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Salvation Army gets approval for new residential building

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published September 11, 2005

ST. PETERSBURG - Expansion and redevelopment of a Salvation Army community residential program was approved unanimously by the Environmental Development Commission on Wednesday.

"This is a vast improvement over the original site plan," said EDC Commissioner Diane Friel.

The two-block property, located between Seventh and Ninth avenues N and Lafayette and 40th streets, is adjacent to the Salvation Army Citadel.

The Salvation Army maintains multiple community residential homes on its campus and is planning to build a new Sallie House to accommodate up to 24 children in three pods. The new 10,000-square-foot facility will include a communal atrium, a full kitchen and offices for support services and counseling.

The new single-story building will front Lafayette Street and a still-to-be-approved vacated Eighth Avenue N. Access to the facility has been shifted to 39th Street to minimize traffic impact on the surrounding neighborhood.

The Sallie House community residential home, founded in 1990, provides long-term care, transitional housing and counseling for children younger than 12. The program currently serves 18 children who have been emotionally and physically abused, neglected or abandoned. Children are referred to the program by the Sheriff's Office or the Safe Children's Coalition. The court-supervised program is largely funded by the state.

Four four-unit apartment buildings, originally developed as Autumn Village Apartments, will be demolished to allow construction of the new Sallie House. The existing Sallie House building will be converted to a short-term emergency distribution facility during emergency events such as hurricanes.

The Salvation Army campus also includes Children's Village - four homes and an office building - which provides long-term foster home facilities for up to 42 children. The agency plans to build an additional three homes.

A four-unit apartment building at the northeast corner of 39th Street and Eighth Avenue N will be used as transitional housing for children older than 18 who move out of Children's Village.

The Salvation Army was required by the city to reapply for new site plan and variance approvals because the originally approved development was not completed before expiration of a special exception.

A requested vacation of Eighth Avenue N and two east-west running alleys between Lafayette and 39th Street N, previously approved by the EDC, will be considered by the City Council Oct. 6. - 05-32000021 (K-6)

In other action, the EDC:

MARINA BAY CONDOMINIUM: Approved a site plan and various variances for the previously approved College Landings development at 4950 54th Ave. S. The redesigned project will include an eight-story, 96-unit condominium that replaces a previously proposed expansion of the College Harbor senior and assisted living facility. Developers have eliminated a 90-unit senior living facility and a six-unit townhome development. - 05-31000044 (L-29)

RESIDENTIAL TOWER: Approved a site plan, airport zoning variance and alley vacation for a project featuring two 28-story residential towers at 434 Fourth St. N. The mixed-use project will include 356 residential units, three levels of structured parking, 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail space for a grocery store or major retailer, and 8,000 square feet of office space. The vacated alley involves the east 230 feet of a 20-foot east-west alley in the block southwest of Fifth Avenue and Fourth Street N. The alley will be rerouted to connect with Fifth Avenue N. - 05-31000030 (F-4) and 05-3300016 (F-4)

10-STORY MIXED-USE TOWER: Approved a site plan and height variance for a 10-story mixed-use development at 950 Central Ave. The Tamarind will include 211 residential units, 30,000 square feet of street-level retail space and a 373-space parking structure. City officials said the Tamarind project provides "desperately needed" residential units in the Dome District, "will help to create the sense of neighborhood" and will "support struggling retailers and restaurants" in the area. The retail area may include a grocery store. - 05-31000042 (G-2)

AQUAPLEX: Approved a site plan modification to the previously approved Aquaplex development at 5965 31st St. S. The complex will now have 173 residential units in three buildings ranging from 15 to 19 stories tall, a new high and dry facility for 327 boats and 143 wet slips. An early design that included townhomes cantilevered over water and private docks was changed last spring to a more conventional waterfront development. That plan was again changed after city officials asked for stronger neighborhood elements. The current project, renamed Nautico, includes a relocated clubhouse that serves as a common area between a nature preserve and marina. - 05-31000043 (J-31)

CAR WASH: Approved a special exception and related site plan that will add a car wash facility to an existing convenience store at 5800 Central Ave. The coin-operated car wash will be completely automatic. - 05-32000034 (O-2)

OFFICE BUILDING EXPANSION: Approved a 480-square-foot expansion of an existing office building at 7201 First Ave. S. The expansion will provide additional space for existing employees. The site plan includes variances for parking and rear-yard setback. - 05-31000035 (R-2)

[Last modified September 11, 2005, 01:12:29]