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Site Secured For Brandon Civic Center

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By TOM BRENNAN, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 23, 2008

Updated: 02/21/2008 04:14 pm

RIVERVIEW - It's a matter of pride.

"It hurts when a community the size of Brandon has to go to other places to hold its major events," said Miller Dowdy, a local businessman and civic leader.

But that won't last much longer. Dowdy headed a committee charged with finding a place to build a civic center for Brandon. This week, the committee announced its choice - a 4-acre plot at the southwest corner of the Winthrop development on Watson Road, across from Symmes Elementary School.

"It offered a lot of elements we were looking for," Dowdy said. "We wanted a central site in the greater Brandon area that was accessible to the growing community both to the north and south."

It also helped that John and Kay Sullivan, the developers of Winthrop, made a tantalizing offer. They are willing to sell the land at a discount and design and build the center for the $3.4 million the group had budgeted.

The 20,000-square-foot structure will be built in a Greek revival style to fit with the architectural motif of Winthrop.

"We're just happy to help get something started," John Sullivan said. "Everyone was trying to get civic space worked out, and we have civic spots."

The Sullivans envisioned some type of public use of the property. Early renditions of the Winthrop master plan had an educational campus on that plot of land.

For years, residents have clamored for a place to hold business, social, educational and arts events. Most had outgrown available locations within Brandon and had to go elsewhere.

Former state Sen. Tom Lee and current state Rep. Trey Traviesa, R-Tampa, spearheaded the effort to find funding and garnered the $3.4 million in state and federal revenue.

Traviesa appointed a committee of business and community leaders to find a home for the center, called the Bandon Community Advantage Center. The group spent three years looking for a spot.

Dowdy said it was time for the group to make a selection. Waiting much longer could have put some of the funding at risk.

"The project was long overdue for the Brandon community," he said. "There was also a time element on some of the state and federal dollars."

The committee chose Winthrop after holding a series of meetings to gauge the community's sentiments.

"Everyone wanted something in the Brandon area. They didn't want to go on the other side of Interstate 75," said Tammy Bracewell, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and selection committee member.

The public will continue to have a say in the building's appearance and function. A design forum will be held March 4-10 at the Barn Theatre at Winthrop, 11249 Bloomingdale Ave. Architects, engineers, contractors and regulators will make presentations and hold workshops on aspects of the project, and residents may ask questions and offer input. Hours haven't been announced. Bracewell said half of the building will be a 10,000-square-foot room to be used for meetings, expos, exhibits and other large events. Input offered at the design forum will help shape the rest of the building, Bracewell said.

The building also will be available for use as a special-needs disaster shelter.

Traviesa said he hopes work crews will break ground by the end of the year and have construction finished within 18 months.

The state and federal money will fund construction of only the outer shell of the building. A local fundraising effort will raise money to finish construction and operate and maintain the facility.

Sullivan is paying Earl Lennard, former Hillsborough County school superintendent, to head the fundraising effort and serve as the center's initial chief operating officer.

Reporter Tom Brennan can be reached at (813) 657-4528 or tbrennan@tampatrib.com.

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