Hardee County development group outlines downtown townhomes plan, funding and next steps

Hardee County development staff presented a monthly update on housing initiatives and related property transactions, describing a multi-pronged plan that pairs new for-sale townhomes with public parking and infrastructure improvements.

The development group said the county received a $6 million local government allocation tied to new housing and redevelopment; about $800,000 of that was identified for a water and wastewater extension along Bostick Road and roughly $48,000 was in the packet for environmental services including a Phase I assessment, wetland delineation and soil screening. Presenters also said the county had secured a $1 million rural infrastructure grant to construct a parking lot behind the proposed townhome site.

Why it matters: County staff and board members framed the package as a coordinated effort to stimulate downtown residential development, increase the local tax base and support businesses by bringing residents into the core commercial area.

Most immediate proposal: staff reported one response to a request for qualifications for an 8-unit townhome project in the midtown/downtown area. The responding team includes National Development of America, Barpedal Land Development and Rhino Construction (described in the packet as a local contractor). The proposal as presented would build eight three-bedroom, two-bath townhomes ranging roughly from 1,200 to 2,000 square feet and include front porches, rear yards and garage access. Staff said the developer would form a homeowners association to maintain common areas and proposed a roughly 12-month permitting and infrastructure phase followed by another 8–12 months for vertical construction.

Staff recommended the board authorize staff to proceed with a reimbursement-style incentive contract. Under the draft approach staff described, the parcel would be split into two parcels to allow the developer to purchase and build the first four units; the IDA would reimburse the developer for the land purchase or other contract-defined costs after completion of the first phase, and the process would repeat for the second parcel. Staff said a rural infrastructure grant will fund the parking-lot construction behind the townhomes and that design and site plans are being aligned so the parking and townhome projects complement each other.

Other projects and requests: presenters summarized two residential land-acquisition reimbursement requests already before the IDA. One request came from “Barkdoll Estate” seeking $100,000 reimbursement for land acquisition and an additional reimbursement tied to a lift-station; the packet described the estimated lift-station cost in unclear terms. A second request, identified as Longwood Ranch, asked for $248,500 in land-acquisition reimbursement. Staff said both projects could be eligible for reimbursement if deliverables in a development agreement are met.

The board also heard about a historic-downtown upper-floor residential conversion: a property owner requested $350,000 in reimbursement for converting the upper floor of a downtown building (identified in the packet as above the Verizon storefront) into six residential units. Packet materials cited a total projected project budget of $1,200,000; staff recommended approval of that request on a reimbursement basis once construction is complete and required certificates of occupancy are received.

Staff said MDIBA-managed funds (as presented in the packet) would leave approximately $1.9 million available for future housing requests and about $2.3 million for other IDA projects, after the current commitments.

Next steps and board direction: commissioners asked clarifying questions about resale profit, lease‑purchase history, protections for public investment and how the reimbursements would be structured. Staff told the board the IDA no longer uses preset lease‑purchase buyout figures in its lease agreements and that reimbursements would be tied to measurable deliverables (for example, wastewater connection rather than septic systems). The board did not take a final vote on any contract at the meeting; staff was directed to draft contracts and return them for board consideration.

Context: staff referenced a 2022 housing study (University of South Florida / Florida Institute of Government) that identified a local housing shortage and described previous net permit trends. Board members framed the package as an effort to accelerate residential presence downtown and make use of infrastructure investments already funded by LGA and other sources.

Ending: staff will return with drafted incentive contracts, site plans and specific reimbursement schedules for the board’s consideration in a future meeting.