Activists make last push to stop development near historic Marti-Colon Cemetery over unmarked grave concerns

TAMPA, Fla. - Neighborhood activists say time is running out to stop development on a grassy lot adjacent to a West Tampa historic cemetery, fearing unmarked graves are underground. 

Members of The Cemetery Society plan to address Tampa City Council on Thursday in what they call a final effort to preserve the land before utility trenching work gets underway.

What we know:

The less than one-acre property sits adjacent to Marti-Colon Cemetery, the final resting place for many of Tampa’s early pioneers.

In March 2024, a Jewish congregation that had considered purchasing the land for a mausoleum commissioned a ground-penetrating radar study. That study identified more than 75 underground "anomalies," marked by flags on the property. Some were placed in a rectangular format. 

RELATED: Unmarked graves feared as development looms beside historic Tampa cemetery

The congregation later backed out of the project.

City records show that late last year, Tampa’s zoning manager approved a request to rezone the property for residential use and split it into three parcels. The Cemetery Society says utilities and trenching are scheduled to begin March 1 to prepare for home construction.

The backstory:

Marti-Colon Cemetery is considered a significant historic site in Tampa.

Mario Núñez, a founding member of The Cemetery Society and a fourth-generation Tampeño, says the cemetery holds generations of his own family members, including his great-grandmother, grandparents, aunts and uncles.

"It’s a repository of Tampa history," Núñez said. "If you ever walk through there, the names that resonate, it’s the founding fathers, if you want to call it that."

He questions whether the adjacent parcel could contain unmarked graves, arguing it would be illogical for burials not to extend beyond the current cemetery boundary.

What they're saying:

Núñez says the prospect of trenching is alarming.

"Here we are now that the bulldozers are coming in the trenches are going to be dug. That’s pretty serious. That leads me to believe that things are going to move forward," he said.

READ: Clearwater company sues city after graves found buried beneath property

He also warned city leaders. 

"You’re setting precedent, and I don’t think it’s a good one," Núñez said.

What's next:

Members of The Cemetery Society plan to speak during public comment at Thursday morning’s Tampa City Council meeting, urging leaders to intervene before construction begins.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear what the more than 75 underground anomalies represent. The City of Tampa says it does not know of any bodies buried on the property and has no plans to purchase the land.

FOX 13 has reached out to the property owner for comment but has not received a response.