2. EXISTING CONDITIONS
Assessing the effectiveness of the UCA design standards in creating an aesthetically pleasing and well planned environment is difficult as only one parcel in the zoned districts has redeveloped since the standards were adopted in 2005. III. Current Development In order to understand current development trends along the corridor, re-zoning applications and new building permits were examined. These factors were used to indicate not only the type and intensity of development along the corridor, but potential future development trends. In addition, the growth potential of the corridorwas analyzedby examining opportunity zones, planned infrastructure improvements, and the previously completed market analysis. James A Haley Veterans’ Hospital An expansion of the James A Haley Veterans’ Hospital will include a new six-level, 220,000 gross square foot bed tower, providing an additional 100 Medical, Surgical, and Nursing inpatient beds, 40 Intensive Care Unit beds, support space, a lobby area, public amenities, main security office, and a patient drop-off/ entry area. Construction began on July 31, 2018, and the anticipated completion is in 2021. Although no further expansion is currently planned, surface parking areas on the north side of E. 131 st Avenue have been identified to accommodate current unmet need. 1 1 U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Supplementary Environmental Assessment for Phase 4 New Bed Tower and Infrastructure Improvements Project, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital Tampa, Florida” (September 11, 2015)
Re-zoning A property owner must seek a modification to the approved zoning district, or “rezone” the property, if they want to change the allowable land use. A rezoning requires a noticed public hearing before a Land Use Hearing Officer (LUHO) and final approval by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners. There are four rezoning applications currently under review within the study area. Only one of these is associated with parcels located directly along the E. 131 st Avenue corridor. The one re-zoning application along the corridor indicated at least some desire to combine parcels and increase density or building heights present in the community. This also indicated that moderate growth was evident in the study area. For more information about re-zonings in the E. 131 st Avenue area, please see Appendix III . Growth Potential The project corridor is within the Urban Service Area, part of the 730-acre University Redevelopment Area and within the planning area of the Innovation Place (!p). The University Redevelopment Area Market Analysis published in May 2018 identified parcels along the E. 131 st Avenue corridor with the greatest redevelopment opportunity (or “catalyst sites”). These include 42.31 acres of land owned by Robbins Real Estate (1003 E. 131 st Avenue) and a 5.38 acre parcel owned by Verizon Florida, Inc. (1410 E. 131 st Avenue). Most of the E. 131 st Avenue corridor is within one of three Opportunity Zones. Opportunity Zones were established as part of the Federal Tax Cut and Jobs Act of 2017 and provide tax incentives for investment in qualified businesses and properties within the zones. The aim of the program is to encourage investment and job creation within the zones, which are either low income census tracts or contiguous with such tracts. The presence of Opportunity Zones throughout the study area could act to increase redevelopment in the corridor.
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E. 131 ST AVENUE PLAT STUDY PRELIMINARY LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION STUDY
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