The business owner said that the city’s water project is destroying their lives

HILLBOROUGH COUNTY, FL. – On their way to Tampa from California, when Derek and Sierra Iglesia first saw Old Seminole Heights, they were blown away.

The streets of the rural neighborhood, lined with dry dead trees, were a sight he had never seen before. Derek thought places like this only existed in Nicholas Sparks novels.

They went to their Florida home on East Caracas St. near Hillsborough High School.

For the Iglesias, their new home was perfect, but not for long.

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In the year In late 2021, a few months after Iglesias was settled, the city of Tampa and its contractor, Nelson Construction, began a major project to address flooding issues in the Seminole Heights area.

as a body Southeast Seminole Heights Flood Relief ProjectThe city is replacing its existing stormwater system to mitigate flooding, improve fire protection, and increase vehicle and pedestrian safety.

of Work is affecting the streets. such as North Florida Avenue, West Crest Avenue, North Central Avenue and East Caracas.

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In eastern Caracas – where the asphalt was ripped up for construction – the quiet neighborhood of Iglesias is now a mess of dirt and mud pits, frequent pits and divots, occasional garbage, traffic cones and discarded or stockpiled construction materials.

“I want my road back and the traffic back to normal – and I don’t want to make crazy turns just to get out of my neighborhood,” Derek said.

Days earlier, he and other neighbors learned that work on Caracas was taking longer to complete after workers mistakenly installed a 6-foot storm pipe.

The city initially estimated that digging up the faulty work and installing it properly would add 4 to 5 weeks of additional work.

But some neighbors fear the delay could be longer.

Other parts of the project have experienced delays in the past.

Late last summer, the N. They were forced to close a portion of Florida Ave.

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The shutdown lasted longer than originally expected.

At a Sept. 1 Tampa City Council meeting, Councilman Guido Maniscalco expressed concern about how the project could affect businesses along the busy corridor.

“This is a nightmare scenario,” he said.

Months have passed — and despite the fact that the intersection has reopened since October — Ozzy Olivera’s trade is still having an impact.

on N. Florida Ave. And Reddy 2 Go Motors, a used car lot on the corner of W. Crest Ave, estimated it lost 80-85% of its sales because of the ongoing work.

“Whenever you come to work, you never know what to expect,” he said.

While Florida Ave is open, Crest Ave. It is still unpaved and a work in progress.

Oliveira believes Crest’s rough shape has alienated customers and turned off some of the more progressive customers the business could have attracted.

He said that if conditions do not change soon, he will be forced to go into austerity to keep the business going or close the business entirely.

After the incident, he asked what he wanted from the city; Oliveira didn’t hesitate.

“Some kind of help—compensation—or whatever I’ve lost in the process,” he replied.

After talking to more than a dozen neighbors and business owners, ABC Action News sent the city of Tampa this list of questions and received the responses (in italics).

What are the current estimated completion dates for the various parts of the project?

Go to the Seminole Heights Storm Water website and click here for the latest.

How is the city’s monitoring trend going forward?

There is a bi-weekly project team meeting, during which Nelson Construction provides a 3-4 week advance schedule. In addition, the City of Tampa has assigned two supervisors to this project full-time, in the field, to monitor this project.

Regarding the pipe that needs to be replaced in Caracas, how long will this delay last? I know previous advice was 4-5 weeks, but a neighbor told me a project supervisor would be a more accurate estimate of 2-3 months.

The City of Tampa is seeking some additional information and documents from Nelson Construction regarding the Caracas Reinstallation as it discharges its regulatory responsibilities. That may take some additional time and we will share an updated timeline with residents when we have more information. However, we are not sure where that 2-3 month estimate comes from.

What caused the pipe to be installed incorrectly?

Survey results from a 72-inch storm pipe installed on East Caracas Avenue between North Central Avenue and I-275 show the pipe is offline. The contractor will remove and reinstall the pipe to bring it up to specification. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused to Caracas.

I know the city is not responsible for the cost of repairing Nelson’s faulty work, but neighbors are concerned about what safeguards are in place to ensure Nelson doesn’t “quit” as Nelson makes the corrections and continues with the rest of the project. .

Check out the questions and answers above.

What has been done to improve relations with residents/businesses?

We have greatly increased our communication by going door-to-door on Caracas Street, using door hangers to provide schedule updates and any information that may affect the resident. We have been sending regular email updates to all email subscribers and contacting local association presidents every month.

Will Nelson eventually repair damaged sidewalks, driveways, and other aesthetic features damaged/removed by his work?

Yes, the renovation will be done after the construction is completed. Details about restoration can be found in this FAQ document. Click here.

As the project is now being tracked, when can we see closures on Nebraska Avenue?

• A survey conducted on Dec. 13 showed more asphalt covering waterways in Nebraska than expected. Nelson Construction and the city are developing a plan to address this part of the job.
• Crews will begin installing a new 20-inch culvert on Nebraska Avenue in the spring of 2023. This work will require full road closures and diversions for approximately six weeks.

Regarding the past closure on Florida Avenue, a business owner asks what City/Nelson can do to make it fully operational again, ie will they consider paying for the business loss caused by the operation?

We have provided this information to the residents and posted it several times on the project website; Click here.

According to the project’s website, construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.