Villas at Unisen, a senior living community, could be replaced with up to 483 apartments under a proposed redevelopment north of the former University Mall.
22nd Avenue Tampa LLC is asking Hillsborough County to increase the site from 20 to 35 homes per acre, giving the developer enough capacity for the 483-unit project. The application also preserves the existing buildings as an alternative, allowing Villas at Unisen to become conventional apartments without its current age restriction.
The broader application covers 22.2 acres, although the existing 260-bed assisted-living facility west of North 22nd Street remains unchanged. The 483-unit redevelopment is concentrated on the 13.8 acres east of the road, about 200 feet north of the former University Mall property.
New buildings can reach 100 feet and sit 50 feet from the property’s boundaries under the proposed development plan, 110 feet closer than the county’s normal requirement for buildings of that height. County staff supports the reduced distance.
The larger apartment project would generate an estimated 3,256 vehicle trips per day, 832 more than the property’s existing development rights. The largest change comes during the morning rush hour, when projected traffic increases from 134 to 244 trips.
The same residential density 22nd Avenue Tampa is seeking is already approved immediately south on the former University Mall property. That site allows as many as 35 homes per acre along with retail, entertainment, commercial and other uses. USF, James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital, student housing and several apartment communities are also nearby.
Those surrounding uses helped win support from county staff, who found the additional density consistent with development around the property and the University area’s redevelopment plans.
The filings do not provide a construction schedule or estimated investment for the 483-unit project. County commissioners are scheduled to consider the density increase Oct. 8.