West River redevelopment plan making progress, Tampa officials say

TAMPA - Seven years after the City of Tampa knocked down its dilapidated and crime-ridden North Boulevard Housing Project, four residential towers now house 525 families.

Officials say the towers are about 70% complete with a mixture of subsidized, affordable and market rate apartments. On Wednesday, they heralded the opening of a new Grow Financial Federal Credit Union branch on the ground floor of one of the towers.

"The local residents did not have access to affordable banking options. I thought we may able to do something about that," said Thomas Feindt, Grow’s Chief Executive Officer.

Grow not only brings banking to the neighborhood, but also a possible catalyst for retail and other businesses to follow.

"Certainly that’s the hope. I’ve talked to some of our business clients about the opportunities that are here at West River," said Feindt.

RELATED: Tampa breaks ground on new affordable housing towers in the West River development

The new towers were built with a mixture of government and private dollars. Affordable housing has been a challenge for Mayor Jane Castor, but she said West River is on track.

"It’s not just meeting, but exceeding our expectations," said Castor. "They are on schedule. Our city is successful because of its diversity. Everyone living together makes it so much stronger."

The city got a federal grant, which it will use to extend the Tampa Riverwalk on the west side of the Hillsborough River to the West River Neighborhood.

Officials expect the next big announcement to be the addition of a major supermarket in West River. That could happen in the next two to three weeks.

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