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Alafia Crossings Names Hotel

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By LIZ BLEAU, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 1, 2007

GIBSONTON - Developers of a hotel, retail and residential project along Gibsonton Drive have identified the hotel to be built at the site as a Holiday Inn.

The 150-room hotel is part of Alafia Crossing, one of three hotel-commercial developments planned for the area near Gibsonton Drive and I-75.

In addition to the Holiday Inn, the Alafia Crossing project will contain five restaurants, including Jasmine Thai and Mohitos Grill. A Cuppy's Coffee also is coming to the project, a spokesman for Garrison Development Group said.

The developer also said the 351 housing units at the site, which borders the Alafia River, will not be condominiums as originally planned but luxury apartments.

The switch was made due to market conditions, said Rey Ortega, president of Garrison.

"We moved into final plans for the project just as the subprime credit issue reared up and indicated the population of the U.S. was more likely to be renters in the future," he said.

The project, called The Preserve, will feature five-story buildings with amenities such as docks, fitness facilities, a yoga pavilion, demonstration kitchen for cooking classes, pool, big screen theater room and pet park.

The Holiday Inn is scheduled to be completed by January 2009, in time for the Super Bowl.

Two other hotel projects are planned for the area. Strathmore Development Co., of Minnesota, is planning a 121-room extended-stay Value Place on a 10-acre parcel at the southeast corner of Gibsonton Drive and New East Bay Road.

Across the street and a short distance east of the Value Place, another developer is planning a four-story, 88-room Comfort Inn.

Reporter Liz Bleau can be reached at (813) 865-1557 or lbleau@tampatrib.com.

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