TECO, city to build affordable housing in Westshore area
Posted by Theresa Collington
Tampa, Florida – The City of Tampa is teaming up with TECO and Palm Harbor homes to provide affordable housing in the Westshore District. The homes will be built near the corner of Spruce and Clark Streets.
The town homes will have two or three bedrooms and will be priced between $96,000 and $127,000, and 43 of the town homes will be sold to buyers who make less than $33,000 a year. The remaining will go to those who earn less than $50,000.
Here’s the information we received from TECO:
A joint effort between TECO Energy companies Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas, in cooperation with the Westshore Community Development Corporation (WCDC), a 501(c)3 not for profit corporation, will bring top-tier energy efficiency to a new affordable, 57-unit townhome community, Westshore Landings One, scheduled for completion in 2010.
Developed as affordable housing with prices starting around $100,000, Westshore Landings One will be built on Spruce Street in Tampa between Dale Mabry Highway and Lois Avenue. Through the use of efficient electric and natural gas measures, the project is designed to be one of the first communities in the United States to achieve the U.S. Department of Energy’s Builder’s Challenge energy-efficiency status – equal to about 45 percent greater energy efficiency/energy cost savings than the average home. The project marks the first time energy-efficient electric and natural gas measures have been combined in this type of residential capacity. To learn more about the project’s homebuyer options, click here.
Each Westshore Landings One townhome will feature a solar water heater, energy-efficient natural gas appliances, a high-efficiency heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and other energy-efficiency measures. The Florida Solar Energy Center (FSEC) will monitor the amount of solar energy produced by each townhome’s solar water heater. Annual energy costs for a 1,500 square-foot home configured with the high-efficiency equipment to be installed at each Westshore Landings One residence are estimated to be about $663, versus about $991 for a home with less-efficient equipment. A 1,500 square-foot Westshore Landings One home is expected to be responsible for production of about 39 percent less carbon dioxide than a less-efficient home. A standard home’s carbon profile can be reduced by up to 4,000 pounds per year through the installation of natural gas furnaces, clothes dryers, ranges and water heaters.
"The energy usage profile of Westshore Landings One underscores the commitment of Tampa Electric and Peoples Gas to energy efficiency and sustainability for our customers," said TECO Energy President and Chief Operating Officer John Ramil.
Tampa Electric first offered its customers energy-efficiency programs in the late 1970s, prior to any state or federal legislation requiring electric utilities to engage in conservation activities. Since that time, it has emerged as a national leader in the area of energy-efficiency accomplishments by reaching a recent performance level in the 96th percentile nationally.
The company’s overall energy-efficiency and conservation efforts have reduced the need for more than three 180-megawatt power plants. The aggregate energy savings from all programs have been enough to power over 600,000 homes for one year. Through Tampa Electric’s Renewable Energy program, the company also enables its customers to purchase a portion of their electricity from renewable sources, including for one-time events.
Since 1982, more than 200,000 Peoples Gas customers have participated in the company’s energy conservation programs to install efficient natural gas appliances in their homes. The company has secured agreements to provide natural gas to more than 138,000 single- and multi-family homes and businesses throughout the state since 1997