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Townhouses to mix three building styles

Merecido on Beach Drive blends Old Florida, Caribbean and Mediterranean.

By PAUL SWIDER
Published November 22, 2006

Jay Miller has had his eye on Beach Drive for a long time. So when he saw the property at 11th Avenue NE up for sale, he didn't hesitate.

"I always thought that would be a great place for some brownstone-style urban living units," said Miller of J Square Developers, which is creating Merecido.

The project will include five new townhomes in what Miller described as a mix of Old Florida, Caribbean and Mediterranean styles. After tearing down an apartment building on that northeast corner, construction should start early next year, Miller said, with completion about a year later.

Miller's company does mostly commercial properties, such as the antiques store on Fourth Street that he bought earlier this year and is converting back to more conventional retail. For this residential project, Miller said, he brought in Tampa's Samter Homes.

Miller said he is aiming Merecido at empty nesters who want to downsize. He said some people would like to live close to downtown and its activities but don't want to live in a high-rise condominium. Merecido, with its detached garages, enclosed courtyards but joint construction, can give owners an urban feel yet control over their own domain, he said.

But at 3,000 square feet in three stories and a starting price of $1-million, the market for Merecido is rare. For that reason, and because it is a small project, Miller said he isn't concerned about the recent months of doldrums for real estate sales. "This site is so unique," Miller said. "It's a wonderful part of the city."

The townhomes are staggered as they align with 11th Avenue so they all have views of North Shore Park and Tampa Bay. The middle units differ from those on the ends, with the one on the corner at Beach sporting a tower. The homes are also designed with the top floor acting as the master suite, though before construction starts, buyers can design their own floor plans.

"At this point, we can do anything people want," said Pete Bennett, Samter's president, of options that can even include a garage apartment. "We just don't want to change the exterior."

Miller said he's thrilled with the outside appearance of the townhomes, likening them to buildings in the historic districts of Savannah, Ga., or Charleston, S.C. Though each unit has a private elevator, they all have a wall of windows on the stairs so that mundane feature can also be a design element.

"It just pours light in," said Miller of Merecido, which in Spanish means "well earned."

Paul Swider can be reached at 727 892-2271 or pswider@sptimes.com or by participating in itsyourtimes.com.

[Last modified November 21, 2006, 20:22:02]