Developer shares more details on what's to come for A La Carte site
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Feb 4, 2016

David Weekley Homes is still finalizing its plans for the A La Carte Event Pavilion property, but the developer knows this much: It will be an upscale, residential community with a mix of for-sale housing products.

David Weekley is under contract to acquire the 15-acre site, though a closing date is yet to be set, said Shad Tome, area president of David Weekley for Sarasota, Tampa and Orlando

The Tampa Bay Business Journal first reported the deal on Feb. 3.

"The A La Carte community will consist of a mix of for sale semi-custom housing products that will range from two- to four-stories, but those plans have not been finalized as of yet," Tome wrote in an email Thursday.

Residential development is a natural fit for the site, which is across the street from Rocky Point Golf Course, Tome said. The waterfront location and proximity to St. Petersburg, Westshore and downtown Tampa made the property an attractive redevelopment play.

The project will mean significant new tax revenue for Hillsborough County. The Egypt Shriners, a nonprofit organization, owns and operates A La Carte as an event venue. The residential development could pay homage to the Shriners, Tome said, possibly by naming streets and parks after key Shriners figures or other commemoration in the community.

David Weekley doesn't have a time frame for breaking ground, Tome said. The company will next solicit input from surrounding neighborhoods, businesses and planning entities.

The homes will be developed and built exclusively by Houston-based David Weekley, which is in 10 communities in South Tampa, St. Petersburg, Tierre Verde and Redington Beach.

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