From Tampa Bay Tech architecture classes to cutting the ribbon on a multi-million dollar affordable housing project, the men of Pittman Design Group (PDG) are celebrating the completion of a 10-unit affordable apartment complex.
Partnering with the City of Tampa, Dontavoius Pittman, Kevin Johnson and Ponce McNeal were awarded a $3 million grant in 2023 from a state affordable housing program to redevelop a vacant plot in Ybor City into Casa Maceo Apartments.
The complex will be comprised of all three-bedroom, two-bathroom units, and serve those making from 80% of the area median income (AMI) and below. For a family of four, it is roughly a household making $83,000.
The trio went to Tampa Bay Tech for high school, and continued their education together at Florida A&M University before coming back to Tampa to build their careers.
“I could not be prouder of what Shacres Development has accomplished here in Ybor City. Dontavious Pittman, Ponce McNeal, and their team are homegrown talent, born and raised right here in Tampa, and now they’re giving back to the very neighborhoods that shaped them,” said Mayor Jane Castor. “This development is more than just new housing — it’s a testament to what happens when local visionaries invest in their own community to make Tampa a place where everyone can afford to live and thrive.”
Located on Columbus Drive at the border between East Tampa and Ybor City, the community will offer six units at 50% AMI and below, and four units at 80% AMI and below. Each home features luxury vinyl plank flooring, stainless steel appliances and quartz countertops.
Casa Maceo, comes from Antonio Maceo, a 19th century Afro-Cuban military leader who suffered 24 battle-wounds and fought two wars for Cuban independence. The complex has an affordability period of 30 years, and is currently accepting applications from prospective residents.