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Building is hip S.O.G

By SHERRI DAY
Published March 4, 2005

Once upon a time in South Tampa, living S.O.G. - South of Gandy Boulevard - was, by some people's standards, utterly declasse.

Then development came to Ballast Point, a neighborhood south of Gandy but with inspiring views of the Hillsborough Bay. People began tearing down houses and replacing them with large, expensive homes more typical of areas to the north.

While Ballast Point eventually shed the S.O.G. stereotype, many people still considered areas west of MacDill Avenue the ugly stepsister.

Fast forward to 2005. With rapid development, low-interest rates, swarming investors and a seemingly unending stream of would-be homeowners, developers survey nearly every street south of Gandy with an eye toward construction.

"It's very much the new horizon, the new development corridor for South Tampa," said Rick Miller, a broker salesman with Smith & Associates. "It's inevitable. We only had so much land."

These days, Sun Bay South and Port Tampa boom with the kind of activity once found in more expensive areas to the north and east. On the corner of Sheridan Road and Cherokee Avenue, developers recently tore down three ranch-style homes in favor of larger, two-story houses. In Port Tampa, which has some of South Tampa's largest swaths of undeveloped land, hundreds of townhouses and single-family homes are in the works.

While many of the areas' longtime residents welcome development, some worry that the neighborhoods' aging infrastructure will buckle under the influx of new residents.

Life south of Gandy Boulevard is no longer a well-kept secret, said Al Steenson, immediate past president of the Gandy Civic Association.

"What other open property is there?" said Steenson. "I'm 70 years old and before I take a dirt nap, I envision all of this gone, all the way to the end of the port."

Some business owners such as Clay Heitler find themselves in the right place at the right time. Heitler is nearing completion of a new headquarters for Affordable Home Mortgage and Phoenix Title Services, a two-story office building at the corner of Dale Mabry Highway and Interbay Boulevard.

"We bought it just in time," said Heitler, owner and president. "We were looking in Hyde Park, and (the land) was at least double the price. Now it just happens that things are moving south."

Real estate developers predict that within the next decade Port Tampa and Sun Bay South will bustle with thousands of new residents and significant commercial development.

Here are some of the projects recently completed and planned for the area.

> Casa Marina - By April, LIST Realty Group plans to start construction on 10 Mediterranean-style townhomes on Price Avenue near West Shore Boulevard. At 1,500 square feet, the two-story homes will feature two bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms and two-car garages. John Lum, co-owner of LIST, said his company has not set a price for the units. But that doesn't seem to bother buyers. All of the townhouses are reserved.

Chelsea Place - High Point Development, formerly LandCraft Development, has plans for 32 townhouses with two-car garages just south of Interbay Boulevard near Everett Avenue. Each unit will have three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Developers plan to break ground on the project in June and finish in May 2006. Price: starting in low $200,000s.

Elizabeth Court - Six Victorian-style buildings make up this 28-unit townhome development. Each unit ranges from 1,185 to 1,252 square feet with two bedrooms and 21/2 bathrooms. The community, created by Tampa Bay Development Group and Keystone Homes, is sold out. Units sold from about $130,000 to $170,000.

Escena South Tampa - Located along West Shore Boulevard at Pearl Avenue, 30 townhomes feature two- and three-bedroom units with 1,300 to 1,550 square feet. Completed in January by High Point Development, the units come in two floor plans. All homes sold from about $170,000 to $250,000.

Las Palmas at Ballast Point - Never mind that these townhomes fall just outside of Ballast Point's boundaries, Samter Homes' Peter Bennett has buyers for each unit. Twenty-six townhouses sit on the south side of Gandy Boulevard at Sheridan Road. Prices ranged from abou t $170,000 to $195,000.

Legacy Park - One of the largest proposed developments in South Tampa, Legacy Park includes 135 townhouses on 15 acres just north of Wallace Avenue. High Point Development plans to offer buyers 12 to 15 floor plans and traditional Americana design. Most of the units will have three bedrooms, three baths and a two-car garage. Developer James Landers plans to break ground in June and complete the project a year later. Price: starting in low $200,000s.

Manhattan City Homes - At the corner of Manhattan and Pearl avenues, this 22-unit townhouse community by High Point Development is nearly finished. The project offers two floor plans, each with two bedrooms and at least two baths. The units range in size from 1,266 to 1,442 square feet. Only two are left. Price: $170,000 to $230,000.

New Port Tampa Bay - South Tampa developer EcoGroup Inc. plans to create a 53-acre residential and commercial community on several former industrial sites near West Shore Boulevard, including Moody's and Hendry's ship repair yards and the Imperial Yacht Basin. EcoGroup's president Ed Oelschlaeger, who took over from St. Petersburg developer Grady Pridgen, plans to develop 750 residential units on the yacht basin site. Earlier this week, EcoGroup submitted a rezoning request for the Hendry property that would add 1,000 units. The remainder of the property will include restaurants, office space and a 200-room hotel. Construction to begin by fall and last until 2013. Price: hasn't been set.

Palm Grove - Devonshire Properties intends to build 19 single-family homes on Elrod Avenue between Richard and Clark avenues. Plans call for two-story homes that range from 2,100 to 2,700 square feet with three to four bedrooms and 21/2 to 31/2 baths. Devonshire officials expect to start selling in April and begin construction in May. Their target buyers: young families who cannot afford the company's more expensive homes north of Gandy Boulevard. Price: starting in the high $300,000s to high $400,000s.

Rattlesnake Point Townhomes - LIST Realty Group plans to bring Key West-style architecture to its development on Prescott Street near West Shore Boulevard. Twenty-two units will line the property, each with 1,900 square feet, three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a two-car garage. Developers expect to begin building within two months and finish by the end of the year. All the units are reserved. Prices started at $270,000.

Sherwood Villas - Eighteen townhouses will line Gandy Boulevard in this development near Himes Avenue. Each unit features three bedrooms, 21/2 bathrooms and a two-car garage. Builders expect to complete the project in June. Nine units are still available. Price: from $315,000.

Single-family homes (Unnamed) - Property owners on West Shore Boulevard south of Interbay Boulevard are interviewing prospective developers to build on the site. The land allows for 32 houses. Construction is scheduled to begin in 2006. Price: to be determined.

South Green - Developer Ashton Woods is preparing this subdivision of 30 single-family homes on Sheridan Road just north of Interbay Boulevard. Houses will have four bedrooms, 21/2 to 31/2 bathrooms and oversized two-car garages. Construction starts in May. Reservations begin in April. Price: $500,000 to $600,000.

Thomas Townhomes - Thirty-five townhomes have sprouted on Prescott Street near Faul Street. The 2,091-square-foot units will boast three bedrooms, 21/2 baths with separate formal living and dining rooms and a 998-square-foot garage. The first buyers moved into the property in August. Four units remain. Price: starting at $250,000.

Westshore Yacht Club - Overlooking Old Tampa Bay, this project's developers plan to build 539 single-family homes, townhomes and condominiums. The development will also feature a clubhouse with a bar and restaurant, fitness center, full-service spa, parks and a marina. Developers expect to complete the project by 2010 and finish the first homes by the end of this year. Price: starting at $423,000 for townhomes, $595,000 for condos and $2.6-million for waterfront single-family homes.

Sherri Day can be reached at 226-3405 or sday@sptimes.com

[Last modified March 3, 2005, 09:13:05]