Builder told to reopen Ashley

Stalled construction on Trump Tower has kept a section closed.

By JANET ZINK
Published February 27, 2007

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TAMPA - Construction of Trump Tower in downtown Tampa has been stalled for months, and city officials want its developers to take down their roadblocks - literally.

A portion of Ashley Drive at Brorein Street has been closed for a year to accommodate construction of the condo tower. But the project, announced in early 2005, has suffered numerous delays due in part to problems with financing and the discovery of unstable ground at the construction site.

The site is now a "ghost town," said city public works director Irvin Lee, and the permit to keep the road closed expires Thursday.

"I empathize with these guys," Lee said. On the other hand, he said, there's no point in keeping the road closed for no reason.

"I've got citizens who want to use their road," Lee said. "We want to open it up and give them access to it."

The development team now has a new managing partner - Related Group of Florida, which has two Trump projects under construction in South Florida.

Janet Zink can be reached at jzink@sptimes.com or 813 226-3401.