOPHER GOFFARD
Published September 3, 2004
Hunting for inspiration for a sprawling new development in the Channel District, architect Stephanie December Gaines turned to Europe. In particular, she turned to photos of Barcelona, with its medley of architectural styles and pedestrian-friendly street layouts.
"People seem to spend a lot of time on the streets in those sorts of towns. That's what we're going for," said Gaines, of CGHJ Architects in Ybor City. "It's that street activity that's inspiring us."
Channelside Village developers envision it both as a mini city and a cornerstone in the continuing effort to vitalize the Channel District.
Gaines said the project would take up nearly four blocks from Meridian Avenue to 12th Street, and from Whiting Street to Cumberland Avenue. Plans call for nearly 400 units, most of them residential, ranging from lofts to 5,000-square-foot penthouses. There would also be shops and office space.
The "village" would have four main structures, each with a distinct style, Gaines said: urban Mediterranean, modern, historic warehouse, and a classical midrise with up to 15 stories.
Outside, the design would convey a "European feel where there's no barrier between the car and the people," Gaines said. In other words, no sidewalk. To guard against danger to pedestrians, she is considering a number of options.
"Maybe you do it with street furniture" such as benches, she said. "Maybe there's a clever way, such as potted plants, something that's less mundane and more creative" than sidewalks.
Roger Gatewood, the St. Petersburg developer behind the project, said he expects Channelside Village to cost $100-million.
"You need the residential (units) to support the retail," Gatewood said. "The more residential you get, the more retail you get, and the more vibrant the area will become."
The city has yet to green-light the project. Developers submitted plans to the city in August and are waiting to get through zoning and permitting.
Gatewood said he is under contract to purchase the property and plans to discuss the project with city officials this month. "Right now, it's just really preliminary," Gatewood said. "We'll be meeting with the city and moving the thing along and hope to have something more definite in about 60 days."
He said it was too soon to release an artist's rendering of the project, but hoped for a groundbreaking early next year.
If all goes well, he said, people could start moving in in early 2006.
