TAMPA — After a marathon — and contentious — hearing that lasted until early Friday morning, the City Council denied a zoning change needed to build Altis Grand Central, a mixed-use project with 296 apartments proposed near the Oxford Exchange.

Plans called for two apartment buildings, five and six stories tall, at 504 W Grand Central Ave., north of W Cleveland Street, and between S Magnolia and S Cedar avenues. Between the two buildings would have been be a nine-story parking garage, topped with a pool, two-lane bowling alley and club room for residents.

But opponents argued the project was not a good fit, and most council members agreed.

“The biggest issue in front of us tonight has to do with the context of the neighborhood,” council member Harry Cohen said before the vote. “There are an awful lot of places in Tampa where I would vote for this project in a heartbeat. But this is a very unique neighborhood, between the brick streets, the historical character and the unique businesses that have grown up.”

Still, the controversy might not be over.

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