New apartments in the works for MetWest International
By Ashley Gutbal Krizer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 12, 2014

Apartments appear to be in the works for MetWest International in Tampa's Westshore district.

MetWest's developer, Taylor & Mathis, has filed plans with the city seeking to temporarily use a portion of the development that's approved for office use as a parking lot "during construction of an approved multifamily project component.”

MetWest is a mixed-use development with office, retail and restaurant component across the street from International Plaza. It is approved for 254 multifamily units. Kent Walling, director of operations for Taylor & Mathis in Central Florida, declined comment Friday about possible multifamily developers or a timeline for the project.

While all sectors of Tampa's commercial real estate market are becoming more active, apartments continue to be the strongest sector. Earlier this week a developer closed on the acquisition of the Amazon Hose and Rubber site in Channelside, with plans for up to 300 apartments there to break ground in the spring. NoHo Flats, a garden-style community in North Hyde Park Village, sold for $57.25 million this week.

Another apartment project is in the works for Westshore, Richman Capital's plan for the Without Walls International Church site.

Ashley Gurbal Kritzer is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.