Felicia Donnelly, City Manager, City of Oldsmar

In an interview with Invest:, Felicia Donnelly, city manager of Oldsmar, discussed the city’s ongoing development projects, including mixed-use spaces and community-driven initiatives, aimed at creating a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly urban core, noting “I often refer to Oldsmar as the ‘upside down town’ [since] Oldsmar has a stronger commercial tax base than residential, and that revenue profile is unusual.”

How has the city made progress on improving the mobility, walkability, and bikeability around downtown?

Downtown development has been an ongoing effort in Oldsmar for many decades. About 30 years ago, city leaders wanted to create an identifiable downtown, and some of those efforts are now coming to fruition. The city purchased land to enter into development agreements with developers for the express purpose to create an identifiable downtown. The first development agreement that we are currently executing is for 82 townhouses including 18 live-work units, which will support both residential and commercial activity in the downtown area. These will be developed on a 6.2 acre site next to the Library. We anticipate closing on the property this spring. To clarify, a live-work unit is a combination of residential and commercial space. In a townhouse, the first floor could be commercial space. Additionally, the city owns 8 acres along Tampa Road. In 2022, the city took a unique approach to developing that site by hiring a consulting firm to facilitate a community discussion. During the process, community members helped to create a vision and goals that were incorporated into the RFP (Request for Proposals). The RFP resulted in two responses. The proposers then presented their individual concept plans at a town hall-style meeting, where we gathered input from the public to be considered along with professional feedback from a consulting firm. The city council selected Stanbery Development to develop the site, representing an $82 million private investment. The proposal includes 250 apartments and 35,000 square feet of commercial space. Currently, the city council has authorized me to negotiate the development agreement. The goal is to deliver high-quality, pedestrian-friendly development that integrates residential, commercial, and public spaces. 

What have been some significant highlights for the city?

To give context, I will give you an overview of Oldsmar first. We are a unique city in a unique location. Over 50% of our ad valorem tax revenue comes from commercial or industrial sources, which demonstrates a very strong business presence. We have about 15,000 residents, so we are a small-town community, but we have a very large economic impact and footprint. We are home to over 1,100 businesses, representing a robust and growing economy that makes significant contributions to Tampa Bay. We also represent the second-largest manufacturing base in Pinellas County. In the last couple of years, we have had significant new industrial and commercial growth. For example, in the last six months, MarineMax has located their headquarters here in Oldsmar, strengthening our appeal to corporate headquarters. We also have the National University of Health Sciences relocating to downtown, which will add a potential target market to our downtown core. Additionally, we have over 240,000 square feet of new industrial space that has either been built in the last year or is currently under construction. Those are some of the highlights. To put it candidly, Oldsmar is small but mighty. We often say we are “Top of the Bay,” both geographically and in class. Our economic profile and investment in parklands and other community assets make it an attractive place to work and live. As someone with a master’s degree in urban planning, seeing these efforts thrive in a small community is incredibly rewarding.

How does the city support smaller businesses, retail, and similar establishments?

We have a range of incentives and strategic partnerships that support business growth and development, especially for small businesses. We offer ad valorem tax incentives for new and expanding businesses in the Florida Target Industries. If a business creates at least 10 jobs above the median income for the state of Florida, they can qualify for local incentives. We also provide small business improvement grants for property improvements in our industrial area and downtown. Additionally, we have a long-term strategic partnership with the Upper Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce, which is unique in Pinellas County. They offer direct business assistance programs, networking opportunities, and development programs. This partnership has been ongoing for many years. We also collaborate with the Small Business Administration, Pinellas County Economic Development, and participate in the One Pinellas Business Alliance.

What do you feel your role is in making sure the city is able to grow sustainably and stably, ensuring that the community can thrive?

Ensuring the balance between residential and commercial activities is fundamental to what makes our community unique. The city is dedicated to preserving a high quality of life for its residents, which is reflected in land use regulations that ensure responsible development. The city also invests in infrastructure, parks, and recreational amenities. One thing that makes Oldsmar special is that almost 40% of its land mass is dedicated to parks or preserves. In addition, we also have a robust community engagement policy to encourage citizen participation during development conversations. An example of that is having the resident base create a vision for a development site. This ensures that the community’s voice is heard. 

What are some unique challenges that Oldsmar faces that might be similar to Tampa Bay, either from a business or resident perspective?

Hurricane recovery, workforce development and workforce housing are currently challenges for Oldsmar and Tampa Bay. We are actively participating in addressing workforce development by participating in the One Pinellas Business Alliance. We have also had historical partnerships with organizations like CareerSource and Tampa Bay Works to create the workforce pipeline that our business communities need to thrive. Another significant challenge is hurricane recovery. It remains an unknown for our communities and directly impacts workforce housing. The speed of recovery and workforce development needs are interconnected. As these challenges are incredibly difficult to navigate and require regional solutions, there has been ongoing discussion and collaboration across governmental jurisdictions to address these issues. I feel that the cooperation among Pinellas governmental jurisdictions is a strength in finding effective solutions to these issues. We have a long history of collaboration, which is especially important during challenging times.

Looking ahead, what is your vision for Oldsmar over the next three to five years, as we approach 2030?

The City Council sets the goals and priorities for the City. One of the goals is Economic Development, with a priority of focusing on establishing a downtown corridor. Advancing downtown redevelopment, along with implementing key projects, will strengthen Oldsmar’s economic and cultural core. Expanding industrial and corporate investment is also important to our economic vitality. We aim to continue attracting high-value employers and industry leaders, building on our history of success. Additionally, maintaining and investing in infrastructure is another City Council priority. We are currently working on major infrastructure projects, including a $12 million corridor redevelopment project servicing our industrial area on Douglas Road. We are also upgrading water and sewer facilities to ensure resilience and efficient operations for both residents and businesses.