Local Builder Pitches Affordable Townhomes in St. Petersburg

A proposal for a city-owned site in St. Petersburg has factory-built construction, down payment subsidies and a private-sector builder trying something new.

Tampa-based Ramos Development submitted a proposal to build 96 affordable townhomes on a 5.24-acre city-owned site in West St. Petersburg, asking the city not only to contribute the land but also to help fund down payments for the lowest-income buyers, the Tampa Bay Business Journal reported.

The proposal, submitted in response to the city’s April request for proposals for the former St. Petersburg College Gibbs Wellness Center property at 7045 Burlington Avenue North, stands out in another way: Ramos, a custom homebuilder, is partnering with ONX Homes, another for-profit construction firm that would manufacture and install the units onsite.

The bid also asks the city to contribute the $4.82 million property at no cost and provide down payment assistance for five units targeted to households earning 80 percent of the area’s median income.

Those homes would be priced at $250,000, while the other 91 units — targeted at 120 percent the median income — would range from $300,000 to $357,000. The proposal specifies no further city funding beyond the land and subsidies for the 80 percent units.

The units would span 1,470 to 1,600 square feet, with two or three bedrooms. Ramos projects a $28.8 million cost, or about $300,000 per unit, with construction and permanent financing provided by Suncoast Credit Union.

ONX’s factory-built model could cut build time in half, enabling full delivery within 18 months of permitting, Ramos told the outlet.

The city’s RFP explicitly sought for-sale housing and discouraged rezoning or heavy subsidies, though it left the door open for modest support. Ramos is the first to publicly disclose a bid in this second round of procurement after the city’s previous solicitation fell through in 2023. St. Petersburg officials have not yet disclosed all proposals received.

Ramos is also proposing to reserve a third of the units for St. Pete College students, faculty, alumni and local public-sector workers, with a two- to three-week pre-listing period led by RE/MAX Alliance Group. Marketing would include on-campus outreach and educational workshops.

— Judah Duke