A plan to rezone roughly 30 acres in Tampa’s Ybor City could pave the way for new housing, businesses, parks and a pedestrian-friendly plaza.
It’s the latest effort by developer Darryl Shaw to reinvent the neighborhood known for its rowdy entertainment district.
In documents filed with the city on Dec. 15, Shaw requested that almost 60 parcels with various land uses be rezoned under a planned development.
The area stretches east of 19th Street near the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, south of Palm Avenue, north of Sixth Avenue and west of the Selmon Expressway.
Shaw did not outline what exactly he plans to build on the land. But rezoning would allow for a master-planned community with a max of 2.9 million square feet of residential, office, retail and hotel space.
“The Project will transform underutilized lots near and within Historic Ybor City, welcoming new residents, businesses, and visitors, extending eastward the vibrancy of one of America’s most iconic neighborhoods,” he said in a statement.
In an email to the Tampa Bay Times, a representative for Shaw outlined several changes aimed at making the area more walkable.
They include creating a pedestrian paseo on Ninth Avenue North between North 20th and North 21st streets and slowing down traffic, adding shaded walkways and activating ground level storefronts along East Seventh Avenue.
Pocket-sized parks will be scattered throughout the development.
Shaw is requesting that mid-rise and high-rise buildings be allowed in the areas outside the historic district. The buildings within the historic district would remain low-rise.
The lead developer on the project will be Shaw’s firm, Casa Ybor. The engineer is Kimley-Horn & Associates and the architect is Morris Adjmi Architects.