TAMPA, Fla. — The University Area Community Development Corporation is hosting a grand opening on Friday for its Uptown Sky Apartments Project, a 61-unit affordable housing project that has been five years in the making.

“One of the greatest things about Uptown Sky is how needed it is, in terms of attainability, the price point,” said Dr. Sarah Combs, CEO of University Area CDC.

There is already a wait list for the 61 apartments available with 2,500 applications submitted already.

Uptown Sky is located just off Fletcher Avenue, in the heart of the University Area, located on the south side of the University of South Florida Tampa campus in northern Tampa. The area encompasses Busch Gardens and Adventure Island amusement parks.  

Located within the larger Uptown District, the University Area contains a mix of retail outlets, residential neighborhoods, and restaurants, along with medical facilities.

The grand opening of Uptown Sky, new affordable housing units, in the University Area. (Spectrum News/Chris McDonald).

The new apartment building in that area features a first floor with programs and services for residents, as well as a swimming pool.

Affordable housing continues to be a struggle for the city of Tampa, partly because of the time it takes to develop affordable housing.

University Area CDC stated as Uptown Sky’s grand opening happens, it is already working on another project offering residents a chance to own their own home.

“We are building townhomes that are called University Townhomes, and making those available to residents that are 120% the AMI and below, and those should be going up very quickly,” Combs said.