Tribune photo by SCOTT ISKOWITZ

InTown Homes, a development company that is building new houses in the West Tampa has added new house that blend with the neighborhood.

TAMPA - In the midst of the greatest housing downturn since the Great Depression, Tampa Bay builders struggle to unload finished homes. Several have gone out of business.

Acres of home sites sit empty in suburbia, and the downtown skyline is littered with vacant condominium units.

But there's a sparkle of hope near the city's core.

In an eight-block area in Old West Tampa — a place known for its rich African-American history and shotgun homes — the housing boom is still smoldering. It's an area where one builder is so confident in demand that the company is starting to build homes even before it has buyers. That's because buyers are coming to the up-and-coming neighborhood in a steady stream.

As unusual as the timing of the project is, the man behind it is equally so. Ed Turanchik is the former Hillsborough County Commissioner known for his progressive thinking and failed dreams.

His last housing proposal lacked enough public support and fizzled. This time, Turanchik kept a lower profile. And now, his dream is thriving.

"People are really responding to our products," said Turanchik, managing partner in InTown Homes.

The Old West Tampa neighborhood started to change during the housing boom as buyers priced out of nearby South Tampa ventured north of Kennedy Boulevard, seeking more affordable homes.

Turanchik and his partner, Teresa Caddick, responded and launched their company during the height of the boom. They started with low-cost vacant lots they purchased from the city of Tampa.

At first, they battled stigma. Some prospective buyers were leery because the area was known for some trouble with crime. Some longtime residents worried they wouldn't be included in the new neighborhood or may not like the changes.

'A Remarkable Mix Of People'

InTown targets first-time buyers and those craving a single-family home near the city. The homes start at $175,000 and top out around $220,000.

While many of its buyers have received financial assistance through government programs, most bought at market-rate.

"There's a remarkable mix of people here," Turanchik said.

Since the company formed in 2005, InTown has built 38 homes and rehabilitated 12. Some of the renovation work was paid for, in part, by grants from the city of Tampa. The company is closing on six homes this month. Seven more are in the construction pipeline.

Turanchik and Caddick say they think they're missing buyers, so they're planning to build a few homes before they have customers. That's a concept nearly unheard of during housing downturns.

The company is competing with nearly 6,000 vacant new homes on the market that would take nine months to sell at the current selling pace. That's in addition to five years' worth of vacant lots in the area, according to housing research firm Metrostudy.

Even so, Turanchik said he'd like to have two homes ready at all times.

The homes are clustered around Spruce Street and Albany Avenue, where the company's office is located.

Bob McDonaugh, the city's urban development manager, says it's hard to tell the new homes from the renovated homes.

"What's admirable about their homes is they've gone to great lengths to build homes that really fit into the neighborhood," McDonaugh said. "It's been great for the neighborhood. Living in West Tampa is cool now for young people who may not have considered moving there before."

For Turanchik, the company's success is a personal triumph, too.

A big thinker whose ideas haven't always panned out, he seems to be ahead of his time with his progressive plans, some say.

He's been criticized as early proponent of light rail and led the charge to bring the 2012 Olympics to Tampa. The city wasn't chosen, but the effort was Turanchik's entry into home building.

He led Civitas, the company that tried to lure the Olympic Games.

Part of the plan included swapping land with the Tampa Housing Authority and redeveloping 157 acres between downtown and Ybor City. The group wanted to demolish the Central Park Village public housing complex and place residents in new apartments.

The deal fell apart in January 2004 when the county refused to commit more than $80 million in tax money to help pay for roads, waterlines and other infrastructure.

The Dream Lives On

Civitas had worked secretly for two years on plans, and county commissioners balked when given a little more than a month to decide. The plan also caused debate among residents, who felt left out.

Civitas may have failed, but part of Turanchik's dream lives on in West Tampa. He said lessons he learned during the quest for the Games have helped. This time he moved slowly and built relationships with people in the community.

And he was careful with how he redeveloped properties. The company only demolished two homes. The rest of the homes have been built on lots that were already vacant.

"This is a real neighborhood," Turanchik said walking through the area. "I know more people here than in my own neighborhood."

Some neighborhood old-timers were suspicious of InTown when they first expressed an interest in the area, said Charlene White, president of the Old West Tampa Neighborhood and Crimewatch Association. Most, however, like their new neighbors.

"It's human nature to not like change," she said. "I believe that change is necessary. Ed may have met some resistance initially, but I see what his vision is, and it's a positive one. The families that have moved into these homes are some of the most warm and motivated people."

Mike and Alice Vannetta love their two-story home on Spruce Street.

The couple gave up their Davis Islands home to move to the growing West Tampa neighborhood.

"We love it here," Mike Vannetta said. "This is just the kind of neighborhood we were looking for."

Reporter Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804.