Look for some stories in the morning papers about Tampa's efforts to redevelop the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in West Tampa. Earlier this week, a review committee composed of city officials, Florida National Guard officers and neighborhood activists reviewed the six proposals and, at the urging of the city's top development official, ranked three of them as their top choices.
It was widely reported that Heritage Square had "won" and that due diligence and negotiations would follow. Heritage Square's Tom Marler was on WFLA 970 AM radio this morning talking about their victory and how it would revitalize the neighborhood.
But on the Thursday, the city's development chief, Cindy Miller, briefed Tampa City Council and called members of the daily media to report that all six proposals were still alive and would be put in front of a Florida National Guard board in Starke on Aug. 12. That board would ostensibly be told of the local committee's rankings. The Guard owns the site and has to approve any redevelopment plans, in concert with Mayor Pam Iorio and the Tampa City Council.
Confusing, eh?
Michael Hinman from the Tampa Bay Business Journal has more on this breaking deveopment.
This article appears in Aug 2-8, 2006.