New apartment-and-retail development proposed in Tampa Heights
Proposed project along North Florida Avenue

By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jun 1, 2021

A Tampa real estate venture capital firm has teamed up with a Pittsburgh developer to pursue a mixed-use project on a prime corner in Tampa Heights.

Tampa's Loci Capital and Pittsburgh's Maifly Development are proposing a seven-story building with 320 apartments, 593 parking spaces and 11,000 square feet of retail space in the southeast corner of Florida and Oak avenues. The street-level retail would be built along Florida Avenue.

“With its significant history and proximity to downtown, Tampa Heights is one of the most exciting submarkets in the U.S., and we look forward to enhancing its work/live/play reputation with a high-quality development," Matt Durbin, Maifly managing partner, said in a statement.

Tampa Heights is seeing an influx of developer and investor interest spurred by The Heights, a mixed-use district on the northern bend of the Hillsborough River. South of The Heights, another development is underway: The West River district, which will include a Publix Super Markets Inc.

The 2.45-acre site includes two city-owned parcels. The developers say in city filings that they plan to offer the city a deal that includes both cash and a commitment to workforce and affordable housing units. Affordable housing is a major focus for Mayor Jane Castor's administration.

That deal, along with the rezoning, requires city council approval. A public hearing on the project will be held Sept. 9.

“Loci Capital has deep roots in Tampa," Patton Chillura, Loci Capital vice president, said in a statement, "and with Tampa’s accelerated growth, we are thrilled to partner with Maifly Development to deliver a new residential option in Tampa’s urban core."