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Upscale And Affordable

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By KENNETH KNIGHT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 10, 2008

UNIVERSITY AREA - Tucked amid row upon row of apartments along 15th Street north of Fowler Avenue, a sprawling complex is under construction.
Spanish Trace Apartments features amenities people might expect to find at a luxury-priced development.

It is the latest effort by the developer, Richman Group of Florida, to build upscale-designed, affordable housing in Hillsborough County's working-class communities.
Spanish Trace is a gated, 120-unit complex going up at 15th Street and Villena Avenue, a new private road leading to a circular drive fronting a spacious clubhouse, swimming pool and multistory apartment buildings on landscaped grounds.

The Richman Group, a West Palm Beach company, began preleasing apartments at Spanish Trace on Sept. 1, with plans to open the first two buildings in October, Richman Group marketing coordinator Robin Drunkman said.

An employee at Meridian Pointe Apartments is handling phone calls and the application process for Spanish Trace, Drunkman said.

The new development will feature two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments in garden-style buildings.

Apartments will range in size from 974 square feet for a two-bedroom unit to 1,364 square feet for a four-bedroom unit, Drunkman said. The monthly rent will be $683 for a two-bedroom apartment, $788 for a three-bedroom unit and $875 for a four-bedroom apartment.

Each unit will have a fully equipped kitchen with cherry cabinets, a separate dining area, walk-in closets, two full baths, ceramic-tile floors, ceiling fans, a satellite television package, and washer and dryer connections. There also will be an on-site laundry center.

The clubhouse will have a business center with computers offering Internet access and a fitness center with cardiovascular and strength training equipment. There also will be a kitchenette, library and entertainment area for parties.

Staff members will serve as activity counselors for on-site social, recreational and educational events, Drunkman said.

The manicured grounds will have a playground, and a car-washing area will be stationed adjacent to on-site parking.

Construction on the 6.2-acre site is expected to be finished by early next year, Drunkman said.
Spanish Trace will join a list of other developments built by the Richman Group in East Tampa and unincorporated Hillsborough County neighborhoods with older, neglected apartment complexes.

"People deserve to have comfortable, affordable housing," Richman Group development associate Shannon Lee said. "Just because you can't afford upscale housing doesn't mean you have to live in squalor."

The Richman Group of Florida, a West Palm Beach company, built its first project in Hillsborough County in 2001: Royal Palm Key, a 240-unit development on 16.6 acres between Fletcher and 131st avenues at 12th Street. The complex was built with the help of $11.1 million in county bond money for construction.

The company also sprinkled apartments within parts of the city's East Tampa community redevelopment area bordered by Hillsborough Avenue, Interstates 275 and 4 and the city limits.

Meridian Pointe Apartments, a 360-unit complex at 2407 Henry St., and Grand Oaks Apartments, a 160-unit development, at 2604 E. Hanna Ave., were built by the Richman Group of Florida in partnership with the city of Tampa, the Hillsborough County Housing Authority, the State Housing Initiative Partnership and the State Apartment Incentive Loan Program.

Brandywine Apartments, a 144-unit complex at 5029 N. 40th St., is a public-private development it built in cooperation with the county housing finance authority, the Florida Housing Finance Corp, the city of Tampa and a $1.6 million loan from Citi Community Capital and $8.7 million in tax-exempt bonds.

Plans are under way on the company's next project, Autumn Place, which will be built in Temple Terrace. The Temple Terrace City Council has approved the site plan for a 120-unit affordable housing complex.

Autumn Place will be a five-building residential community on 9.3-acres on the west side of Davis Road north of Navajo Avenue.

To be eligible for housing at an apartment built by the Richman Group, a potential tenant must have a steady income, good credit, a good tenant history and meet income requirements based on a percentage of the median income for Hillsborough County.

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842 or kknight@tampatrib.com.

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