LARGO — The big vacant lot has tall grass, an assortment of oaks and pines, a bit of crumbling blacktop, and what seems like a billion dragonflies.
The city is selling the nearly 1-acre lot at 158 Ridge Road near the northeast corner of Clearwater-Largo Road and West Bay Drive in its ongoing effort to revitalize downtown.
The parcel is one of several pieces of city-owned land that Largo has put on the market, hoping that new residential and commercial development will complement the smattering of shops and eateries already open along that section of West Bay Drive.
“Our goal is to get these properties into the hands of developers who are going to bring projects to our downtown,” said Teresa Brydon, Largo’s economic development manager.
Commissioners voted last week to accept an offer from Urban Edge Development, which will pay $144,000 for the property — about a sixth of what Largo paid for it.
The company plans to build a modern, 24-unit apartment complex at the site, which is just north of the aging Oak Alley Apartments on West Bay.