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Council approves first reading for Tampa General’s Hyde Park medical office; neighbors press parking, imaging and safety questions
Summary
City Council approved first reading of a rezoning to allow medical-office use at 509 South Hyde Park Avenue (REZ24112). Tampa General Hospital will adaptively reuse the 13,804-square-foot building for appointment-only imaging and clinical services. Transportation staff flagged two waivers (drive-aisle width and reduced on-site parking) and public
City Council gave first-reading approval Thursday to a plan-development rezoning that will allow Tampa General Hospital to operate a small, appointment-only medical office at 509 South Hyde Park Avenue (file REZ24112).
The hospital will retain and renovate the existing 13,804-square-foot, single-story building and use it for outpatient clinical services and diagnostic imaging. Hospital representatives described the facility as appointment-only, intended to keep some services near the main campus while moving non-emergency functions off the island campus.
Planning staff found the rezoning consistent with the comprehensive plan and the property’s future land-use designation; most city departments agreed. Transportation staff identified two outstanding waiver requests tied to the site’s existing layout: (1) an existing drive aisle of 20 feet where the current code requires 24 feet, and (2) a request to retain 50 on-site parking spaces rather than the roughly 83 that would be required under a strict application of the city’s older parking standard for medical uses. The hospital and its traffic consultant presented a parking analysis that used a more recent national cohort of medical-office buildings and calculated a lower demand; the consultant said medical office parking norms have shifted since the city’s older ratio was adopted.
Neighbors who live adjacent to the property raised concerns at the public hearing about the site’s capacity for heavy imaging equipment (which has electrical and structural requirements), the potential for new generators or mechanical equipment outside the building, and whether on-site and nearby church parking would suffice for patient demand. Several residents also asked for clearer pedestrian crossings and driver behavior improvements. The applicant said interior remodeling would house imaging modalities and that the site would operate during normal business hours with scheduled appointments to limit turnover. The applicant agreed to add crosswalks and to improve pedestrian connections between rear parking and the building entrance between the first and second readings.
The Architectural Review Commission unanimously recommended approval, conditioned on the applicant meeting site connectivity improvements. Council took the amendment and approved the ordinance at first reading; a second hearing and adoption are set for Feb. 6, 2025.
Why it matters: The vote is an example of adaptive reuse in an established urban neighborhood. The hospital’s appointment-only model reduces 24/7 demand for services on the island, but neighbors’ questions about parking, heavy medical equipment and pedestrian safety will remain relevant at permitting and as the project returns for final adoption.
What’s next: The applicant must complete required revisions on the revision sheet and resolve the two transportation waivers. Final approval will take place at second reading; any changes to the building or operations beyond those approved in the PD would require new approvals.
