Building Progress

Building Progress

Hillsborough County leads the Gulf Coast region with 61 developments of regional impact.

By Sean Roth

Real Estate Editor

One way to track the health of real estate development in a region is to look at the number of large projects, known as developments of regional impact (DRI), being built.

They are the biggest and most important projects in the region, typically affecting multiple counties. They include airports, master-planned communities, business parks, mines, marinas and hotels. They are economic engines that energize the Gulf Coast.

These larger developments go through an exhaustive governmental review process and must receive local and state approval.

GCBR research shows a healthy smattering of new and ongoing DRI projects in Southwest Florida.

There were 220 ongoing regional projects from Pasco County south to Collier County as of June 30, according to the latest governmental data available. Plus, another nine DRI projects were still pending approval.

The largest number of projects was in Hillsborough County, with 61 developments, or about 27.7% of all the DRIs from Pasco to Collier counties. Lee County followed with 43 DRIs (one of which was shared with Collier) at 19.5%.

Sarasota County was third with 33 regional developments (sharing four with Manatee county) for 15% of the region. About 12.3% of the area's DRIs were in Collier County with 27 DRIs (sharing one with Lee). The other four counties contained less than 10% of the region's DRIs: Manatee with 20 (four shared) at 9.1%; Charlotte with 16 DRIs at 7.3%; and Pasco and Pinellas counties, both with 13 (one shared) at 5.9% each.

The area from Pasco to Sarasota - Pasco, Hillsborough, Manatee, Pinellas and Sarasota counties - had 136 of those ongoing projects and another seven DRI applications pending.

Here is a sampling of the largest ongoing DRIs since 1985 from Pasco to Hillsborough based on acreage.

Sarasota County

Project: Palmer Ranch Eastside MDO Substantial Deviation

Location: Sarasota County

Applicant: Palmer Venture

Owner: Palmer Ranch Development Ltd.

8588 Potter Park Drive, Suite 500

Sarasota, Fla. 34238

Phone: (941) 923- 0749

Date submitted: 7/20/90

Project type: Multi use

Total acres: 5,119

Housing units: 10,500

Commercial square feet: 400,000

Office square feet: 1,150,000

Industrial square feet: 1,763,000

Project: Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park (f/k/a University Place)

Location: Sarasota County

Applicant: Schroeder-Manatee Inc.

Owner: Lakewood Ranch Corporate Park Inc.

6215 Lorraine Road

Bradenton, Fla. 34202

Date submitted: 9/30/91

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 1,372

Commercial square feet: 109,860

Office square feet: 4,155,257

Industrial square feet: 3,934,883

Project: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, substantial deviation II

Location: Sarasota County/Manatee

Applicant: Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority

6000 Airport Circle

Sarasota, Fla. 34243

Owner: Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority

Date submitted: 2/25/03

Project type: Airport

Total acres: 1,215

Hotel rooms: 400

Commercial square feet: 92,324

Office square feet: 240,000

Industrial square feet: 378,447

Others: 480,000-square-foot terminal.

Project: Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, substantial deviation

Location: Sarasota County/Manatee

Applicant: Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority

6000 Airport Circle

Sarasota, Fla. 34243

Owner: Sarasota-Manatee Airport Authority

6000 Airport Circle

Sarasota, FL 34243

Date submitted: 12/1/96

Project type: Airport Expansion

Total acres: 1,122

Hotel rooms: 200

Commercial square feet: 261,180

Office square feet: 140,000

Industrial square feet: 220,000

Project: Heron Creek/Marsh Creek

Location: Sarasota County

Applicant: Marsh Creek Holdings Ltd.

Owner: Marsh Creek Holdings Ltd and Renea Glendinning

4524 S.E. 16 Place, Suite 3

Cape Coral, Fla. 33904

Date submitted: 11/19/96

Project type: Multi use

Total acres: 831

Housing units: 1,970

Commercial square feet: 500,000

Office square feet: 250,000

Other: 269 acres of recreational open space, 27 holes of golf, 44 acres conserve (wetlands & scrub jay habitat)

Manatee County

Project: Four Corners Mine, Addition Phase I (IMC Agrico)

Location: Northeast Manatee County and southeastern Hillsborough County

Original Applicant: Four Corners Mine Land Holdings

Developer of record: IMC Phosphates Co.

P.O. Box 2000

Mulberry, Fla. 33860

Project type: Commercial mining

Total acres: 13,205

Mining/disturbed acres: 12,438

Project: Cypress Banks

Location: State Road 70, two miles east of I-75

Developer of record: Schroeder-Manatee Ranch Inc.

6215 Lorraine Road

Bradenton, Fla. 34202

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 2,888

Residential units: 5,501

Retail square feet: 213,674

DRI Project Name: Four Corners Mine Substantial Deviation Addition/Phase I (IMC Agrico)

Location: Northeast Manatee County

Original Applicant: Four Corners Mine Land Holdings

Developer of record: IMC Phosphates Co.

P.O. Box 2000

Mulberry, Fla. 33860

Project type: Commercial mining

Total acres: 2,508

Mining Acres: 2,152

Project: University Lakes

Location: East of I-75 and north of University Parkway in Manatee County

Original Applicant: Schroeder-Manatee Inc.

Developer of record: University Lakes of Manatee Inc.

7550 Lorraine Road

Bradenton, Fla. 34202

Total acres: 2,317

Office square feet: 1,187,200

Residential single-family units: 1,654

Residential multifamily units: 1,454

Retail square feet: 1,276,258

Hotel rooms: 600

Industrial square feet: 808,088

Hospital beds: 150

Project: Unnamed exclusive golf and country club

Location: I-75 and south of Braden River in Manatee County

Original Applicant: Woodlands Country Club Associates Inc.

Developer of record: Woodlands Country Club Associates

8210 Lakewood Ranch Blvd.

Bradenton, Fla. 34202

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 1,174

Office square feet:

Residential single-family units: 1,238

Restaurant square feet: 32,000

Hillsborough County

Project: Hillsborough County Mines Consolidation Substantial Deviation

Location: Hillsborough County

Original Applicant: IMC Fertilizer Inc.

Developer of record: IMC Phosphates Co.

P.O. Box 2000

Mulberry, Fla. 33860

Project type: Commercial mining

Total acres: 53,937

Mining acres: 43,641

Project: Fishhawk Ranch

Location: Hillsborough County

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 3,465

Office square feet: 92,000

Residential single-family units: 4,610

Residential multifamily units: 500

Retail square feet: 390,000

Project: Hunter's Green FQD

Location: Off Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Tampa

Original Applicant: Markborough Florida Inc.

Developer of record: Arbor Greene Joint Venture

601 Bayshore Blvd., Suite 650

Tampa, Fla. 33606

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 1,976

Residential single-family units: 3,048

Residential multifamily units: 852

Retail square feet: 100,000

Project: Tampa Technology Park

Location: Tampa

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 1,756

Office square feet: 5,889,734

Residential single-family units: 634

Residential multifamily units: 310

Retail square feet: 215,000

Retail/office square feet: 1,261,100

Hotel rooms: 1,200

Industrial square feet: 11,632,946

Project: Westshore Areawide

Location: West of Dale Mabry Highway and north I-275, Tampa

Original Applicant: Westshore Development Association

Developer of record: The Westshore Alliance

5444 Bay Center Drive, Suite 115

Tampa, Fla. 33609

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 1,450

Office square feet: 10,373,338

Residential multifamily units: 2,000

Retail square feet: 1,488,000

Hotel rooms: 3,435

Industrial square feet: 200,000

Pasco County

Project: Connerton

Location: North by State Road 52, on the west by U.S. 41 and on the east by Ehren Cutoff

Original Applicant: Connerton LLC

Developer of record: Connerton LLC

3505 Frontage Road, Suite 145

Tampa, Fla. 33607

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 8,036

Residential single-family units: 13,667

Residential multifamily units: 1,450

Retail square feet: 2,090,000

Government Office square feet: 1,485,950

Hotel rooms: 150

Community college: 1,400

Project: Trinity Communities

Location: Pinellas and Pasco counties

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 3,702

Medical Office square feet: 186,000

Residential single-family units: 5,307

Residential multifamily units: 3,134

Mobile homes unit: 1,235

Commercial park square feet: 1,414,500

Retail square feet: 1,133,000

Neighborhood center square feet: 60,000

Office square feet: 43,00

Life care units: 840

Hospital Beds: 240

Project: Seven Oaks

Location: Pasco County

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 2,500

Office square feet: 400,000

Residential single-family units: 2,294

Residential multifamily units: 2,047

Retail square feet: 1,640,000

Hotel rooms: 400

Industrial square feet: 400,000

Hospital beds: 480

Medical Office square feet: 250,000

Project: Wesley Chapel Lakes

Location: Pasco County

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 2,150

Office square feet: 393,200

Residential units: 4,520

Retail square feet: 1,161,800

Project: Cannon Ranch

Location: Pasco County, one mile east of I-75 south of State Road 52

Original Applicant: Route 347 Realty Corp.

Developer of record: Thompson Station Enterprises LLC

P.O. Box 241

Thompson Station, Tenn. 37179

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 2,005

Residential single-family units: 2,350

Multifamily condo units: 2,50

Multifamily resort units: 1,500

Retirement units: 2,600

Access units: 400

Retail square feet: 183,000

Golf holes: 27

Office square feet: 52,000

Other: recreation areas.

Pinellas County

Project: Gateway Areawide

Location: Northeastern St. Petersburg, bounded by Ulmerton Road, 9th Street North, Gandy Boulevard and 28th Street.

Original Applicant: St. Petersburg

Developer of record: St. Petersburg

175 Fifth Street N., P. O. Box 2842

St. Petersburg, Fla. 33731

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 1,653

Office square feet: 3,505,934

Residential units: 2,209

Retail square feet: 169,595

Hotel rooms: 398

Industrial square feet: 2,460,670

Project: Tampa Bay Park Substantial Deviation

Location: Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Himes Avenue, Tampa

Original Applicant: Landmarks Commercial Services Corp.

Developer of record: Highwoods Properties

3111 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Suite 300,

Tampa, Fla. 33607

Project type: Office

Total acres: 35

Office square feet: 1,101,200

Project: Gateway Centre

Location: St Petersburg and Pinellas Park

Project type: Commercial

Total acres: 558

Office square feet: 2,688,620

Retail square feet: 246,000

Hotel rooms: 500

Industrial square feet: 2,820,000

Project: St. Petersburg Intown Areawide

Location: Central City St Petersburg

Original Applicant: St Petersburg

Developer of record: St. Petersburg

175 5th Street N.

P. O. Box 2842

St. Petersburg, Fla. 33731

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 458

Office square feet: 2,686,765

Residential units: 3,232

Retail square feet: 1,100,000

Industrial square feet: 230,000

Boat slips: 141

Museum square feet: 86,000

Exhibit square feet: 50,000

Movie theaters: 24

Project: Cypress Lakes

Location: North side of Tampa Road, Oldsmar

Original Applicant: Milford Corp.

Developer of record: The Milford Corp.

105 Dunbar Avenue, Suite H

Oldsmar, Fla. 34677

Project type: Mixed use

Total acres: 440

Residential single-family units: 250

Residential multifamily units: 250

Office square feet: 250,000

Retail square feet: 250,000

Hotel rooms: 125