Commercial Development Could Be Headed To Tampa Palms Area 3

By Matt Wiley

Restaurants and other potential development are on the horizon in Tampa Palms Area 3, as several parcels are headed to a public hearing for rezoning approval.

If approved at the Thursday, October 10 public hearing before the Tampa City Council, the proposed zoning change hopefully will bring more restaurants and other potential commercial development to parcels in the are

a of the Market Square shopping plaza, located at Commerce Palms Dr. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and anchored by B.J.’s Wholesale Club and Bed, Bath & Beyond, as well as to two parcels adjacent to, and across the street from, the Chase Bank at BBD and Cypress Preserve Dr. and one just south of Lowe’s Home Improvement.

“This (development) has always been planned,” says Tampa Palms Area 3 developer and New Tampa, Inc., president Warren Kinsler of the more than 116,000 sq.-ft. of commercial space that will be added to the area’s current commercial entitlements, which will be capped at 528,213 sq. ft. In fact, records show that the commercial development has been planned for more than 20 years at these sites.

Kinsler says that he hopes to bring three restaurants to the Market Square plaza, one next to Lowe’s and one across Cypress Preserve Dr. from Chase. The plot of land behind Chase also could be used for a restaurant or for other commercial uses.

“We haven’t really explored what restaurants could come to the area, yet,” Kinsler explains. “But, we’re all ears.”

In addition to restaurants and other commercial uses, Kinsler says that he wants to add assisted living facilities to the approved uses in the residential areas of Tampa Palms Area 3 where multi-family residences already are allowed in the development order.

“Assisted living facilities are possible in the future,” Kinsler explains. “As our area ages, it will be a compatible use (for the land).”

Kinsler says that he expects a positive public reaction at the hearing, especially considering that the feedback he has heard so far has been so positive.

“We have been good stewards of our land,” Kinsler says. “Plus, there won’t be any curb-cutting and all of the development is along the (BBD) area (between BBD and Compton Dr.).”

By “curb cutting,” he means that the future development will not mean new intersections along BBD and all new developments would be accessed by existing means, either through parking lots in shopping plazas or from Compton Dr.

Along with commercial development, the hearing will address the eventual development of a five-acre park site that is going to be donated to the City of Tampa inside Area 3 near I-75, as well as an additional Hillsborough Area Rapid Transit (HART) “Park-and-Ride” location. One such location already exists at Lowe’s and takes riders to downtown Tampa, but this new location would not be added until the commercial development is under way, Kinsler says.

“It’s good to finally see the development of (Tampa Palms) Area 3 articulating,” says Maggie Wilson of the Tampa Palms Community Development District (CDD). “This development has been on the books for years and I’m happy to see it.”