TAMPA, Fla. — The city of Tampa, the Tampa Housing Authority and Related Urban Development broke ground Tuesday on the first phase of the Rome Yards development.

What You Need To Know

  • Officials broke ground on the first phase of the Rome Yards development Tuesday
  • The Gallery at Rome Yards, located south of Columbus Drive between Rome Avenue and the Hillsborough River, will offer a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartment homes, totaling 234 units

  • They say 80% of the units will be reserved for households at or below 80%of the Area Median Income (AMI), and the remaining 20% will be reserved for workforce housing

  • Since the developer, Related Urban, was awarded public funds, they are required to commit to hiring a minimum of 40% women and minority-owned contractors

The development will be housed on 18 acres of unused land in West Tampa, located south of Columbus Drive between Rome Avenue and the Hillsborough River. 

It is an area that has seen hardship — sometimes called blighted or slum-like — but officials how the new development will change that viewpoint. 

"RFPs have been put out in the past for it, but the right project did not come along," said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor. "When Related came to us and answered that RFP, it was an exciting day," 

In a private-public partnership with Related Urban Development, a mixed used neighborhood will be created with 954 units of mixed income housing. 

Phase one involves the building of one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments — 234 units in total. Officials say 80% of those will be for lower income households that are at or below 80% of the area median income. 

The remaining 20% will be for workforce housing. 

Since the developer was awarded public funds, they are required to commit to hiring a minimum of 40% women- and minority-owned contractors. 

Ernie DuBose II, the CEO of Ducon LLC, a construction management firm in Tampa, is making sure that happens. 

“When you have people from within the community, whether it be the subcontractors or the labor force working on the project, those buildings are always better maintained, better kept in better use because there's community buy in," said DuBose. 

As a joint venture partner with Related Urban Development, Ducon will help bring in subcontractors to meet the requirement.

“If you're an electrician and you may not be able to do the entire 10 story, 12 story building, but we can maybe give you an auxiliary building or we can maybe give you a floor or two of the building working with the larger subcontractor," said DuBose. 

Anyone intersted in becoming a subcontractor on the project should apply with Ducon. 

In total, officials say the Rome Yards development will cost $500 million. 

The first phase, the Gallery at Rome Yards, is expected to be completed in December 2026.