EAST TAMPA, Fla. — A family-owned legacy project in East Tampa is moving forward after receiving a $5 million investment from the Community Redevelopment Agency, helping transform a long-held property into new housing for seniors and the local workforce.
The Legacy 34th Street mixed-use development will bring a four-story, 31-unit apartment building to a vacant lot — a level of density still relatively new for the historically Black community.
The project is rooted in the legacy of the late Lillian Williams Brown, a Tampa educator whose early investments in small properties laid the groundwork for what her family is now building.
“She would say that I’m not trying to get rich. I’m just trying to help someone,” said her daughter, Betoria Williams Watson.
Brown began her career at Gibbs Junior College and later graduated cum laude from Bethune-Cookman College alongside her youngest daughter. Her family says she focused on creating housing opportunities, including boarding homes for independent residents.
Today, that vision is expanding.
Her granddaughter, Raquel Watson Hickman, said the family is continuing Brown’s mission through both the development and a program called Wealth Builders, aimed at educating the community on generational wealth.
Developers say the project represents more than new construction — it reflects a broader effort to ensure East Tampa residents are part of the area’s growth.
Lena Graham, a fourth-generation builder with Genesis Development Group, called it a “first-of-its-kind” legacy project that allows longtime property owners to keep and develop their land.
“The thing that I learned through the journey with building construction and micro development is to have someone at the table who brings a different perception,” Graham said. “A lot of times when things come in, our community is left out because we don’t have someone who understands where our community has been.”
The total development cost is estimated at $12.8 million, with about $7.8 million expected from private investment.
Leaders say the project will not only add housing but also support small businesses, strengthen the 34th Street corridor and create long-term economic opportunities — all while honoring Brown’s legacy of service.
Construction is expected to be completed within two years.