City Council Proceeds With Plans For City Center In East Tampa

TAMPA, FL — The Tampa City Council has approved a $6.2 million amendment to a $58 million contract with DPR Construction to build a new City Center at 2515 E. Hanna Ave. in East Tampa to house six city departments.

The contract includes demolishing an empty building on the 13-acre property and constructing a new municipal complex that will house about 500 employees including the code enforcement, economic development, minority business development, construction services and workforce development departments. The size of the building hasn't been determined but is estimated at about 150,000 square feet.

Sal Ruggiero, deputy administrator of infrastructure services, said the city would save money by building a new municipal complex that would bring government services closer to the neighborhoods they serve and spur economic development in East Tampa.

The first phase of the project will include a feasibility study, traffic studies and design-build services.

Additionally, the site, which once housed the General Cable Corp., may require soil and groundwater remediation for toxic chemicals that may have been spilled during manufacturing operations.

If all goes as planned, demolition could begin this summer and the new municipal building could open by March 2023.

Carol Gordon, president of the Seminole Heights East Neighborhood Association, said the neighborhood is excited about the project.

“We love the idea that the city of Tampa has looked at our area and that they feel it is a good place to be,” she said. “We’ve worked hard for the last few years to be recognized as a neighborhood association and be recognized as a part of Tampa because we have been ignored for many years, especially for anything positive coming to into our neighborhood.”

At the same time, Gordon noted that the new municipal building will bring much more traffic to an area that is sorely in need of road repairs and improvements. The property lies between 23rd and 30th streets.

“Of course, coming into the neighborhood and bringing 500-plus employees and all these different departments is going to affect our neighborhood,” she said. “We have to figure out a way to work with the city to calm some of that traffic. We’ve kind of been let go for a long time so, by having the city come to us, we feel like we can revitalize our neighborhood and revitalize our streets. This would really be an asset for us.”

Gordon said this is also an opportunity to bring desperately needed green space to the neighborhood. She said the city has been considering a zoning variance for a vacant lot nearby. Instead of developing the site, she said the neighborhood would prefer to see the city purchase the site and developing it into a nature park with a bike path

Planting trees on the site would mitigate the emissions from the additional traffic generated by the city center. And there’s an empty building next door to the vacant lot that could be developed into a visitor’s center.

“We have very limited green space in our community,” she said. “This would enhance our neighborhood and keep it green for the city of Tampa Tree City USA designation.”

Gordon also told the council that the neighborhood hopes to work with the city on the architectural style and development plans for the City Center.

The city is also discussing the possibility of acquiring a nearby site on Hanna Avenue owned by Hillsborough County to house the city's public safety departments including the police department headquarters and emergency management.

Ruggiero said the current police headquarter at 411 N. Franklin St. needs $35 million in repairs. He told the council it would be more cost-effective to construct a new building.