Harbor Key Townhomes To Be Completed By Spring

With all the talk recently about the future of the Firmenich property proposal, there’s another development nearby that is in the process of becoming a reality.

After years of planning, Harbor Key Townhomes, an upscale development located on Main Street near the west entrance to downtown Safety Harbor, is rapidly rising from the ground and is on target for a spring completion. 

According to the developer, DiGiovanni Homes, the project will feature 19 upscale units and a community pool; it should be finished sometime in May.

“We hope to have the first units completed by the end of March, with everything else finished by the end of April or early May,” Mariann DiGiovanni said.

"We're excited to be bringing this project to the Safety Harbor area."

Community development director Matt McLachlan said plans to redevelop the 2.6-acre property have been in the works since 2009, when DiGiovanni and other builders sought to replace the Woodhaven apartment complex that occupied the parcel. 

While the initial proposal fell through, McLachlan said the city and the developer worked closely to come up with a new proposal that would fit the community.

“We helped develop a plan with them late last year ... for a project that will have an attractive appearance fronting Main Street and add a diversity of housing options for people looking to live in Safety Harbor,” he said. 

“They were very receptive to our input,” he said of DiGiovanni. “They understood the city’s vision, and they reshaped their proposal to suit it.”

The Harbor Key development will be comprised of 19 units with three different floorplans, a gated courtyard, a pool and individual walkways for the properties fronting Main Street.

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Each unit will be outfitted with upscale amenities, including granite counter tops and hardwood floors, while the exterior will be done in a Mediterranean style, complete with barrel tile roofs. Prices for the units start at $224,900.

"Our standards of quality are very high," Mariann said. "That is very important to us."

DiGiovanni said six of the units already have contracts on them, and while some people have said they want to see the finished product before committing to the property, she is not worried about having trouble filling the development.

“Everyone has said this is the perfect location. We’re confident this won’t be a hard sell.”

She added that while they have built numerous properties in the greater Tampa Bay area, including many on Clearwater Beach and the nearby Renaissance Oaks complex, working in this community has been an extremely satisfying experience.

“We’ve been building in the Tampa Bay area for 30 years, and Safety Harbor is one of the nicest places we’ve worked in so far,” she said.  

“I can’t say enough nice things about the city and the people of Safety Harbor.”