Council pauses vote on 6.4-acre site for fire fleet; members press for clarity on Lowry Park uses

Councilmembers on Aug. 7 debated a proposed feasibility study of a 6.4-acre parcel under consideration for fire fleet, warehousing and related vehicle storage — and whether the same parcel might also be used to hold Lowry Park maintenance assets and fueling equipment.

Councilwoman Lisa Hertek said she had expected the scope to be limited to Tampa Fire Rescue fleet and warehouse needs and said documents received that morning described Lowry Park assets in the scope, which she viewed as an expansion of intent. "My fear is that we will then move and have this property only possibly for the Lowry Park," she said, urging the council to protect the property’s intended purpose for fire operations.

Chief of Staff John Bennett said the request that generated the study was a feasibility check: staff asked contract administration and hired consultants to test whether the site could meet fire fleet and warehousing needs. Bennett told the council the primary focus remains fleet and warehousing for fire and that any additional uses would be considered only if space allows. "The priority is fire and fire warehousing," he said.

Staff and speakers noted technical constraints. Councilmembers discussed acreage: council members recalled Chief Tripp requesting roughly 10 acres for fleet operations, while the parcel under review totals about 6.4 acres and includes low-lying areas that could be constrained by stormwater needs. City staff said some portion of the 6.4 acres may be unusable for building because of grading and pond mitigation, and that a feasibility study is needed to confirm site suitability.

The Tampa Firefighters union president emailed the council the morning of the meeting, writing that the land should remain "100% for fire and fire only" and urging protection of that intent. Council members and staff said they recognize the union’s concerns and that the feasibility study will validate whether the parcel can meet the department’s operational needs.

Councilwoman Hertek moved and the council approved postponing formal action on agenda item 20 until Councilman Viera returned from lunch, giving staff more time to clarify the parcel’s suitability and the limited scope of the feasibility work. Staff said Wilder and Associates had been selected through an RFQ process to perform programming and spatial analysis and that the contract before council was to authorize a programming study, not a final decision to acquire or develop for secondary uses.

Why it matters: The discussion touches on operational readiness for fire apparatus, environmental constraints near the Hillsborough River and competing public-land uses. Councilmembers said they want to avoid a situation where a parcel purchased to solve one public-safety need is repurposed without clarity and public discussion.

What happened next: Council postponed the item; staff will continue feasibility work and report back with clarified scope, acreage analysis and recommendations for where Lowry Park assets should be sited if they cannot be accommodated on the parcel.

Background: The procurement process began in late 2024 with an RFQ for fleet, maintenance and related facilities. Wilder and Associates was selected to evaluate programming and spatial requirements. Council and staff acknowledged that land near the river has environmental and stormwater constraints that can limit buildable area.

Looking ahead: Staff will complete the feasibility study, confirm the usable acreage, and return to council with a clarified scope and recommendations so that the council can decide whether to proceed with purchase or identify alternative sites for Lowry Park assets.