TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa City Council has moved forward with a plan early Friday morning for an exclusive social club along Bayshore Boulevard.
Councilmembers approved the first reading of an ordinance for the Stovall House development by a 4-2 vote.
Blake Casper, the same developer who's behind the Oxford Exchange, wants to turn the house into a members-only club with a restaurant, bar and bed and breakfast. To do that, Casper needs the city to change the house's current zoning.
Councilmembers Harry Cohen, Frank Reddick, Guido Maniscalco and Luis Viera voted in favor of the ordinance, while Mike Suarez and Charlie Miranda voted against it. Yvonne Yolie Capin was not there for the vote.
"Thank you to our supporters, our team, and our city council for the difficult decision," Casper said in a statement. "We appreciate the opportunity to reimagine and preserve the Stovall House for generations to come."
Thursday night's meeting was packed, overflowing with people who wanted councilmembers to reject the ordinance.
While some supporters were there, they were outnumbered by opponents of the Stovall House development.
Opponents said the development is going to bring too much traffic to their quiet neighborhood off Bayshore Boulevard.
“It sets a bad precedent for our neighborhood,” resident Michael Kennedy said. “We don't want this. We live there purposely where it's at, away from Howard Avenue and all those places, because we want to be able to go to our houses and retreat to our sanctuary.”
However, Casper said the Stovall House isn't going to bring in a huge amount of traffic to the neighborhood. He said it will bring less than another kind of development, such as a high-rise condo.
“All of the parking is within the property,” Casper said. “All the deliveries will be on and off Bayshore. All our member traffic is on and off Bayshore. This is a quiet, intimate dinner club.”
A second reading and adoption of the ordinance are set for 9:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 20.
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