Suburban Tampa Mining Site Redevelopment Gains Approval

The redevelopment of a former phosphorous mining site in eastern Hillsborough County is gaining traction more than a decade after it was first proposed.

A recently approved land-use change paves the way for 1,200 homes and millions of square feet of industrial space across 3,000 acres known as Energy Innovation Park, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported. The developer is University Energy Park LLC, which is tied to Fort Myers-based investor Darrell Hanson and Tampa real estate appraisal firm principal Lee Pallardy, the outlet reported back in 2010, when the development was first proposed. The developers acquired the land in phases following the Great Recession.

The updated plan includes up to 7 million square feet of industrial space, such as renewable energy facilities, energy research centers, wireless communication infrastructure and waste-to-energy plants, the outlet said.

The revived project is slated for a “residential agrihood,” a trend in master-planned communities that blends housing with agriculture. The concept, similar to Metro Development Group’s Angeline community in Pasco County, envisions homes surrounding shared farmland and sustainable food production.

The site is in Dover, between Valrico and Plant City. It’s bounded by East State Road 60 to the north, Durant Road to the south, Dover Road to the west and Turkey Creek Road to the east.

Resiliency is a central theme of the development, said Jake Cremer, a land use attorney with Stearns Weaver Miller who represents the developer. He compared the vision to Kitson & Partners’ Babcock Ranch, a solar-powered, hurricane-resilient development in Southwest Florida.

With the comprehensive plan amendment in place, the next steps include rezoning, site planning, environmental testing, and securing building permits before construction can begin.

—Rachel Stone