HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — Moving to Tampa from California, when Derrick and Sierra Iglesia saw Old Seminole Heights for the first time, they were mesmerized.
Quaint neighborhood streets canopied by mature hardwood trees was a scene they hadn’t experienced before. Derrick thought places like that only existed in Nicholas Sparks’ novels.
They moved into their Florida home, which is located on East Caracas St. near Hillsborough High School.
For the Iglesias, their new home was perfect, but not for long.
In late 2021, just a few months after the Iglesias got settled, the City of Tampa and its contractor, Nelson Construction, began an ambitious project to solve flooding issues in the Seminole Heights area.
As part of the Southeast Seminole Heights Flooding Relief Project, the city is replacing the current stormwater system to relieve flooding, improve fire protection, and increase safety for cars and pedestrians.
The work is impacting streets like North Florida Avenue, West Crest Avenue, North Central Avenue, and East Caracas.
On East Caracas — where asphalt has been stripped to allow for construction — the Iglesias’ tranquil neighborhood is now a hodgepodge of dirt and mud, frequent potholes and divots, occasional litter, traffic cones, and discarded or stored construction materials.
“I want my street back and for traffic to be restored to normal — and to not have to make crazy turns just to get out of my neighborhood,” said Derrick.
Days ago, he and other neighbors learned completion of the work on Caracas will take longer than originally anticipated after workers installed a 6-foot storm pipe incorrectly.
The city originally estimated that digging out the improper work and reinstalling it correctly add an additional 4 to 5 weeks of work.
Some neighbors, though, fear the delay could be much greater.
Other portions of the project have suffered delays in the past.
Late last summer, contractors were forced to shut down a portion of N. Florida Ave. to allow for some of the work.
The closure lasted longer than originally anticipated.
During a Sept. 1 Tampa City Council meeting, Councilman Guido Maniscalco voiced concern about how the project was potentially impacting businesses on the busy corridor.
“This is a nightmare scenario,” he said.
Months have passed — and even though the intersection was reopened since October — Ozzie Oliveira’s business is still feeling an impact.
He estimates that his used car lot, Ready 2 Go Motors, which is located at the corner of N. Florida Ave. and W. Crest Ave. has lost 80-85% of its sales due to the ongoing work.
“Every single day you come to work, you don’t know what to expect,” he said.
While Florida Ave. is open, Crest Ave. is still unpaved and a work in progress.
Oliveira believes the rough shape of Crest has turned customers away and eliminated some of the walk-up customers his business would otherwise attract.
If conditions don’t change soon, he said he will be forced to dip into savings to keep the business afloat, or he might be forced to close his business completely.
Asked what he would like from the city after the inconvenience; Oliveira did not hesitate.
“Some kind of help — compensation — or something for everything that I lost to this process,” he answered.
After speaking 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 components of the project?
The latest can be found here by going to the Seminole Heights Storm Water website, CLICK HERE.
How is the city monitoring timeliness moving forward?
There is a project team meeting every other week, during which Nelson Construction provides a 3-4 week look ahead schedule. Additionally, the City of Tampa has two inspectors assigned to this project full-time, in the field, monitoring this project.
Concerning the pipe that has to be replaced on Caracas, how long will this delay take? I know a previous advisory said 4-5 weeks, but a neighbor tells me a project foreman said a more realistic estimate would be 2-3 months.
The City of Tampa has been exercising its oversight responsibilities and requesting some additional data and documentation from Nelson Construction regarding the Caracas Reinstallation. That could take some additional time, and when we have additional information for residents, we will share the revised timeline. However, we aren’t sure where that 2-3 month estimate came from.
What caused the pipe to be installed incorrectly?
Survey results from the 72-inch storm pipe installed along East Caracas Street between North Central Avenue and I-275 have shown that the pipe is out of alignment. The contractor will remove and reinstall the pipe to bring it to specification. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience to the residents on Caracas.
I know the City will not be responsible for the costs in repairing the incorrect work by Nelson, but neighbors worry about what safeguards are in place to make sure Nelson does not "cut corners" as it makes those corrections and continues the rest of the project.
See the above questions and responses on oversight.
What has been done to ensure better communication with residents/businesses?
We have upped our communication significantly, going door to door on Caracas Street, using door hangers to provide schedule updates and any information that impacts the residents. We’ve been sending regular email updates to all email subscribers as well as meeting monthly with the neighborhood association presidents.
Will Nelson ultimately repair damaged sidewalks, driveways, and other aesthetic features that have been damaged/removed by the work?
Yes, the restoration will occur once construction is complete. Details on restoration can be found in this question-and-answer document; CLICK HERE.
As the project is tracking now, when could we see the closure on Nebraska Avenue?
- Exploratory work on Dec. 13 showed thicker-than-expected asphalt covering the watermains on Nebraska. Nelson Construction and the City are formulating a plan to address this portion of the work.
- Crews will begin installing a new 20-inch watermain on Nebraska Avenue between the two Caracas intersections in Spring 2023. This work will require a full road closure and detour for approximately six weeks.
Concerning the previous closure on Florida Ave., one business owner asks what the City/Nelson can do to make him whole again, i.e. will they consider payouts for business losses he suffered because of the work?
We have provided this information to residents and posted this multiple times on the project website; CLICK HERE.
According to the project’s website, construction is slated to end in late 2024.
