However it all shakes out in the ongoing controversy about shoehorning 163 condos and townhomes into Hyde Park Village, this much seems certain. Nobody should expect Wasserman Real Estate Capital, the owner-developer, to drastically alter its mid-rise tower plans in its upcoming presentation to Tampa City Council.
Apparently the game plan is pure public relations at this point. Send out a warm fuzzy-gram to neighborhood residents reminding them that Wasserman is making sure “all designs embrace the warmth and charm of the Hyde Park neighborhood and meet the design guidelines of the historic district.” Also remind them that “the ARC (Architectural Review Commission) did not accept its own staff’s recommendations (last month); instead the ARC decided not to recommend our project to the Tampa City Council.”
And then hire the high-powered law firm of Holland & Knight to help assuage scale-and-mass concerns among the neighbors. And not just any H&Kers.
Now soft-selling for Wasserman: two favorite political sons of Tampa, former Tampa Mayor and Florida Governor Bob Martinez and former U.S. Representative and gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis.
Likely result: Won’t matter. Big names can’t lower what’s too tall and too massive.