Tampa panel approves variances and grants conditional certificate for 2914 N. Nebraska affordable housing project

A City of Tampa historic‑preservation hearing on Jan. 28 approved two variances and granted a certificate of appropriateness with conditions for a proposed 20‑unit mixed‑use affordable housing development at 2914 North Nebraska Avenue in the Ybor City historic district.

Commissioners approved a parking reduction from 23 to 20 spaces, a structure‑height increase from 45 feet to 48 feet 6 inches to allow an open‑air rooftop trellis, and a certificate of appropriateness for the project’s design. The certificate was approved with a set of conditions that require follow‑up design work with city staff on windows, water‑table placement, stucco control joints, fence materials, rooftop mechanical screening and other details.

The applicant, owner Thad Bridal of Urban Reworks, said the project is intended as workforce housing with ground‑floor retail to provide on‑site property management. “The solution to homelessness is affordable housing. And affordable housing is the number 1 challenge facing our community,” Bridal told the commission, tying the proposal to neighborhood housing needs.

Attorney Colin Rice, representing the applicant, framed the parking request around the city’s comprehensive plan and site constraints, noting the project’s proximity to transit. “We are about 200 feet from a a Hart transit stop,” Rice said, and the application includes bicycle parking and other measures to reduce demand for car trips.

Ron Vila, planner with Historic Preservation staff, told commissioners the application had been reviewed and that the packet provided the evidence for deliberation; he also noted that staff does not take positions on variance findings. “Staff does not comment on the variances,” Vila said during the hearing.

A resident who lives near the site, Albert Cook, spoke in support, describing recent neighborhood investments by the applicant and saying, “He is the best neighbor I’ve ever had.” Kim Hedlund, representing the VM Ebor Neighborhood Association, said the association provided conditional support and asked the owner to work with staff to refine window proportions, corner massing and balcony detailing so the building better fits the historic corridor.

Votes at a glance - Parking variance (BLC‑25‑0000015): request to reduce required parking from 23 to 20 spaces — motion carried; approval recorded at the hearing. (Vote tally not specified in the transcript.) - Height variance (BLC‑25‑0000015): increase structure height from 45 ft. to 48 ft. 6 in. to permit an open‑air rooftop trellis — motion carried with conditions that the trellis remain open air, be inset within the building envelope and not be enclosed in the future. (Vote tally not specified in the transcript.) - Certificate of appropriateness (new construction): granted with detailed conditions on materials and details (see below). (Vote tally not specified in the transcript.)

What the commission required The commission’s formal certificate of appropriateness approval included a list of design and documentation conditions the applicant must address with staff. Those items, recorded at the hearing, include: reconsidering the water‑table location between first and second floors; adding and documenting stucco control/expansion joints; refining and/or improving the privacy fencing and street‑edge buffering on the Saint Clair (south) elevation; revisiting size and configuration of rear balconies so upper‑floor units have more usable private space; reexamining window proportions on the Saint Clair elevation to better align with historic precedents; developing full wall sections and details for storefronts, punched openings, balconies, canopies, parapet coping and the rooftop trellis; revisiting the ground‑floor corner canopy so it turns the corner; moving building signage consideration forward toward the corner; and providing four‑sided mechanical screening for rooftop equipment with appropriate access for servicing.

Project details and design elements The proposed three‑story masonry building would contain about 20 residential units above approximately 950 square feet of ground‑floor retail the developer said it would occupy for property management. The design team described a masonry (CMU/stucco) exterior in Ybor City colors, metal balconettes and a small rooftop deck shaded by a trellis that the team said would occupy roughly 10% of the roof area. The owner and design team represented that all residential units would include in‑unit laundry, private balconies or porches and on‑site bicycle/scooter charging and storage.

Design team lead Roger Anderson (DSA Mancini) and others said the project is intended to extend Ybor City’s historic character into the site and provide street activation along Nebraska Avenue. Staff and the applicant agreed to work further on details such as balcony depth and material selections; the commission specifically emphasized coordination on control joints and the water‑table line to avoid overly monolithic stucco planes.

Next steps The commission approved the certificate of appropriateness and the variances with conditions; the applicant acknowledged agreement with those conditions on the record. Staff will work with the applicant to finalize the required details and documentation before permit review. The commission and staff noted an accelerated timetable for any follow‑up public hearing if the applicant requests further review (the staff noted Feb. 27 was the next available public hearing date and Feb. 7 the materials cutoff for that date), but the certificate and variances were approved at the Jan. 28 hearing subject to the stated conditions.

Why this matters Commissioners and neighbors said the project would bring new, street‑fronting housing and retail to a portion of Nebraska Avenue that has seen limited investment and includes a prominent historic church directly across the street. Commissioners framed the vote as balancing the city’s design guidelines and historic district context with the community’s need for workforce/affordable housing. The conditions recorded by the commission require the project team to refine elevations and construction details before permits proceed.

Ending Applicant and staff representatives said they would continue design work with Historic Preservation staff to meet the commission’s conditions. The project team and the commission also discussed timelines and the possibility of returning with revised materials if required; on record the applicant confirmed agreement to work with staff on the list of conditions.