Vacant, underused properties are difficult to consider for development when they are found in an economically depressed area. If that area happens to be populated with a majority of minority ethnic groups, the challenge increases proportionally. There was a site in East Tampa that had all of these characteristics, plus it was surrounded by properties that had been subjected to questionable environmental activities.

Through the efforts of an Economic Development Agency and a recognized designation as a low-income, Community Redevelopment Area (CRA), an investor agreed to take on the project in the overlooked neighborhood. Using Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, the property was acquired for redevelopment. After a Brownfields Area designation that overlapped the CRA, grant funds were applied for and received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA).
With these funds Phase 1 and 2 Environmental Site Assessments were conducted. While off-site auto repair and dry cleaning operations, with their associated solvents, were the major environmental concerns, no evidence of intrusion was found on the developing subject property.

With a $1M capital investment, a 20,000 square foot office building for Fast Lane is being constructed with an area designed for light manufacturing. It will become an apparel manufacturing facility with silk screen printing capabilities. The completed facility will provide a minimum of 6 quality jobs with a potential for more. As the project progressed, there has been evidence of additional revitalization in the area. As a result, the community is beginning to witness a renaissance which promises to serve as a catalyst for a much larger area of redevelopment.

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