YMCA unveils plans to redevelop six acres in Tampa Heights

Tampa Heights has been a neighborhood on the rise for more than a decade, and today we caught a glimpse of the YMCA’s plans for the more than six acres it owns.

This morning, Ellison Development filed rezoning requests, with plans for what a press release called “a new 6.20-acre mixed use development in Tampa Heights.”

Included in the plans are a relocation and eventual demolition of the current Bob Gilbertson Central City YMCA, which would stay open until a new, seven-story 110,000-square foot YMCA with rooftop pool is completed one block east as part of phase one of the redevelopment.

On YMCA's current plot, plans call for a 24-story multifamily tower with street-level commercial space.

Nearly 200,000 square feet of office space, 20,000 square feet of green space, 447 multifamily units—with at least 10% dedicated to affordable housing, according to the release—are also part of the plan.

“Small, minority-owned businesses” will also be part of the 100,000 square feet of retail.
The old Standard Oil Building (110 E Oak Ave.), which currently serves as the YMCA’s administrative home, would become the lobby for what the press release describes as “​​a 200-room luxury-lifestyle hotel.”

A 10-foot easement along E Palm Ave. for a potential streetcar expansion is included in the plans, but the old fire station (aka Red Door No.5) will stay and is not part of the plans.

If approved by Tampa City Councilmembers—which could make a decision on the development in November—Ellison says it can break ground on the new YMCA next summer and finish the entire redevelopment in five years.

YMCA President and CEO Matt Mitchell told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that one of the Y's key responsibilities between now and council's decision is to definitively show that the redevelopment is a good project for the neighborhood and Tampa in general. "Initial feedback would suggest it is, but we need to work hard to make this a project everyone can be proud of," he added.

Mitchell said the YMCA started working exclusively with Ellison six or seven months ago. Over the years, many parties have reached out to buy their properties or see what the organization would do if they developed it. In the end, he was attracted to the development company's "local roots and understanding of our desire to make this a hub of activity for our community… for those who live here and those who wish to visit."

Other local projects where Ellison Development was the contractor include Ybor City's Hotel Haya, nearby Tampa Armature Works, Oxford Exchange near the University of Tampa, and the members-only Stovall House off Bayshore Boulevard.

In all, 10 parcels owned by the YMCA are mentioned in the plans.
The new Central City Y will also have a pre-school, after-school care, programs for teens, pickleball courts and more. Renderings also show a skybridge over Florida Avenue, which will connect the YMCA to parking and the Y’s corporate offices.

In the press release, Mitchell said, “Our new facility and the surrounding development will generate resources to further our mission and extend our reach into underserved Tampa communities.”

He told CL that the YMCA would not own the hotel, residential complex or retail parts of the development, and instead lease the land to developers. He says that revenue will help the organization fulfill its mission not just in the Heights, but across Tampa where the YMCA has had a presence for the last 135 years.

"There are many other communities where kids and families deserve a Y… but where many cannot afford one," he told CL. "This type of approach allows us to put a great resource (our land) to use in providing the financial means for us to build and sustain Ys in other parts of the city."

Mitchell added that the YMCA and its partners are in active discussions about figures and values regarding construction, leases and development of the land it owns, and was unable to speculate on how much money the deals would make for the nonprofit. "Any shared numbers at this point would be extremely premature. Happy to share more details as they become more concrete," he added.

Traditionally, the YMCA has been accessible to a wide swatch of the neighborhood, including those who can't pay for all or part of the YMCA’s programs. The YMCA’s mission statement is “To put Christian principles into practice through programs that build healthy spirit, mind and body for all.”

In the press release, Mitchell said, “ We look forward to robust conversations with the Tampa Heights residents and our neighbors as we explore the many ways this vision can offer value to the community.”

Just one piece of public comment was uploaded to the City of Tampa’s Accela portal. The email expresses general support for the YMCA increasing density on the parcels it owns between Florida Avenue and Tampa Street but also shares concerns about the request for additional density at properties on Florida and Ross Avenue. Mitchell told CL that most of the YMCA's conversations about redevelopment have been with immediate neighbors and local stakeholders in the YMCA, adding that, "The real community engagement begins now."

The YMCA's already incorporated suggestions from initial discussions into the redevelopment plan, Mitchell said, including the preschool, skybridge, and minority business allocations in the retail portion. Community conversations and sessions with civic groups, he added, have been scheduled to hear input as the plan develops.

Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.

Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter

UPDATED 06/05/23 1:18 p.m. Updated with comments to CL from YMCA President and CEO Matt Mitchell, and to make clear that Ellison Development was the contractor on Hotel Haya, Tampa Armature Works, Oxford Exchange and Stovall House.