Tampa’s CRA board approved $35 million in reimbursement funding for the Ybor Harbor development, a massive 33-acre waterfront project led by Darryl Shaw between Channelside and Ybor City. The money will fund infrastructure including seawalls, roads, utilities, sidewalks, and public spaces.
The funding comes with little risk to the CRA because developers must pay for the work upfront and are only reimbursed after construction is completed. Payments would begin in 2029 and be capped at $7 million annually through 2033.
Today, the site generates only about $400,000 annually in property tax revenue despite sitting in Tampa’s urban core. Developers estimate the completed district could eventually generate nearly $47 million per year while adding offices, hotels, retail, public waterfront access, and nearly 5,000 residential units.
The project will also include 10% affordable housing for rental residences and over 2,500 linear feet of public waterfront access, turning an industrial shipyard into one of Tampa’s largest urban redevelopment projects.
The cost of building apartments has exploded in just a few years, and developers are feeling the pressure.
Construction costs, supply chain disruptions, and higher interest rates have dramatically changed the economics of new housing projects. Even market rate rental developments are becoming difficult to justify because the financial math no longer works the way it did before 2020.
Episode 185 of TBD Pod is available on all major podcast platforms.
Sources inside Hillsborough government say Hillsborough County and the Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement on a memorandum of understanding for a proposed stadium deal in Tampa.
The reported framework includes:
$796 million from Hillsborough County
$180 million from the City of Tampa
Additional state funding tied to the Hillsborough College campus project
Increased private contribution from the Rays, ~ $1.3 billion (not publicly confirmed)
Rays to cover all construction cost overruns
The MOU is non-binding and still requires approval from both Hillsborough County commissioners and Tampa City Council before negotiations can move into final agreements. Those future agreements would cover financing, leases, operations, development rights, and long-term commitments tied to the project.
The Rays have pushed for a fast timeline in order to keep the project financially viable and on schedule for a potential 2029 opening. CEO Ken Babby also said the organization is prepared to deliver what could become the largest community benefits agreement in Tampa’s history.
After years of uncertainty, this marks the strongest sign yet that a Rays stadium in Tampa is moving closer to reality.
For decades, many housing developments isolated low income residents from the rest of the city, creating concentrated poverty, failing infrastructure, and long term disinvestment. This conversation breaks down why connectivity, mixed income communities, and neighborhood integration may be the key to building housing people actually feel proud to call home.
Dan Coakley discusses the redevelopment vision for Robles Park and the future of housing in Tampa.
Episode 185 of TBD Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.
The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency is investing $4 million to convert 22 apartments at The Residences at 801 East Whiting @801whiting into workforce housing for residents earning between 80% and 140% of the Area Median Income.
The newly built 104-unit development will offer reduced rental rates starting around $1,606 per month, significantly below nearby market-rate apartments that begin near $2,100 monthly.
City leaders say the goal is to help teachers, nurses, service workers, and first responders live closer to their jobs while supporting a more balanced and accessible downtown neighborhood.
The CRA board overseeing the investment is made up of the same members as Tampa City Council, with Councilwoman Naya Young recently serving as the agency’s new chair.
The affordability restrictions on these units will remain in place for 50 years, creating long-term workforce housing in one of Tampa’s fastest-growing districts.
New legislation targeting dredging near aquatic preserves created a significant obstacle for developers, but the land next to the preserve is still privately owned and remains in play. Beyond the environmental concerns, the bigger question is whether the area could realistically handle the infrastructure demands of thousands of cruise passengers moving in and out near the Skyway.
@captdustinpack joins the conversation to break down the latest developments surrounding the proposed cruise port and the broader debate over growth, infrastructure, and conservation in Tampa Bay.
Episode 184 of The TBD Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms.
Brandon Town Center is moving forward with plans for a 58.32-acre mixed-use development near Lakewood Drive and Brandon Main Street.
Updated site plans show the project would include 660 residential units, 75,000 square feet of commercial space, a food hall, mixed-use buildings, pedestrian corridors, and a one-acre public gathering park. The development is planned in multiple phases across the property.
The project is designed around a walkable layout with retail, dining, residential units, and public spaces connected within the same district rather than separated into isolated subdivisions and shopping centers.
Creating more mixed-use districts like this allows higher housing density to be built on less land while reducing reliance on cars for everyday trips.
Instead of continuing outward suburban sprawl with massive subdivisions that require driving for nearly everything, developments like this concentrate housing, retail, and public spaces into more connected neighborhoods that can reduce traffic pressure on major roads and highways over time.
What if public-private development partnerships didn’t require massive taxpayer subsidies to get projects off the ground?
The guest is referencing the old Army Navy store redevelopment in North Downtown Tampa and the Robles Park redevelopment.
Instead of relying on public funding, this project was structured so the city contributes the land while the developer finances the housing, infrastructure, parking, and site work independently. By tying land payments to construction phases, the deal creates a framework for large-scale mixed-income housing without adding major financial burden to taxpayers.
Dan Coakley is the principal of PMG Affordable, a real estate developer focused on large-scale mixed-income housing projects that integrate affordability, workforce housing, and community-centered design.
Episode 185 of TBD POD is available on all major podcast platforms.
A new episode is out now with @realmattthewelder
Matt joins the show to discuss the environmental and political trade-offs Florida is making as rapid growth continues across the state.
We dive into Florida’s water crisis, the role of Mosaic and the phosphate industry, aquatic herbicide spraying, reckless development, and the controversy around building on Superfund sites. We also cover property taxes, PACs, Rays stadium funding, money in local politics, and why voter turnout remains one of the biggest challenges facing Florida today.
Available now on @spotify@youtube@applepodcasts
Tampa Bay used to smell so bad you could tell from inside your car driving down Bayshore.
Raw sewage was dumped directly into the bay with zero filtration, and by the 70s and 80s the water quality had gotten so bad that homes along the waterfront had yellow siding and silverware was staining indoors.
That familiar smell on Bayshore isn’t old history, it’s the treatment facility nearby, and depending on the wind direction, it’s blowing straight over Davis Island and Bayshore to this day.
@captdustinpack with @tampabaywaterkeeper joins Episode 184 of TBD POD to break down how the bay got this bad, how far it’s come, and what’s still threatening it.
Episode 184 of TBD POD is available on all major podcast platforms.
The @raysbaseball officially presented their proposed Tampa stadium deal to City Council Tuesday night.
The $2.3 billion proposal would bring a new Rays stadium and surrounding mixed-use development to Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus, with the goal of opening by 2029.
Under the current framework, the Rays would contribute roughly $1.2 billion toward the project and cover any construction cost overruns, while the City of Tampa would contribute $251 million and Hillsborough County would contribute $750 million.
The broader development plan could include restaurants, retail, offices, entertainment spaces, and a rebuilt Hillsborough College campus designed around the stadium district.
Supporters say the project could generate jobs, tourism, and long-term economic growth while helping secure the Rays’ future in Tampa Bay. Critics continue questioning whether more than $1 billion in public funding should go toward a privately owned sports franchise.
The Rays say a finalized agreement needs to happen by June 1 or the team could begin exploring alternative locations for a future stadium.
How would you vote on the deal?
The Cross Florida Barge Canal was a decades-long push to connect the Atlantic to the Gulf by carving shipping channels through the middle of the state. Construction actually started, ran from the 1930s into the 1970s, and was only killed off after environmental concerns made it impossible to ignore.
@captdustinpack , Florida native, fly fishing guide at Fly Tide Charters, and board member of @tampabaywaterkeeper , breaks down how close Florida came to becoming one giant shipping shortcut, and why remnants of the project are still scattered across the state today.
Episode 184 of TBD POD is available on all major podcast platforms.
