NEW PORT RICHEY - A luxury townhome project could replace Community Hospital as the city's top taxpayer.
The development, to be called Sea Forest Beach Club Town Homes, is planned for 20 acres west of U.S. 19 behind Kmart on Sea Forest Drive.
Two hundred townhomes are proposed at a price tag ranging from $150,000 to $200,000 each.
The project could bring more than $400,000 in annual property taxes to city coffers, projected Gerald Paradise, redevelopment director for New Port Richey.
"Community Hospital only generates $230,000 in taxes," he said.
The city's land development review board okayed the project last week and recommended rezoning approval for the site. The rezoning is set to go before the City Council on May 6.
If approved, groundbreaking could begin this summer - probably in June or July.
"It looks good," said Fred Metcalf, director of development services for New Port Richey.
Currently "we have some condos and similar types of developments that are older, but this is probably going to be more upscale than the rest of the city."
The townhomes would likely be built in several phases over three years.
The goal is to capitalize on the city's redevelopment boom, said developer David Howell, president of National Constructors Inc. in Sarasota, managing partner with Pasco Limited Partners, which owns the parcel.
"We just think that the area has now blossomed," Howell said. "There hasn't been any development of this size in I don't know how long."
Although New Port Richey is home to an abundance of rental houses, the townhomes would be the first of their kind, said city officials, who are hoping the project will lead others to invest in the area.
The three-story townhomes would have a New Orleans design, wrought iron gates and back entrances. Scenic views and other amenities that could include elevators are also part of the package. The first floor of the buildings would consist of storage and parking.
The project represents a $35-million investment in New Port Richey, Paradise said.
Howell and his partners first propsed the townhomes three or four months ago, the city staff said.
Metcalf and others are hoping the proposal is just the tip of the iceberg for the city.
"There's been a lot of interest since the redevelopment took hold," he said. "The market is shifting."
[Last modified April 1, 2003, 05:26:39]
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