The Pinellas County Board of Commissioners approved nearly $6 million in funding for two housing projects Tuesday, which will provide 270 more affordable homes for county residents – including those with special needs.
The bulk of the funding – $5.6 million – is allocated to the Fairfield Avenue Apartments at 3300 Fairfield Ave. S. in St. Petersburg. The development will transform an old lumber yard into 264 affordable units.
The county approval during Tuesday’s board meeting follows St. Petersburg’s a month earlier. When it approved the development, the city became the first municipality in Florida to take advantage of a 2020 House Bill that provides a process to create affordable housing in otherwise prohibited zoning districts. In April, the St. Pete City Council unanimously agreed to turn the industrial-zoned, seven-acre location currently occupied by Tibbetts Lumber into the Fairfield Avenue housing complex.
“I just want to really shine a light on this project because it’s something that shows a wonderful partnership between the county and cities,” said Commissioner Renee Flowers.
Flowers, who said she lives near the lumber yard, noted the “huge” tract is close to Gibbs High School, the interstate and provides easy access to Central Avenue for shopping. The Pinellas Trail also borders the site to its south, with Fairfield Avenue to its north.
“This project just really sits in the middle of everything that we’ve been talking about when we talk about walkable communities and providing a substantial number of units within the community,” said Flowers. “I just wanted to highlight that this is one of those, one of several, but one of those really, really good projects that we are looking for.”
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