Treasure Island may buy land near Causeway Bridge

The property, which has a one-story house on it, could be used as a staging area when the bridge is rebuilt, officials said.

By KATHY SAUNDERS

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 15, 2001

TREASURE ISLAND -- A house next to the Causeway Bridge toll plaza went on the market last week and the city wants to make an offer.

"The main reason we're interested in it is because of the large area of open space immediately adjacent to the toll bridge," said City Manager Chuck Coward. "There's a high probability that the new bridge is going to be wider than the current one."

Coward said he received a call from Realtor Jan Bruzas of Keller Williams Gulf Coast who wanted information about the new bridge to disclose to any prospective buyers. The 15,000-square-foot parcel for sale is at 8031 Causeway Blvd. S, on the southeastern corner of the toll plaza.

The waterfront property includes a one-story house built in 1958 with a large back yard. Bruzas said her client, owner Michael Adamskie, would be happy to sell the property to the city.

The listing is for $259,900, although the city wants to pay less. "We are having our own appraisal made," Coward said Friday.

Earlier in the week, he received city commissioners' blessing to negotiate with the homeowner.

The city could pay for the land with money from the Causeway bridge fund.

Coward said the property could be useful as a staging area during the construction phase of the bridge or as a buffer from the project. It also could give the city more room to widen the approach to the structure.

"It would just give us that little bit of elbow room," he said.

Treasure Island won't know what kind of bridge it will have until a two-year project, development and environmental study is finished. That $1-million study began earlier this year.

The city expects to spend between $40-million and $50-million to replace or rehabilitate the 64-year-old structure. Construction is not expected to begin until 2005.

In the meantime, Coward said the city could subdivide the property into two 7,500-square-foot lots and lease the house for the next three years.

The property is within the city limits of St. Petersburg.

Coward said he has spoken to representatives in the St. Petersburg mayor's office about the city's interest in the land. He said he anticipates that neighbors will be concerned about the city's plans for the property.

"That concern is going to be there whether the city buys it or not," Coward allowed. "I think all the people who are in the touchdown areas of the bridge are concerned.

"We would be very willing to speak to any of the city officials or any of the homeowners associations," he said. "Nobody really knows for sure yet what form that bridge is going to take."

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