The City of Tampa has passed another milestone in its effort to bring transformative and inclusive development to the West Tampa community. The City recently announced the top three candidates for consideration as the lead developer for its Rome Yard development site. Located just west of the Hillsborough River near West Tampa’s historic Main Street, the Rome Yard development project represents an opportunity to restore vacant, underutilized City land to a vibrant community serving many community needs, including affordable and work force housing along with other community services.
The City issued an RFP (Request for Proposals) for the Rome Yard development site in October 2020 to seek qualified responders to redevelop approximately 18-acres of City-owned real property located immediately west of the Hillsborough River, east of Rome Avenue, south of Columbus Drive and north of Spruce Street in the West Tampa Community Redevelopment Area of Tampa.
Proposals were due by 12:00 PM (EST) on December 15, 2020 and the City of Tampa received six submissions from qualified candidates. On February 15, the Final Selection Committee evaluated the proposals and voted to interview the top three candidates as scored by the Technical Review Committee.
The top three RFP candidates that will move on to the next step of the selection process are:
- InVictus Development LLC
- Related Urban Development Group LLC with Tampa Housing Authority
- TRS Development Services/Onicx LLC
Interviews with the top three candidates are being scheduled for the week of March 8 via a hybrid virtual/in person meeting.
“We are very pleased with the progress of this RFP,” said City of Tampa Administrator for Development and Economic Opportunity, Carole Post. “We received excellent proposals from candidates that understand the needs of the West Tampa neighborhood and how we can address those needs through strategic and thoughtful developments. The City has carried out a fair and transparent process which we believe will result in a successful project that benefits the West Tampa community.”
The City’s primary objective with this RFP is to support the West Tampa neighborhood by encouraging the development of a wide range of uses to serve this evolving community, including mixed-income housing that aligns with the City’s strategic housing affordability goals. The site should also be developed in a way that complements the surrounding community, accounts for transportation and sustainability goals, and drives opportunities for place-making, retail services, and community investment. The RFP also emphasizes the need for diversity and minority participation in the development of this site as well as in its planned uses, such as a possible work force training center.
“A key aspect of this process has been incorporating input directly from the community in preparing the RFP,” said Director of Economic Opportunity Rob Rosner. “We’ve involved the West Tampa CRA Community Advisory Committee both to prepare the original requirements and participate in the selection process. That engagement will continue throughout the development.
To learn more about the Rome Yard RFP and to see the proposals, visit www.tampa.gov/DEO/RFPs