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West Tampa housing proposed

A developer wants to pair with a nonprofit agency to build 60 to 100 homes in a neglected neighborhood.

By EDDY RAMIREZ
Published February 13, 2005

TAMPA - Former Hillsborough County Commissioner Ed Turanchik has proposed building affordable housing in a West Tampa neighborhood near downtown.

Turanchik, the developer behind a failed plan to redevelop the city's Central Park neighborhood, is in talks with a West Tampa nonprofit organization to construct between 60 and 100 one- and two-story homes on at least 24 lots, mainly on Chestnut, Spruce and Walnut streets.

Turanchik declined to give details of his proposal, including who would finance the project, saying the plan is in its conceptual stages. The plan includes buying an unspecified number of lots from the city, he said Saturday.

He said the future of the project hinges on getting support of community leaders and residents.

To that end, he has asked the nonprofit West Tampa Community Development Corp. to enter into a partnership to jump-start the project.

So far, those familiar with the proposal said they like what they have seen.

"I have confidence in the proposal," said Margaret Fisher, chairwoman of the West Tampa CDC.

Fisher said members still are reviewing the fine points of the proposal and will hold off on a vote until they see how the community reacts.

For years, city officials and residents have been working to revitalize this once thriving historic neighborhood just north of Interstate 275.

A bustling immigrant community where people shopped along Main Street and socialized in clubs during the 1930s, West Tampa declined as families moved to the suburbs and cigar workers left to take other jobs.

Since then, community leaders have worked to repair aging infrastructure, attract businesses and build affordable housing for low-income families.

"West Tampa has been the next great community for over 30 years now," Turanchik said. "Right now, we're at that point where we are trying to figure out how we can get things going."

In coming weeks, Turanchik said he will make a formal presentation to the city.

Joe Robinson, vice president of the West Tampa CDC, said he expects the project will go forward.

So far, Turanchik has tried to avoid making the same mistakes that doomed his last venture to redevelop the city's Central Park neighborhood, Robinson said.

"This time, he's not putting the cart before the horse," Robinson said.

Eddy Ramirez can be reached at eramirez@sptimes.com or 813 661-2441.

[Last modified February 13, 2005, 01:06:05]