TAMPA - After years of delays, Crescent Resources is ready to build at 319 Bayshore Blvd.

The North Carolina development company announced Monday that it plans to break ground in about a month on an eight-story, 367-unit apartment community just south of the Platt Street Bridge.

When finished, the $68 million Circle Bayshore development should stand out in what has become a more vertical and urban part of town in recent years, along a heavily traveled route into downtown.

"This extraordinary location is ideal for multifamily residential with its close proximity to the water, entertainment and dining venues," Brian Natwick, president of Crescent Resources' multifamily division, said in a release.

The first apartments are scheduled to be finished in the first quarter of 2014. Crescent Resources has not said how much the rents will be.

The Spanish Eclectic-style development will feature studio apartments as well as one-, two-, and three-bedroom units. Amenities at what's expected to be another high-end Bayshore location include a two-story health club and resort-style swimming pool.

The apartments will have private balconies and a full-sized washers and dryers.

Kitchens will feature granite countertops, undermount sinks, prep islands and stainless steel appliances. Bathrooms will have granite countertops, custom wood cabinetry and ceramic tile floors.

Not everyone in the surrounding community loves the concept, though.

Circle Bayshore is simply too big compared to the surrounding neighborhood, said Hyde Park resident John Jones, the former president of the Historic Hyde Park Neighborhood Association.

Other large buildings have risen up over Bayshore in recent years, however, including the nearby 18-story Parkside of One Bayshore.

There have been several proposals for the 1.8-acre property since Charlotte, N.C.-based Crescent Resources bought it for about $5 million in 2001. An early idea called for 20-story condominium towers.

The city council rezoned the property in February 2011 for the apartment project, and the city's Architectural Review Committee approved the project in August 2011.