'Disaster' building becomes eco-friendly housing facility

Less than two years ago, a vacant building on North Nebraska Avenue just south of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard was a neighborhood garbage dump and magnet for code violations. The area was spotty, and the economy offered no incentives.

But through the vision of the city, the nonprofit Tampa Crossroads and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – with about $3 million in federal stimulus money – the property is an eco-friendly project soon to be home to female veterans and low- income families.

The building, which had housed a construction company, was in foreclosure, said Sara Romeo, chief executive officer of the nonprofit Tampa Crossroads.

"It was a disaster," she said. "I drove by it one day and looked at the beautiful trees all over the property and said we could use this."

The result was Eco Oaks, an 18-unit facility on just more than two acres that was paid for through the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Romeo said the project comes with sustainable energy-conservation features including rain barrels that can hold more than 4,500 gallons of water, solar energy panels, energy efficient appliances and low-flow toilets.

She said with all the green innovations the average tenant could save a lot of green on electric bill costs. If an average power bill for a two-bedroom apartment runs about $140 a month, the bill for one of these apartments will run about $35, she said.

The savings, she said, "can buy a lot of groceries for a single mother and her kids."

The construction building was gutted and renovated, she said, with 85 percent of the debris recycled.

The technology and recycling efforts have paid off. The project is in line for a certification that could place it at the top of its class, said Taylor Ralph, a consultant with REAL Building, a company that specializes in green innovations.

"This has some very high tech, renewable energy features," he said, "and that helps the tenants."

Applications for renters are being accepted starting Monday, Romeo said, and priority will be given to female veterans with children and low-income families.

An enclosed courtyard is safe for children to play in, away from the bustle of Nebraska Avenue and surrounding neighborhoods.

Rent starts at $530 a month.

"We're trying to change the face of public housing," Romeo said

The project was part of a HUD program that funneled more than $200 million to Florida communities struggling with foreclosures last year.

Tampa got $4.7 million of that grant money to reverse the effects of foreclosures and to bolster local economies and neighborhoods, HUD officials said.

Tampa Crossroads is a nonprofit organization that assists veterans and the homeless and offers treatment and support for those dealing with substance abuse.