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Tribune: "Uh, maybe Civitas is asking for public $ after all?"

The Tribune, having fawned all over the Ed Turanchik plan to take over the world, have finally gotten around to reading some of the fine print involved in this proposal:

* Civitas wants to team with the Tampa Housing Authority to land a $20 million federal grant to help replace the Central Park Village public housing complex with mixed-income housing.

* Civitas proposes using some of the estimated $14 million in property taxes to be generated in its target area for affordable housing as well as infrastructure improvements, including parking garages and drainage systems.

* Civitas wants to reconfigure city streets, including Nick Nuccio Parkway, to create tree- shaded boulevards.

* Civitas seeks about 100 city-owned properties and ``may require'' help in condemning other land for acquisition.

Turanchik has said he won't ask for other city tax money, but Tampa officials continue to comb through the proposal looking for the bottom-line cost to taxpayers.

``I cannot expect that a development of this gigantic size will not ask for some kind of financial commitment from the city,'' City Councilwoman Rose Ferlita said.

Expect a lot more to be added to the public contribution bottom line before all is said and done. Nothing this big ever even gets considered around here unless the principals are not only protected against loss but guaranteed a fat Haliburton-like profit.