Tampa CRA approves $9.7 million to back 118-unit East Tampa affordable housing project on Columbus Drive

At a meeting of the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency, the agency approved a $9,700,000 contribution to the Ashley East mixed‑income housing and future commercial development on Columbus Drive, a 118‑unit project presented by the Integral Group.

The project team and city staff told the board the development has secured financing and site control, and that the first phase — the multifamily housing component — is ready to move to construction once the CRA funding is allocated. Cedric McCray, Tampa CRA director and East Tampa CRA manager, said the recommendation from the Community Advisory Committee was to approve the full $9.7 million request: “the recommendation was to move forward with the 9,700,000.0 ask. And there are was several, a lot of conversation from the CAC. The vote at that point was 6 to 5 from the CAC members at that time.” The board approved the funding by voice vote with a motion from Board Member Amanda Scott Blue and a second from Board Member Tim Dennen.

Kareem Brantley, representing the Integral Group, described the first phase as 118 affordable units built using 4% low‑income housing tax credit financing that the team secured after receiving an award in 2024. “No project, including ours, is gonna be a silver bullet for solving affordable housing,” Brantley said,…