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Guida House Rehab Going Back To Bid

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By JOSE PATINO GIRONA

jpatino@tampatrib.com

Published: March 11, 2009

WEST TAMPA - Developers will have another chance to offer plans to preserve and make use of the historic Guida House at Macfarlane Park.
City staffers have rejected a lone proposal submitted in January to renovate the house.

That developer, Earth First Development Corp., wanted to rehabilitate the building to host youth, community and educational programs.
Earth First planned to build a three-story, 14,700-square-foot building on the property for children and teen programs. It also wanted to build eight apartments for young families and seniors. The proposal included creating up to 95 parking spaces.

The plan didn't serve a "park purpose' as outlined in the guidelines, said Linda Carlo, Tampa's parks and recreation spokeswoman.
City officials will tweak the guideline wording in an attempt to specify more clearly what they are seeking. The plan is to ask for more proposals in a few weeks, Carlo said.

The house's location in the city park at 1700 N. MacDill Ave., as well as deed restrictions on the property, limit use of the site to activities serving a public purpose.

The city received two other proposals from potential developers in January, but they were submitted after the bidding deadline.

The Guida House was built in 1951 by businessman George Guida Sr., who was known as "Mr. West Tampa."

The city bought the home in 1984 and named it a local historical landmark in 2004.

Reporter Jose Patino Girona can be reached at (813) 259-7659.

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