TARPON SPRINGS - City commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday night to amend the city's development agreement with Lowe's, paving the way for one of the retailer's home improvement centers to be constructed on U.S. 19.

 

Mike Reynolds, a Lowe's Companies representative, said executives of the North Carolina-based chain are excited about becoming part of Tarpon Springs.

 

The company plans to break ground this month and complete the store by the beginning of 2012, Reynolds said. The project will take longer to build because of the extensive roadway improvements that will need to accommodate store-related traffic.

 

"This project is very, very important, because it will create access to the Sponge Docks and industrial areas along Pinellas Avenue," said Mayor David Archie.

 

The Lowe's will link U.S.19 with the Sponge Docks, bring revenue and jobs to the city and provide residents with a good place to shop, Commissioner Chris Alahouzos said.

 

As part of the project, Lowe's will make improvements to Live Oak Street, Huey Avenue and Spruce Street. Traffic signals will be installed at the intersection of Spruce Street and U.S. 19.

 

City officials see connecting Spruce Street to Live Oak Street will create a vital transportation link to ferry motorists from U.S. 19 to the Sponge Docks tourist district.

As part of the changes to the development agreement, Lowe's asked the city to return the $150,000 transportation impact fee it paid on the project. Commissioner agreed to the request.

 

Paul Yauch, the Pinellas County public works and transportation director, said the county has agreed to give back the $300,000 transportation impact fee Lowe's paid the county.

 

Lowe's has agreed to spent some $3 million to re-align Spruce Street between Live Oak Street and U.S. 19 and Huey Avenue between Pine Street and Live Oak Street.

The Spruce Street improvements will enhance the traffic-handling capacity of a number of roads in the area, Yauch said.

 

Yauch hopes some drivers will use the Live Oak-Spruce Street corridor when it's completed, reducing the traffic volume on Tarpon Avenue.

 

Under the terms of the amended agreement the city will return to Lowe's the $149,000 mitigation fee the company paid the city so it could remove trees that were in the way of roads and storm-water ponds that will be constructed as part of the project.