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Tarpon OKs First Phase Of Meres Crossing Project
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Published: December 5, 2008
Updated:
TARPON SPRINGS - The development of Meres Crossing, a potential commercial gateway into the southern section of the city's downtown, along Pinellas Avenue, came closer to fruition during Tuesday night's City Commission meeting.
Commissioners gave unanimous approval to the site plan for the first of the project's two construction phases.
They also decided not to trifle with the design of traffic patterns for the shopping center to avoid irking the owners of its planned major tenant, a Sweetbay Supermarket.
Ed Armstrong, attorney for the developer, told commissioners the grocery chain has already approved the traffic pattern. The developers of Meres Cross do not want to make changes to the development plan that might give Sweetbay executives a reason to pull out of the deal.
Commissioners agreed to let the Florida Department of Transportation, which maintains Pinellas Avenue, have the final say over access points to the shopping center from the roadway, which is part of the Alt. 19 corridor.
Renae Vincent, city planner, said for the past two years the city, the developer and the Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital Foundation have been working on a unified proposal to create Meres Crossing.
The town-center-type retail complex will be built on 1.5 acres of vacant property that was once the Tarpon Pines Mobile Home Park and 7.8 acres previously owned by the city. The Meres Crossing site is between the Manatee Village shopping center and Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital.
To provide vehicle access to the northern portion of Meres Crossing, the city will extend Meres Boulevard to the east, to U.S. 19. The Fred Marquis Pinellas Trail runs along the eastern boundary of the Meres Crossing site.
The northern portion of Meres Crossing will be built first. In addition to the Sweetbay store, it will have space for other retailers and offices. Regions Bank has already agreed to build a branch on one of the Meres Crossing outparcels.
The second phase, if it gains city approval, would include senior housing, doctor's offices and a medical complex that is part of expansion plans for the city-owned Helen Ellis Memorial Hospital.
Mark Schantz can be reached at 727-815-1075 or mschantz@suncoastnews.com.
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