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Townhome builders gobble up slivers

Twenty-nine townhomes on Ulmerton will join the 126 of Cumberland Trace and 54 of West Bay Village in this land-starved city, and county.

By SHANNON TAN
Published December 3, 2004

LARGO - Pinellas County is nearly built out, turning undeveloped pieces of land into rare commodities.

So Jim Rosenbluth, president of Shelter South Inc. of Largo, was surprised to discover a 2.5-acre parcel hidden behind a chain-link fence at 7650 Ulmerton Road.

He plans to build 29 townhomes on the property.

"There are lot of small, passed-over lots," Rosenbluth said. "I had no idea it was even there."

A couple was living in an industrial building on the land, which is opposite Fire Station 38. The building used to house a utility contractor's office.

They put the property up for sale, and a real estate agent called Rosenbluth. The land, which is zoned for multifamily housing, is east of Belcher Road and behind Rosetree Village condominiums.

The 1,700-square-foot, three-bedroom units will cost around $200,000 to $225,000 and feature two-car garages. Groundbreaking is scheduled for March.

"I think the price range will be attractive," Rosenbluth said. "It'll be a good use of the property."

There won't be a pool or a clubhouse. The townhouses will be built like single-family homes, he said.

Nearby on Ulmerton Road, Cumberland Trace townhomes are being built by Rottlund Homes. The 126 units are sold out. The two-bedroom, 11/2-bath homes ranged from about $126,000 to $130,000.

The 54 townhomes in West Bay Village in downtown Largo are sold out as well.

"Pinellas County is the most densely populated county in the state," said developer Scott Shimberg of Hyde Park Builders. "It's the type of market where you're constantly looking for property in an infill, redevelopment sort of perspective."

Shannon Tan can be reached at shtan@sptimes.com or 445-4174.

[Last modified December 2, 2004, 23:56:20]