Former patch of dirt headed for its first Encore

When the land was dirt and weeds, Tampa Housing Authority officials envisioned a future "city within a city."

The site — formerly a public housing complex just north of downtown called Central Park Village — would be transformed, they said, from barren acreage into Encore, a mixed-income community with a bustling commercial and retail district. There would be apartments for seniors and families, offices, a grocery store, a hotel, a black history museum and maybe a high-rise condominium.

But, in a lousy economy, the bricks, mortar and cash needed to fulfill their vision were hard to acquire.

Now their plan is coming into focus — nearly nine months after the groundbreaking for a 160-unit apartment building for seniors called The Ella.

"It's something to be proud of," said Roxanne Amoroso, senior vice president of Bank of America, a partner in the $425- to $450-million redevelopment project.

The apartment complex, named for singer Ella Fitzgerald, is the first building at Encore and the first to be fully funded. Fitzgerald stayed nearby, at the historical Jackson House on Zack Street, when she performed in Tampa.

Work on the building's fourth floor, and its proposed swimming pool, is under way on the 28 acres bordered by Central and Nebraska avenues, and Cass and Scott streets. Construction on the $25-million apartment building should be completed by December.

About $26 million is nearly secured for The Trio, a 141-unit apartment building for families. Construction is slated to begin in July and end in August 2013. Partial funding for a second 158-unit senior apartment building, The Reed, is being sought from Florida Housing Finance Corp.

Each project within Encore is funded by as many as a dozen federal, state and local government sources. For example, the Hillsborough County Housing Finance Authority soon will be asked to issue bonds for The Trio.

Nearly two years ago, $28 million of a $38 million federal stimulus grant helped get the project started.

"Hundreds of jobs, millions of dollars are going into this community," said David Hollis, the authority's grant administrator.

Authorities estimate Encore will create about 4,000 jobs during its six to seven years of construction. About 1,000 permanent jobs are anticipated.

Surrounding The Ella are paved roads and signs for Ray Charles Boulevard and Blanche Armwood Street. Charles lived in Tampa and had his first success with the song, "I Found My Baby." Armwood was an educator and the first black woman from Florida to graduate from an accredited law school. Armwood High School is named for her.

A road in Encore also will be named for rhythm and blues singer Hank Ballard. He wrote "The Twist," which later was covered by Chubby Checker and became a dance sensation.

"In honor of Hank Ballard, you'll see there is a little bit of twist in the road, very slightly," said Lorenzo Reed, Encore's development project manager.

Cathedral oaks, crape myrtles, date palms, dahoon hollies and old-fashioned streetlights line paved roads that crisscross the Encore site. Benches are ready for future residents.

"You need curb appeal to be inviting [to developers], so they can see your vision," Reed said.

Infrastructure for Encore is completed. Sites for a future drug store, bank, hotel and amphitheater are shovel-ready. If the economy rebounds, a site is available for a high-rise condominium.

Work nearly is done on an underground vault that will collect storm water, which can be used to irrigate the landscape. A large, highly modern air-conditioning plant also is being installed. All buildings on the site will qualify for national certification as energy-efficient and eco-friendly.

Project leaders hope all three buildings eventually will be funded and under construction, despite economic challenges.

"To be able to have three buildings under construction in this economy is remarkable," said Leroy Moore, the housing authority's chief operating officer.

The optimism comes despite setbacks.

Last year an expected $23-million federal grant was denied by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Moore said a legal challenge is anticipated regarding how the selections were made.

During an on-site visit by a HUD panel in June, HUD officials spoke reassuringly at a public meeting about the project's chances against five other cities competing for grant money.

Back then, HUD officials said a $60-million dollar grant pool had been increased to $120 million, with expectations that at least four projects would receive grants.

Eventually San Francisco, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston and Seattle were selected. The Encore project in Tampa was left out.

Encore, unlike some of the other five projects, was shovel-ready. Moore said the New Orleans proposal, for example, was years away from construction.

Regardless of a possible legal challenge of the HUD selections, Hollis said, the housing authority might have a chance to apply for a second round of federal grants.