Request For Proposals
RFP No. 170128-P-CM Redevelopment of 144 E. Tarpon Avenue
A pre-proposal conference will be held at City Hall, 324 East Pine Street, 2nd Floor Conference Room, Tarpon Springs, Florida at 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 31, 2017. Sealed proposals will be received by the Procurement Services Department until 3:00 p.m. Thursday, July 13, 2017. Questions must be submitted, in writing, not later than Wednesday, June 28, 2017.
The City is offering a unique opportunity for the development of this ½ acre site located in the heart of Historic Downtown Tarpon Springs at an address formerly known as 144 E. Tarpon Ave. Currently a vacant parcel of land, the site once housed a general store built circa 1906. The building was eventually razed by the City in 2008. The City is seeking a creative, qualified firm to acquire the CRA-owned property and develop the site with mixed uses including retail/restaurant, residential/office uses.
Copies of the proposal documents may be obtained only through DemandStar/Onvia (www.demandstar.com).
The City of Tarpon Springs, Florida, population 24,000 and founded in 1887, is the oldest city in Pinellas County with a rich, vibrant history that has been preserved throughout the years. The City in its early years earned the phrase “The Venice of the South,” as wealthy Northerners discovered its beauty and warm waters of the many bayous and quickly settled Tarpon Springs. Downtown developed with the arrival of the Orange Belt railroad and the construction of the Train Depot. The discovery of rich sponge beds brought the arrival of Greek sponge divers from the Dodecanese Islands in the early 1900s and Tarpon Springs became known as the “Sponge Capital of the World” and today its fascinating history is preserved along the Sponge Docks, one of the top tourist destinations in the country.
The historic Downtown along Tarpon, Hibiscus, Safford, and Ring Avenues has grown into a retail destination with art galleries, eclectic boutiques, home décor, antiques, breweries, and restaurants, many still housed in vintage 1900-era historic buildings. The former Train Depot has been renovated and now serves as the City’s Welcome Center and is maintained as a museum by the Tarpon Springs Historical Society. The Pinellas Trail winds through Downtown, and intersects Tarpon Avenue at Safford Avenue, bringing cyclists, walkers, and outdoor enthusiasts to the area. In the past five years, the City has made extensive investments into the public infrastructure in the near Downtown area, including:
- Reconstructed Lemon Street and added extensive landscaping.
- Achieved jurisdiction of Tarpon Avenue from the Florida Dept. of Transportation, and embarked on a major streetscaping project, including vintage light poles, brickwork, benches, trees, flowers, banners, and more.
- Constructed safety upgrades to the Safford/Tarpon intersection along with additional streetscaping along Tarpon Avenue.
- Developed the North Safford Recreation Corridor to form a pedestrian link between Downtown and the Sponge Docks using the Pinellas Trail as a focal point. The project included:
- Resurfaced the Trail with extensive tree planting and landscaping, brick croswalks, new park benches and trash receptacles, sidewalks, median plantings, brick retaining walls, and irrigation systems.
- Developed a Fitness Park with outdoor exercise equipment, workout mounds, fitness lawn, bike aid station, and connection to the Pinellas Trail via a wooden boardwalk with extensive wetland enhancements and plantings.
- Created a Dog Park with tunnels, bridges, hills, water splash area, and benches and shade canopies for adults. The park features separate sections for small and large dogs.
- Constructed a Children’s Splash Park featuring Tarpon Springs-themed spray features. The park inlcudes restrooms, changing rooms, benches, a picnic pavilion, and jungle gym play area.
- Constructed a kayak/canoe launch along the Anclote River adjacent to the Splash Park.
An active Merchant’s Association, in partnership with the City, stages numerous downtown activities and events throughout the year. In 2016, the Merchant’s Association successfully launched First Friday Tarpon Springs, a downtownt open air block festival. We proudly welcome and encourage you to visit the City website at www. ctsfl.us. The Merchant’s Association website can be found at www.tarponspringsfloridausa.com.