South Tampa corner targeted for new retail, restaurant space
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Dec 24, 2014

Retailers and restaurants who want a location in the tight South Tampa market may soon have new a option.

Tampa-based Wagner Property Group is planning to assemble five parcels at the intersection of South Dale Mabry Highway and West Estrella Street and build a new 14,760-square-foot retail and restaurant building on the site.

The existing space -- 11,663 square feet that is zoned for residential and retail-- would be demolished, according to documents filed with the city.

Surface parking would be provided behind the commercial space, which would front South Dale Mabry Highway.

Neither a Wagner representative nor the company's attorney returned calls for comment Wednesday morning. The site is home to Palma Ceia Liquors and Bar Catering and a few small retailers, some of which have already been moved out of the site, with a banner from Wagner proclaiming "New retail construction coming soon."

There is very high demand from restaurants and retailers to be in the South Tampa area, developers and brokers say. But options are few and far between for those businesses, with no new construction and very little vacancy in spots with enough parking and visibility.

That dynamic – combined with retailers who are willing to pay top-dollar rents for prime location – is what's driving redevelopment plays like this one and the one across the street from Britton Plaza that Paradise Ventures is pursuing.

It's not clear whether the developer has signed tenants for the redevelopment or would move forward speculatively.

Wagner is seeking to rezone the property as well as exceptions from the city to provide less parking than required for a restaurant up to 339 seats and up to 7,610 square feet of retail. The developer plans to provide 83 parking spaces when 115 are required, but says that "use demands for parking will be at different times" for the restaurant and retail.

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.