Here are two different ideas on how to redevelop vacant land on 14th Street West
It’s been a long time since a developer has expressed any interest in the former Manatee Inns site in the 1400 block of 14th Street West.
Three proposals came forward this week to redevelop the site that once housed a hotel primarily used for prostitution and drug use. The city purchased the property for $2 million at the height of the housing boom, tore it down and then saw the value drope to $600,000 during the Great Recession.
The 3.5 acres is now appraised at $1.1 million.
City officials immediately dismissed a proposal that called for construction 90 units of affordable senior and workforce housing because the developer requested the city give them the land in order to make the financing viable.
The city will hear more from the other two development teams sometime in the near future. The two proposals are very different from each other.
A ‘biggie size’ proposal
Bradenton-based NDC Construction is proposing a high-density development project that Economic Development Director Carl Callahan described as “biggie size.”
After buying the land for $800,000, NDC says it would build 220 units in two five-story building, and four-story parking garage in the middle of the development.
NDC’s proposal includes some workforce housing.
To make the deal work, NDC says it will seek reimbursement of tax-increment funds for 15 year, as well as tax credits through the state.
The proposed density — 70 units per acre — would require the city to address a “ton of changes,” to the area’s zoning uses, Callahan said,.
The two five-story buildings would face both 14th Street West and the Village of the Arts, something Callahan warned the city council “would catch some heat on,” considering the goal for that property has been to turn it into a gateway for downtown Bradenton and the Village of the Arts.
“The south village is just now starting to grow,” said Mark Burrow, owner of Art Junkies. “Throw in five-story buildings and you are blocking the village, not inviting people in. It would destroy the face of the neighborhood.”
The gateway concept is something Ward 3 Councilman Patrick Roff has pushed for some time. Despite opposition from some in the village, Roff, said NDC’s proposal, “Ii something I’ve pretty much been hoping for all along as far as getting people in there ... We’ve been needing a home run there for some time.”
Developer proposes storage units
The second proposa is from Safeguard Storage, which designs some of its climate-controlled facilities to look like upscale apartment buildings. Safeguard also is proposing to front the main building on 14th Street and build 15-20 small cottages on the eastern portion of the land for an easier transition into the village while supplying some affordable housing. It might also build some retail space on the bottom floor of the storage facility.
Safeguard is offering to buy the land for $750,000 and would not seek tax credits, perhaps speeding up the development process. They could start construction soon after a final sale.
Roff spoke out against the proposal.
“It’s people we need on 14th, not storage units,” he said.
Burrow wasn’t too pleased with the storage concept either, noting it would still just be another business building and would not benefit anyone.
Callahan cautioned the council not to make any decisions based on his preliminary presentation, which led to the council inviting the developers to provide more information.
Ward 2 Councilman Gene Brown said NDC’s proposal could, “be a huge detriment to the village or could be a huge benefit,” having 220 units filled with people who would potentially be new customers for the village businesses.
Burrow agreed that housing on 14th Street near the village is important, particularly workforce housing, but he said hewould not be for a project that affects property all the way to the village.
“I tried to get the villages to buy it or at least maybe go half with the city and turn it into a village festival field where we could do community events,” Burrow said. “The city has always told us that this side of that property would be an extension of the village.”
There is a third option
Ultimately the city may decide they don’t like either project and opt to wait it out, as they have done for a decade.
Ward 1 Councilman Gene Gallo said there is nothing on 14th Street to entice people to live there and he would likely lean away from any project that doesn’t contribute sufficient tax revenue.
Village resident Don McLucas, who lives directly across the street, said he would prefer the city wait.
“What I’d really love to see there is a movie theater and an arts and entertainment center,” McLucas said. “Something for the whole community to actually enjoy. I’m skeptical of what the city does with these types of decisions. But whatever they do, they need to make sure the entire lot is blocked off to stop the homeless foot traffic from coming through the village.”