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By SHANNON BEHNKEN sbehnken@tampatrib.com

The Tampa Tribune

Published: October 8, 2008

Swaths of vacant land dot downtown streets. Some just happen to be the size of condo developers' dried up dreams.

Now, the big questions are what will be built on the land, and how long will it take to sell it?

"We've got places where we could run cattle if we wanted," said Wilson Stair, the city's urban planner.

Some of the once sought-after land was supposed to be home to noteworthy projects, such as the 52-story Trump Tower Tampa and Pinnacle Place Condominiums, a pair of 37-story towers planned adjacent to a 624-foot space needle. Now that those projects look unlikely, the land may be left sitting for a while.

But Stair is optimistic that developers will come circling again. And they may build something other than condos.

"I think things will come back," he said. I'm starting to see more interest in hotels and apartments. The vacant land won't stay empty."

Going Nowhere

Trump Tower Tampa: The 52-story project didn't happen because the developer couldn't obtain financing and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The developer reached a mediation agreement that cancels a contract that would have given the tower the Trump name. The developer's attorney says the land may eventually be sold but not until the real estate market improves.

Canceled

The Pinnacle Place Condominiums: This pair of 37-story towers was also marketed as the O2 condominiums. In late 2005, the developer canceled plans, citing high construction costs. The overall plans also included a 624-foot space needle. Parts of the land are now for sale at undisclosed prices.

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