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Museum wins easy approval

The Museum of Fine Arts' expansion plan receives praise from the EDC.

By SHEILA MULLANE ESTRADA
Published July 9, 2006

ST. PETERSBURG - Plans for the proposed $21-million expansion of downtown's Museum of Fine Arts sailed through the Environmental Development Commission on Wednesday with nary a protest.

"This is a pretty exciting expansion that will result in a world-class museum," said building official John Hixenbaugh.

Construction of the first phase, featuring a three-story, 39,856-square-foot wing on the north side of the museum, is expected to begin before the end of the year.

The new museum complex also will feature two-story, trapezoidal glass conservatories connecting the original Palladian-style building to the new structure on both the north and south sides. The new structures will include additional exhibition galleries, an expanded gift shop and cafe.

Construction is expected to take about 20 months and when completed, the museum complex will have more than doubled its size.

Museum officials said the new exhibition space will enable the museum to keep more of its collection on permanent display, as well as accommodate larger travelling international exhibits.

"This is a terrific plan. We completely support it," said Timothy Baker, president of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, which had opposed a previous proposal for a parking garage on part of the museum's property adjacent to Straub Park.

Instead, angled on-street parking along a portion of the city's right-of-way on Bayshore Drive will be used solely by the museum.

In exchange, the museum has agreed not to develop the northern portion of its 4-acre site. That open, heavily landscaped and treed area blends into Straub Park.

To reach agreement between the city and the museum last month, the EDC approved a partial vacation of Bayshore Drive north of Second Avenue NE, as well as approving variances for setbacks, building width, landscaping and signage associated with the museum's site plan.

In other action, the EDC:

ALL CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL: Approved up to a one-year extension for vertical construction to begin at the new $300-million All Children's Hospital. The first phase will include an expandable 10-story, 690,000-square-foot structure.

When completed, the complex will include a 14-story, 918,000-square-foot medical facility, an eight-story, 257,000-square-foot medical office building, and a six-story, 1,200-space parking structure. Site work has already begun at the 600 Sixth Ave. S site.

Under the original site plan approved by the EDC last year, construction was to start no later than Aug. 2 this year. #06-32000019; F-3.

ALLEY VACATION: Approved the vacation of all rights, alleys and easements of the block southeast of 18th Avenue S and 22nd Street S. This action consolidates a block within the Tangerine Avenue Community Redevelopment Area (TACRA) designated in 2003 by the City Council for a community retail center in the Midtown area. A Sweetbay Market was completed last August and a new SunTrust Bank is planned for property to the west. The vacations provides additional land for the commercial development. No. 06-33000020; H-11.

DRIVE-THROUGH RESTAURANT: Approved a special exception and related site plan for the construction of a 2,100-square-foot restaurant with drive-through on a vacant lot on the southwest corner of 34th Street and Ninth Avenue N.

The approval includes a restriction that the drive-through service is not to operate past 11 p.m. No. 06-32000018; K-6

PARKING LOT: Approved a site plan for a 24-space parking lot for existing commercial buildings located at 428 11th Ave. and 1062 Fourth St. N.

The property was sold several times following a 1996 EDC approval of a similar site plan. The new owner was cited recently for a code violation since the finished parking lot had never been constructed. No. 06-31000034;F-8

LOT LINE ADJUSTMENT: Approved a lot line adjustment to allow a residential property at 6195 Second Ave. S to be split into two lots.

The action was taken despite neighborhood opposition. No. 06-11000020;O-1.

[Last modified July 8, 2006, 23:32:57]