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Advantage Center Could Get County Cash

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By TOM BRENNAN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: June 2, 2008

TAMPA - TAMPA - County park officials are scheduled to decide Thursday whether to recommend giving $2.5 million to a board overseeing development of the new Brandon Community Advantage Center.

But the vote will only be a recommendation. County commissioners are to decide June 17 whether to give any county money for construction of the center on Watson Road, at the southeast corner of the Winthrop commercial and residential development.

Business and community leaders overseeing development of the Advantage Center hope to tap into the $40 million that became available last year when commissioners dropped plans for Championship Park, a sports complex that was to have been built north of Plant City.

Commissioners have asked park officials to recommend ways to spend money that had been earmarked for the complex.

Mark Thornton, director of the Hillsborough County Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department, said the department's executive board is whittling down about $60 million in funding requests to the $40 million available.

"We've been looking at everything, and most of it for a long time," he said.

Thornton said his staff has proposed $52 million in projects. He said eight outside groups, including those supporting the Advantage Center, are lobbying for other projects that would cost an additional $8.5 million.

Advantage Center proponents made their pitch at a parks department board meeting May 26.

"We're trying to get any help we can get," said Earl Lennard, former county school superintendent who is now serving as the center board's chief executive officer. "We thought our presentation went well, and we will be following up."

Former state Sen. Tom Lee and state Rep. Trey Traviesa, R-Tampa, have secured $3.4 million in state and federal funds for the center. Of that, $1.4 million is federal funding offered in exchange for making part of the center an emergency evacuation shelter for people with special needs.

Already having funding commitments will help, Thornton said.

"We are looking for requests that already have matching funds," he said. "That way, we will be doubling the money we put in and doubling the money they already got."

Supporters envision the center as a community and educational hub with roughly 20,000 square feet of space and two stories.

The center board selected the four-acre Winthrop site after its developer John Sullivan offered the land at a discount and agreed to build the center for the amount of money the group had available.

But that $3.4 million will only build a shell. Estimates put final construction cost closer to $8 million.

Lennard said the center would partner with the parks department in offering some programs there. Thornton said those would primarily be for the elderly.

"We don't have anything that size in that part of Brandon," Thornton said. "We are also interested because it will be certified as an evacuation center.

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

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