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12 floors is too tall, Oldsmar tells planner

The developer wants a 12-story building for the town center. The City Council doesn't.

By TAMARA EL-KHOURY
Published March 9, 2006

OLDSMAR - The City Council chose a Clearwater developer in July to carry out its vision for a revitalized downtown.

The council told JES Properties on Tuesday night the vision didn't include a 12-story building.

Current zoning and building restrictions allow for a six-story building.

"We think we need to go beyond that," said Doug Weiland, CEO of JES Properties. "That still remains to be a topic of debate."

JES' original proposal for the town center project, called Olds Square, called for a $64-million, 550,000-square-foot mixed-use development.

In its proposal, JES budgeted $2.4-million for acquiring land from private property owners. Wednesday, Weiland said he anticipates that number to be considerably higher.

Tuesday, the developers and Tampa architect Francisco Semsch showed the council how a 12-story building would look from different angles in the city.

"I don't think Oldsmar needs to go that vertical," Vice Mayor Jim Ronecker said. "I think Oldsmar needs to keep an Old Florida feel."

To maximize land use, the developers brought the council a proposal for a $90-million, 750,000 square-foot project, Weiland said.

The proposal still includes a main street with a large plaza in the middle to serve as a gathering point for a variety of events. That building would be three-stories high and face State Street.

The proposed 12-story building would be behind that and face Tampa Road.

Another proposal would provide underground parking, Weiland said.

Everything is still in the preliminary stage because the city and the developers have yet to sign a contract to work together. City Attorney Tom Trask said Tuesday the contract would be ready in a few days.

Once there's a contract, Weiland said JES would begin researching what kind and what size building can be supported by the land. He will also begin negotiations with private land owners to acquire some property.

Half of the nine acres still needs to be acquired, Weiland said.

It's difficult to deal with high urban land prices and low-density preferences, Weiland said.

"In order to make the project financially feasible, we had to increase the density of the project," Weiland said.

Weiland said he is determined to find a solution that works for both the city and the developer. Things are going slower than he anticipated, but Weiland said he hopes to break ground within a year.

The sketches are gorgeous but too grandiose, council member Janice Miller said.

"I think it's grown too big for our little hometown," council member Suzanne Vale said.

[Last modified March 9, 2006, 03:00:34]