New Apartments, Retailers Move Into Riverview

A new housing plus retail development by the Garrison Developer Group of Florida (GDGF) is opening in Riverview, southeast of Tampa.

Located less than 15 minutes from downtown Tampa via Interstate 75 and the Crosstown Expressway, the Preserve at Alafia and the Shoppes at Alafia Crossing are located at the intersection of I-75 and Gibsonton Drive. Giving residents a taste of the urban life in more rural Riverview, the Preserve is surrounded by oak trees along the Alafia River.

"When I first started the project, I thought of urban living in the woods. When you're there, you're in a nice rural environment, but our units are very urban and really convenient to downtown," says GDGF Founder and President Rey Ortega of the $100 million project. "It's almost like what I would've built downtown, but instead, I built it on the river."

Riverview is primarily a rural neighborhood in Hillsborough County with lots of land available for growth and developers at GDGF are taking full advantage of that: Residents are currently able to make use of the Preserve's 351 apartment units while Alafia Crossing is scheduled for completion by the Fall of 2012. The shopping center is slated to feature a full-service Holiday Inn, coffee house, wine and cheese shop, Thai restaurant and sushi bar, among other things.

"The Shoppes at Alafia Crossing is going to be very upscale and will have restaurants, but no Target or Publix -- just a small shopping center with several local shops," says Ortega. "Retailers will not only benefit the Preserve itself and its residents, but other Riverview residents, as well. We really feel like we're creating a new gateway into Riverview with this project."

While development of the Preserve at Alafia project cost approximately $66 million with funds coming from lender Prudential, GDGF is currently undergoing negotiations with various lenders for Alafia Crossing. The remainder of the $100 million budget will be used to complete the development.

For more information on the Preserve and the Shoppes at Alafia Crossing, visit the Preserve at Alafia's website.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Rey Ortega, Garrison Developer Group of Florida