The University of Tampa is one step closer to building an 11-story student dormitory one block from campus.
The Tampa City Council voted on Thursday to advance the school’s rezoning request. The council will take a second look at the project on April 2, and the developers will need to revise a handful of items before then.
The project, which would be built on 110 S. Boulevard, would house up to 840 freshman and sophomores in 238 units. It would include dining, a drop-off area, 54 bike parking spaces, a widened sidewalk and a bus shelter.
The private market refuses to build affordable student housing for University of Tampa students, so the school has stepped in, said Scott Gossen, the university’s assistant vice president of design, construction and facilities.
Gossen urged the council to look at the dorm as part of the university, not a standalone project. The 11-story size is consistent with other campus buildings, he said.
One waiver the developers requested is to reduce the required amount of green space for the site.
“We consider ourselves kind of the green standard in the city of Tampa, when it comes to our tree canopy and our green space on campus,” Gossen said. “Every student that lives in this building will have access to our abundant amount of green space on campus.”
Chris Fortner, a representative from the architecture firm Niles Bolton Associates, said the developers plan to add bike parking along S Boulevard. Many of the building’s residents will be freshman, who are not permitted to bring cars to campus, he said.
Council member Lynn Hurtak said she had hoped for more interior bike parking for residents. Low-end bikes can still cost thousands of dollars, she said, so students with nice bikes will not want to park them on the street. A lot of bikes might end up lying on sidewalks, council member Alan Clendenin said.
Students may not use bikes, even with fewer parking spaces, council member Bill Carlson said.
“Just because we aspire to do something doesn’t mean that people are going to do it,” he said.
It’s important to provide enough bike parking to the students who would live in the building, Gossen said, especially in central locations students are likely to use.
The developers will update the plans to include bike parking and trees on S Boulevard, as well as a revised landscape plan and updated parking waivers.
“I would imagine some of those kids are staying in Tampa, making a permanent home,” said council member Charlie Miranda. “And I think the engine has started at University of Tampa as being one of the biggest assets that the city has had in many years.”