PLANT CITY, Fla. — A long-vacant property in Plant City’s Midtown area could move closer to redevelopment after the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency selected Mosaic Development Group to begin negotiations on plans that include housing, retail and a grocery store aimed at reactivating the city’s core.
City commissioners received three letters of intent for the property before the CRA selected Mosaic Development Group. The developer now has 90 days to negotiate a development agreement with the city.
Plant City Manager Bill McDaniel said the goal is to connect the Midtown property with the downtown area already growing nearby.
“The whole point of Midtown redevelopment is to reactivate this portion of our core, right adjacent to our downtown and turn it back into a thriving area,” McDaniel said.
Renderings show what Midtown could eventually look like if the plans move forward. City officials said the project could bring more residents, shoppers, and businesses into the heart of Plant City.
For longtime business owner Frank Trunzo, who owns Krazy Kup and Stage 201 in downtown Plant City, the project could mean more customers and continued growth for local merchants.
“I think that you’ll see that most people who are here and in business, there’s a camaraderie there,” Trunzo said.
Trunzo opened Krazy Kup 13 years ago and later opened Stage 201. He said he watched downtown grow and welcome new businesses during that time.
“As the population grows, so should the merchants,” Trunzo said. “There’s going to be enough business to go around for everybody.”
Trunzo said he believes there is renewed interest in Plant City’s future. “There is, I think, an investment in the community now that didn’t exist before,” he said.
City officials said that if the project ultimately moves forward, construction could take about two years to complete.