TAMPA — A plan to spur riverfront development on a prime 12-acre site in West Tampa moved ahead Thursday when the Tampa City Council unanimously voted to buy two pieces of property several miles away to relocate utility trucks.
The trucks have been kept at 2609 N Rome Ave., two blocks south of W Columbus Drive and a block from the Hillsborough River. City Hall will eventually market that site to developers as part of a larger, 120-acre redevelopment called West River. The development will ultimately hold 1,500 new residential units mixed with stores and trails along the river leading to Riverwalk and other waterside amenities.
As part of the plan, council members agreed to pay more than $1.1 million for two properties along N 40th Street that will be used for the utility trucks.