TECO pays $8.6M for 90 acres with ‘no specific plans'
By Mark Holan
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Aug 15, 2013

Tampa Electric Co. has bought about 90 acres of vacant land near its Big Bend Power Station for $8.6 million.

The sellers were Apollo Beach Investments LP, Andress Family Florida LP and Capri Holdings Investment Inc., a deed dated July 30 shows.

TECO (NYSE: TE) already owned nearly 1,500 acres near Apollo Beach.

In an email reply to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, company spokeswoman Cherie Jacobs wrote, "the land is for future use [with] no specific plans yet.”

Nearly a year ago, former Tampa Port Authority Director Richard Wainio told the Business Journal that the Tampa-Hillsborough Economic Development Corp. and Enterprise Florida were trying to lure a Canadian mining company to the south shore area.

He said TECO had been contacted about providing electricity for what could be a massive operation.

In July 2012, the port bought 110 acres in the same area near Port Redwing for $8.9 million, saying the land was for future development.

Other port and EDC officials have not denied or ruled out the mining company scenario, but they have been unwilling to talk about the potential project.

Mark Holan's beats include commercial real estate and residential real estate.