New Port Richey’s long-empty Community Hospital site is finally inching toward a makeover. City leaders have signed off on a key land deal and related approvals that clear the way for the proposed Villa del Sol project, a mixed-use community that would bring hundreds of new homes to Grand Boulevard and reshape a big chunk of the Marine District.
Council approved right-of-way vacations and a land swap
At a recent council meeting, members voted to vacate sections of public right-of-way and to transfer a small city-owned parcel to the developer so the sprawling former hospital campus can be pulled into a single buildable site. The move comes with a list of conditions, including title and permit requirements and rules to protect access to the nearby fire station, all laid out in the official City Council minutes.
What the land swap requires
In exchange for its small Grand Boulevard parcel, the city will pick up an adjacent lot just south of the new Fire Station No. 2, a trade city staff said will help knit the former hospital tract into a more workable development pad. Staff told council the green light is needed so the developer can start replatting and drafting site-permit plans. The approvals come with a clock: the developer must complete “vertical construction,” including utilities and foundations, within 36 months, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Project history and scale
The Villa del Sol proposal has been under city review for more than a year. Records show the applicant sought a rezoning to a Planned Development District that would allow up to 473 dwelling units on the old hospital property at Marine Parkway and Grand Boulevard. The Land Development Review Board recommended the change, saying it lines up with the city’s comprehensive plan, according to the Land Development Review Board minutes.
Unit counts and price tags do not fully match
Public descriptions of Villa del Sol are not perfectly in sync, which is often a sign that plans are still being fine-tuned. A 2024 city annual report describes the nearly 25-acre parcel as hosting roughly 300 apartments and 127 townhomes, while more recent coverage around the May council approvals describes about 300 apartments paired with 153 attached single-family homes, per the City of New Port Richey annual report and the Tampa Bay Times. City planning documents estimate the overall project value at around $150 million.
Neighbors pressed council on drainage and traffic
Residents who showed up for the meeting were less interested in architectural renderings and more focused on what happens when it rains and everyone tries to get to work. Neighbors raised concerns about stormwater runoff and increased traffic, and at least one council member flagged worries about drainage at the site’s northeast corner. Coverage of the meeting notes that council members attached conditions intended to head off flooding problems and soften the project’s impacts on nearby streets, according to the Tampa Bay Beacons.
From here, the process turns technical. The developer still has to secure replat approval and site construction permits, then start work within the city’s deadlines. Residents who want to keep tabs on Villa del Sol as it moves from paper to pavement can follow upcoming planning meetings and permit activity on the city’s public agenda portal.
