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Chain Hopes To Build Its First Bay Area Hotel

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By LENORA LAKE

Tribune Correspondent

Published: April 22, 2008

UNIVERSITY AREA Value Place wants to build a four-story, 124-room hotel at the northeast corner of Fletcher Avenue and 12th Street, which would be the first for the extended-stay chain in the Tampa Bay area.

Liberty VP Fletcher LLC, a franchisee for Value Place, is seeking rezoning of the 2.92-acre site and the approval of a variance in the setback requirements, said the land-use attorney representing the Maitland-based franchisee.

Heather Himes of the law firm Akerman Senterfitt said the zoning needs to be designated "planned development" for the hotel to be built. It also needs a variance so its business sign can be erected 15 feet from the street. The sign would be 30 feet high.

A zoning hearing master will hear the variance request May 9; the Hillsborough County commissioners will hear the rezoning request May 13.

"The combined height and setback provisions governing monument signs are too restrictive for the specific site layout of this site," the variance application reads.

Himes said the monument sign "is in keeping with what they are trying to do in the University Area," a community that is undergoing redevelopment with public and private funds.

Value Place, which is based in Wichita, Kan., has more than 68 hotels in operation in 18 states, according to documents submitted to the county. Nearly 650 franchise commitments have been made. All rooms have a kitchen and are rented on a weekly basis only. Cleaning services and utilities are included.

Liberty VP Fletcher owns and operates hotels in Lakeland, Ocala and Orlando, Himes said.

The hotel chain is used primarily by small-business owners, those on a limited per diem budget, contract employees such as visiting nurses, traveling military personnel and families that are relocating and are waiting for their permanent housing to be ready, Himes said.

The site was selected because of its proximity to the University of South Florida and the area's hospitals, Himes said.

Weekly rent is usually between $250 and $279, Himes said, adding that a background check is conducted on all residents before they are accepted as tenants.

"The staff lives on site. They [the hotel owners] take a big stake in the community," Himes said.

Himes would not say what the company is paying for the land, which is under contract from property owner Suzanne Hogan of Seffner.

The Hillsborough County Property Appraiser's' Web site lists Hogan as buying it in December 1952 for $8,800. Its current market value, according to the Web site, is $414,606.

Correspondent Lenora Lake can be reached at (813) 865-4851 or llake@tampatrib.com.

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