The corridor of land wedged between Interstate 75 and Falkenburg Road is expected to explode with new development over the next few years. New homes, offices and retail centers are going up. Because the corridor lies next to an interstate and includes numerous warehouses and industrial uses, the county has targeted it for high-intensity development. Construction of the 256-unit Magnolia Park town home complex is under way at Falkenburg Road and Progress Boulevard. It is the first phase of development on a wooded 500-acre swath that will be converted to a community of 1,400 single-family homes and town homes in 34 buildings.
Centex Homes, developers of Magnolia Park, sold off several other parcels earmarked for a 30,000-square-foot office complex, a 125,000-square-foot retail complex and a 600,000-square-foot "employment center." Centex spokesman John Heagney said he doesn't know the construction schedule for the commercial development, but Centex plans to start building single-family homes in January. Nearby, land is being cleared and asphalt laid for the Crossroads Town Center at Causeway Boulevard and Falkenburg Road. Developers Diversified Realty is building the retail center.
Another megaproject awaiting final county approval is a mixed-use development that would include 700 multi-family homes, 400 hotel rooms, a research corporate park and a 565,000-square-foot retail center with space for big-box retailers. Zons Development is asking the county to rezone some of the 144 acres at Falkenburg and Palm River roads so the entire parcel can have mixed-use development.
Planner Ethel Hammer, Zons' representative who has worked with the county to get the project approved, has told county planners that Zons is committed to keeping the project below the threshold for a Development of Regional Impact, which would require significant infrastructure improvements. To ensure that, the county would require monitoring. "They are just below the thresholds" for a development of regional impact, said county planner Mary Ogle. "They have to provide us a running tab of what is being developed, and we keep track of it and verify it. One phase could be office or retail or something else." Depending on what type of development goes in, the county will determine whether Zons has surpassed the threshold, Ogle said.
The mixture, type and intensity of uses determine whether a project falls into the DRI category. Companies that build DRIs are required to mitigate significant effects by agreeing to make road improvements and providing land for schools and other public amenities. The developments also require approval from regional regulatory agencies. The county staff is recommending that commissioners approve the plan, with a long list of conditions. The project is scheduled to go before the commission Jan. 29.
Source: Tampa Tribune