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Garage Up For Restaurant Remake

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By KATHY STEELE

ksteele@tampatrib.com

Published: November 12, 2008

SEMINOLE HEIGHTS - An auto repair shop could become a complex of restaurants and shops if the city council gives initial approval at a zoning hearing Thursday.

The owners of Sangria's Spanish Tapas Bar & Restaurant last year bought Larry's 4X4 Auto Service, 512 E. Hillsborough Ave., after losing their South Tampa location in a landlord dispute.

They want to remodel the repair shop, which is in a Seminole Heights historic district, and reopen Sangria's as well as a sushi lounge and pub. The council this year approved a one-year conditional license at the site for liquor, wine and beer sales.

Last week, the city's Architectural Review Commission agreed to recommend that the council close a portion of Mohawk Avenue and an alley for the project. Commissioners also approved a waiver to reduce required parking spaces from 51 to 30 and gave preliminary approval to the project's design.

The plan, presented by Hyde Park architect Roger Grunke, is to slightly expand the repair shop to accommodate three restaurants with fewer than 200 seats total, including a small outdoor area. Retail space might be leased out.

The building's style would be midcentury modern in keeping with the almost "ranch-style" layout of the 1960s repair shop.

Open space between the proposed complex and Starbuck's next door would become a pedestrian walkway. Vehicles would enter and exit the restaurants using Hillsborough Avenue.

The owners plan an eco-friendly project that can qualify as a "leadership in energy and environmental design" building, also known as LEED-certified. The nationally recognized rating system allocates points for features such as solar panels, landscaping and low-energy lighting.

Sangria's could have vegetation planted on a portion of its roof; more than 50 trees on site would be preserved or relocated and more trees planted. Landscaping would be Florida-friendly.

Shoebox-style lights atop aluminum poles would control light pollution so it "doesn't fill the night sky with unnecessary light," Grunke said.

One option proposed to address inadequate parking is to stagger operating hours for the three restaurants and share parking spaces. That will depend, in part, on whether the council rezones the site from commercial to planned development, which would limit the need for waivers.

Some commissioners said they wanted more architectural details before considering final approval.

"I think there is a lot of complexity here," Beth Eisenfeld said.

Randy Baron was the only resident to speak at the commission hearing and he liked the plan.

"We have as many car lots as we can use ... what we don't have are lots of restaurants and neighborhood services," he said. "It's going to attract attention to our commercial corridors, which is a good thing for us."

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.

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