Hillsborough Area Regional Transit

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit (HART) is planning a park-and-ride station on Faulkenburg Road in Brandon. The new station, with 200 to 250 parking spaces and covered waiting areas, would allow buses to take commuters to downtown Tampa and MacDill Air Force Base.

However, the owners of the property, DDR Corp., have rejected three offers of more than $1 million for the land. The latest offer of $1.38 million came in a letter from HART's representative, American Acquisition Group, LLC. The letter included information on the Florida statute dealing with eminent domain and the HART board may pursue efforts to condemn the property if negotiations are unsuccessful.

DDR manages North Point Plaza on Dale Mabry and New Tampa Commons on Bruce B Downs and Dona Michelle Drive, in addition to 538 shopping centers in 41 states, Puerto Rico and Brazil. DDR acquired the property on Faulkenburg approximately three years ago to build an apartment complex, hotel and shopping plaza. The land that HART wants is where the hotel would be built.

HART is also in the process of purchasing property on Fletcher and Interstate 75. Funding for the two park-and-ride stations came from a transit project bond approved by the Hillsborough County Commissioners. A new rapid bus transit system is included in the bond to commute passengers to downtown Tampa, the University of South Florida area and the Westshore district.