A conceptual architectural rendering of the proposed Tampa Police Department annex on Howard Avenue. The modern white and blue building is surrounded by a manicured green lawn, a winding gray sidewalk, and a white perimeter wall under a bright blue sky with palm trees. — Conceptual rendering of a proposed Tampa Police Department annex on Howard Avenue in Tampa, Florida. Credit: City of Tampa

Tampa City Council meets this week for single regular meeting Thursday morning, April 2. As is custom the Thursday before Good Friday, councilmembers and the public have a short 35 item agenda.

Items range from $18,588 to New Tampa Players (through the Social Action & Arts fund) for “services provided during Fiscal Year 2024 to closing out the $42 million dollar comprehensive infrastructure project started in 2020. The final price reflects a $4,298,138.86 decrease and credit back to the city. Those funds will be rolled into a future project.

The top dollar agenda item this week is the $21,788,470 contract for Howard Avenue Annex project—the relocation of the Tampa Police Department impound facilities at 34th St and evidence storage at TPD HQ downtown (Big Blue). However council will not be voting on it this week. Per a council rule, any project over $20 million requires it to be presented at the meeting prior to a vote. This gives council and the public ample opportunity to review the project prior to a vote.

With that clear, Tampa Monitor will not go too in-depth on the details provided other than to note that the $21.7 million is the construction cost. $27,174,500 is the total projected cost of Phase 2 of this project. Phase 1 costs were $7 million with a total projected cost of $34 million, primarily funded through bonds. The projected costs were once estimated at $48 million. It’s unclear what value engineering was applied to scale the project back. The other thing to keep in mind is this isn’t a Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) for the project. Nothing in this would preclude a Phase 3 in the future. Council will vote on this item April 16.

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Also on the agenda this week is the first public hearing for a proposed change to water and wastewater capacity fees which are similar to impact fees. The city is recommending increasing the fees (last studied in 2020 when changes were made to the fees) no greater than 50% of the current fee and phasing it in over a four-year implementation starting in March of 2027. In 2030 the fees would be approximately $1,100 more than they are today. The fees would primarily be used towards long-term wastewater infrastructure improvements. The second public hearing and vote will be on May 7.

Additionally, Rome Yard is back requesting changes to the changes they requested to the previously approved changes. This is the fourth timing change to the plan Tampa Monitor counts since the approval of the project in 2022. It must be difficult for staff to stand in front of council at this point and make excuses for this project.

A related item is a payment from the Rome Yard developer of $585,000 to the city which the administration in turn is asking council to approve for additional funding for the Catholic Charities Tampa HOPE facilities. The Tampa Monitor outlined the timeline and previous funding for Tampa Hope in January when council approved another $1 million for the project. The question isn’t whether this is necessary—it is fundamentally necessary—the question is if this nonprofit is the right one to provide it or would it be better for the city to consider other options. And if the city’s homeless outreach team are only allotted 15% of the beds, who else is this facility servicing?

Council will return April 9 to sit as the Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Board in the morning with regularly scheduled land use applications heard in the evening.

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This article appears in Mar. 26 – Apr. 1.