October 23, 2025 • 8 mins
Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor At Large Ashley Kritzer joins to discuss the potential redevelopment of the Gas Plant district and rezoning in Tampa.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let's bring in Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor at large,
Ashley Kreutzer. You can find all of our work and
a whole lot more at Tampa Bay Business Journal dot com,
and you can follow her on social media too at
Ashley Kreutzer. So, Ashley, I want to start with the
Panels County Housing Authority submitting a proposal to Saint Pete
City officials. They want to build a seven story, eighty
(00:20):
unit affordable senior housing building near one of the lots
used for race parking. This comes as the city is
looking for new proposals to redevelop the gas Plant district.
What I found interesting about this, aside from the let's
be honest, unsexiness of a senior housing building as part
(00:42):
of that whole plan to redevelop the area, but what
I found interesting the idea that we would have proposals
that wouldn't consist of a full redevelopment, just small parts.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Of it, right, And I think that's what everyone needs
to keep in mind. And I'm not going to say
that lower income senior housing is not sexy. I think
this area desperately needs more of it. It may not
be as sexy as some of the other developments we
discussed right right now.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
It's it's needed. It's just you know, it doesn't really
get you going as.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
What I'm saying right yes, it doesn't get to hot.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And bothered hearing about you know, affordable senior housing as
opposed to you know, a ballpark or a place where
there are going to be musicians coming in or you
know what I mean something like that.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
That's true. And I think that when we look at
a project like the eighty six acres, what we cannot
I don't think that anyone thinks it would be in
a good, safe effort to develop this piecemeal, right. This
is something that needs to be master planned. It. You know,
if you just do it one off, you run the
risk of losing so much of the potential value of
having such a large tracked so much acreage in an
(01:51):
urban downtown environment. So that like what's attractive about that
is you can basically master plan an entire city, which
ideally and almost certainly will inclin flo lower income housing
and some set aside for senior citizens. So it is
interesting that the housing authority thought, you know, saw this
vacant land. I mean, they're a developer like anyone else,
let's see what we can do. But they're also talking
(02:13):
about you know, they did have discussions with another group
that bid, which is led by Kathy Wood, the celebrity investor,
and said, you know, we like your idea, but we
also really want to do this one off. But a
lot's going to change in the next several weeks as
the city gets other proposals for this land. I think
at this point nobody knows what's going to happen. And
don't forget this is the third time in five years
(02:35):
the city has been open to proposals for the Tropic
Caanerfield property. It's starting to just feel like the song
that never ends.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, I don't blame the Penels County Housing Authority, Hey
shoot your shot, but I think we're going to see
proposals and we've seen them in the past where like
you said, they included affordable housing. You know, you would
think there'd be some affordable senior housing because, like you
also said, there's a need for that in the area.
(03:02):
So all of those things would likely be included in
a larger redevelopment project, along with some of the other
sexier things that I think a lot of people have
looked at in renderings and are hoping end up being
part of the gas plant district moving forward, including perhaps
especially you know, if there's no ballpark. I think it
(03:24):
makes a lot of sense to have that Florida Man
Monument as the centerpiece to the redevelopment project because not
the raise.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That is a great idea, And I will say, you know,
I'm here to talk about development, but the politics under
like that are the underlying politics was development cannot be
underestimated because American walch really staked his political future on
keeping the rais in Saint Petersburg and that could still happen,
it doesn't seem likely at this point in time. So
he's going to want to have something he can point
(03:52):
to during this reelection campaign to say I did that.
So how is that going to influence how quickly this
moves full and what happens there. And he's already seen challengers.
I mean, Charlie Cris, the former governor, says he's considering
a run. I believe, you know, you have a Saint
Pete City council woman who is throwing her hat ring.
So it's already heating up, and I think that is
(04:14):
going to shape what happens to this property as much
as anything else.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
We're joined by Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor at large
Ashley Kreutzer. Let's talk about another redevelopment project, this one
in Tampa Heights and it's now moving forward.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah. So this is a really big project and one
that we covered a few years ago because the Brighter
Community Preschool, it's one of the earliest preschools that you
know in Tampa. It's a very historic preschool. It had
been rezoned for redevelopment back in twenty twenty two, twenty three,
and now we're seeing a luxury build Toll Brothers. They
(04:48):
have applied for permits that suggest they will be involved
in this project and that it is moving forward. But
this takes up two city blocks along North Florida Avenue
and it's right near where the Central City YMCA wants
to redevelop their property, and they have six acres if
they want to turn into sort of you know, I
hate to compare everything to Water Street, but just for
the sake of compare it, then it would be comparable
(05:09):
to a Water Street project. And so that corridor of
North Florida Avenue is really going to start popping you
have a newly built apartment complex that's leasing up, and
now you have this proposal. So it's just it's interesting
to see this sort of infill development come to Tampa Heights.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Let's talk about this Hyde Park proposal right off Bayshore Boulevard,
a condo, hotel combo.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
So this is going to be an interesting one. This
is the winners in Yonker building right there at Swan
and Magnolia Avenue, which is a really irritating intersection to
navigate it, whether you're on foot or in a car,
right there off of Bay Shore Boulevard. But this West
Palm Beach developer has a vision where it would be hotels.
I think it's one hundred and twenty two hotel keys,
(05:52):
twenty one condos, eight townhouses. But there will also be
public space. There'll be a restaurant, a spa, and they're
trying to pitch it as the first place that's actually
open to the public on Bay Shore since the Molonade
closed back in twenty fifteen. So that's true. There really
isn't anywhere on Bay Shore that you can just you know,
walk in like a like a restaurant or a spa.
This neighborhood does tend to fight development very ferociously, so
(06:18):
we will see what happens. It will be in front
of Tampa City Council on November thirteenth for a rezoning hearing,
and that's when that public comment section will occur.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
They're gonna let people just walk in during Gasparilla or
might they decide to change policy that day.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I mean it'll probably be like every other business around
there and closed, right, I know exactly. I wish they
would just get rid of Gaspara all together, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
We're joined by Ashley Kritzer, Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor
at Large. Now let's get into a really exciting topic
to wrap things up. Rezoning.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Okay, this doesn't sound exciting, but it is, I promise you.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Why is there a push for city council to keep
its rezoning authority?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So to bring our listeners into the present, there was
a decision, a rezoning decision just like that Hyde Park
project will face a few years ago on Harbor Island
that Tampa City Council rejected, and that project ended up
in court. It ended up in litigation and a judge said, actually, like,
let's not even talk about this project. Tampa City Council
(07:22):
doesn't have the quasi judicial authority to rezone properties. So
that decision has been appealed by the City of Tampa.
They're saying, no, that's not the case. But I mean,
think about if that ends up getting upheld. I mean,
rezonings are one of the most powerful things that Tampa
City Council does. That's what people pack their chambers for.
That's one of the big things. So if this holds
(07:45):
up in court, this judge's decision that they no longer
have that power, I mean, that is going to have
effects here, but also across the state of Florida, because
it's the same thing across the state.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
All Right, Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor at large, making
rezoning in interesting this morning, Ashley Kreutzer with us. You
can find Oliver working a whole lot more at Tampa
Bay Business Journal dot com and you can follow her
on social media at Ashley Kreutzer. Ashley, thanks so much,
thanks for having me. It's a Ryan Gorman Show five
(08:15):
to nine every weekday morning on news radiow FLA
Let's bring in Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor at large,
Ashley Kreutzer. You can find all of our work and
a whole lot more at Tampa Bay Business Journal dot com,
and you can follow her on social media too at
Ashley Kreutzer. So, Ashley, I want to start with the
Panels County Housing Authority submitting a proposal to Saint Pete
City officials. They want to build a seven story, eighty
(00:20):
unit affordable senior housing building near one of the lots
used for race parking. This comes as the city is
looking for new proposals to redevelop the gas Plant district.
What I found interesting about this, aside from the let's
be honest, unsexiness of a senior housing building as part
(00:42):
of that whole plan to redevelop the area, but what
I found interesting the idea that we would have proposals
that wouldn't consist of a full redevelopment, just small parts.
Speaker 2 (00:57):
Of it, right, And I think that's what everyone needs
to keep in mind. And I'm not going to say
that lower income senior housing is not sexy. I think
this area desperately needs more of it. It may not
be as sexy as some of the other developments we
discussed right right now.
Speaker 1 (01:11):
It's it's needed. It's just you know, it doesn't really
get you going as.
Speaker 2 (01:16):
What I'm saying right yes, it doesn't get to hot.
Speaker 1 (01:19):
And bothered hearing about you know, affordable senior housing as
opposed to you know, a ballpark or a place where
there are going to be musicians coming in or you
know what I mean something like that.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
That's true. And I think that when we look at
a project like the eighty six acres, what we cannot
I don't think that anyone thinks it would be in
a good, safe effort to develop this piecemeal, right. This
is something that needs to be master planned. It. You know,
if you just do it one off, you run the
risk of losing so much of the potential value of
having such a large tracked so much acreage in an
(01:51):
urban downtown environment. So that like what's attractive about that
is you can basically master plan an entire city, which
ideally and almost certainly will inclin flo lower income housing
and some set aside for senior citizens. So it is
interesting that the housing authority thought, you know, saw this
vacant land. I mean, they're a developer like anyone else,
let's see what we can do. But they're also talking
(02:13):
about you know, they did have discussions with another group
that bid, which is led by Kathy Wood, the celebrity investor,
and said, you know, we like your idea, but we
also really want to do this one off. But a
lot's going to change in the next several weeks as
the city gets other proposals for this land. I think
at this point nobody knows what's going to happen. And
don't forget this is the third time in five years
(02:35):
the city has been open to proposals for the Tropic
Caanerfield property. It's starting to just feel like the song
that never ends.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
Yeah, I don't blame the Penels County Housing Authority, Hey
shoot your shot, but I think we're going to see
proposals and we've seen them in the past where like
you said, they included affordable housing. You know, you would
think there'd be some affordable senior housing because, like you
also said, there's a need for that in the area.
(03:02):
So all of those things would likely be included in
a larger redevelopment project, along with some of the other
sexier things that I think a lot of people have
looked at in renderings and are hoping end up being
part of the gas plant district moving forward, including perhaps
especially you know, if there's no ballpark. I think it
(03:24):
makes a lot of sense to have that Florida Man
Monument as the centerpiece to the redevelopment project because not
the raise.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
That is a great idea, And I will say, you know,
I'm here to talk about development, but the politics under
like that are the underlying politics was development cannot be
underestimated because American walch really staked his political future on
keeping the rais in Saint Petersburg and that could still happen,
it doesn't seem likely at this point in time. So
he's going to want to have something he can point
(03:52):
to during this reelection campaign to say I did that.
So how is that going to influence how quickly this
moves full and what happens there. And he's already seen challengers.
I mean, Charlie Cris, the former governor, says he's considering
a run. I believe, you know, you have a Saint
Pete City council woman who is throwing her hat ring.
So it's already heating up, and I think that is
(04:14):
going to shape what happens to this property as much
as anything else.
Speaker 1 (04:18):
We're joined by Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor at large
Ashley Kreutzer. Let's talk about another redevelopment project, this one
in Tampa Heights and it's now moving forward.
Speaker 2 (04:27):
Yeah. So this is a really big project and one
that we covered a few years ago because the Brighter
Community Preschool, it's one of the earliest preschools that you
know in Tampa. It's a very historic preschool. It had
been rezoned for redevelopment back in twenty twenty two, twenty three,
and now we're seeing a luxury build Toll Brothers. They
(04:48):
have applied for permits that suggest they will be involved
in this project and that it is moving forward. But
this takes up two city blocks along North Florida Avenue
and it's right near where the Central City YMCA wants
to redevelop their property, and they have six acres if
they want to turn into sort of you know, I
hate to compare everything to Water Street, but just for
the sake of compare it, then it would be comparable
(05:09):
to a Water Street project. And so that corridor of
North Florida Avenue is really going to start popping you
have a newly built apartment complex that's leasing up, and
now you have this proposal. So it's just it's interesting
to see this sort of infill development come to Tampa Heights.
Speaker 1 (05:24):
Let's talk about this Hyde Park proposal right off Bayshore Boulevard,
a condo, hotel combo.
Speaker 2 (05:31):
So this is going to be an interesting one. This
is the winners in Yonker building right there at Swan
and Magnolia Avenue, which is a really irritating intersection to
navigate it, whether you're on foot or in a car,
right there off of Bay Shore Boulevard. But this West
Palm Beach developer has a vision where it would be hotels.
I think it's one hundred and twenty two hotel keys,
(05:52):
twenty one condos, eight townhouses. But there will also be
public space. There'll be a restaurant, a spa, and they're
trying to pitch it as the first place that's actually
open to the public on Bay Shore since the Molonade
closed back in twenty fifteen. So that's true. There really
isn't anywhere on Bay Shore that you can just you know,
walk in like a like a restaurant or a spa.
This neighborhood does tend to fight development very ferociously, so
(06:18):
we will see what happens. It will be in front
of Tampa City Council on November thirteenth for a rezoning hearing,
and that's when that public comment section will occur.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
They're gonna let people just walk in during Gasparilla or
might they decide to change policy that day.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I mean it'll probably be like every other business around
there and closed, right, I know exactly. I wish they
would just get rid of Gaspara all together, to be honest.
Speaker 1 (06:42):
We're joined by Ashley Kritzer, Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor
at Large. Now let's get into a really exciting topic
to wrap things up. Rezoning.
Speaker 2 (06:53):
Okay, this doesn't sound exciting, but it is, I promise you.
Speaker 1 (06:57):
Why is there a push for city council to keep
its rezoning authority?
Speaker 2 (07:01):
So to bring our listeners into the present, there was
a decision, a rezoning decision just like that Hyde Park
project will face a few years ago on Harbor Island
that Tampa City Council rejected, and that project ended up
in court. It ended up in litigation and a judge said, actually, like,
let's not even talk about this project. Tampa City Council
(07:22):
doesn't have the quasi judicial authority to rezone properties. So
that decision has been appealed by the City of Tampa.
They're saying, no, that's not the case. But I mean,
think about if that ends up getting upheld. I mean,
rezonings are one of the most powerful things that Tampa
City Council does. That's what people pack their chambers for.
That's one of the big things. So if this holds
(07:45):
up in court, this judge's decision that they no longer
have that power, I mean, that is going to have
effects here, but also across the state of Florida, because
it's the same thing across the state.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
All Right, Tampa Bay Business Journal Editor at large, making
rezoning in interesting this morning, Ashley Kreutzer with us. You
can find Oliver working a whole lot more at Tampa
Bay Business Journal dot com and you can follow her
on social media at Ashley Kreutzer. Ashley, thanks so much,
thanks for having me. It's a Ryan Gorman Show five
(08:15):
to nine every weekday morning on news radiow FLA
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