A 2.63-acre parcel formerly owned by the School Board adds to millions in property the city has bought, but didn't particularly need, since 2002.
By AARON SHAROCKMAN
Published June 3, 2004
OLDSMAR - The city is in the real estate business again, this time snapping up a piece of Tampa Road frontage for $775,000.
City Council members agreed unanimously Tuesday night to purchase 2.63 acres along Tampa Road from the Pinellas County School Board.
Council members said they have no specific plans for the vacant land, located between the East Lake Oaks subdivision and the Academy of Learning.
But that's nothing special.
Since 2002, the city has spent more than $4.3-million on property for which it had no immediate need.
"I believe in buying Oldsmar property," council member Suzanne Vale said in supporting the deal.
School officials said Wednesday the Tampa Road property was surplus and that they agreed to sell the land at its appraised value. The School Board has owned the property for more than 30 years. Last month, School Board members blessed the sale.
"There's very little we can do with a property that size and that location," said Tony Rivas, the school district's facilities manager. "Selling it for us makes sense."
The school district maintains about 350 vacant acres throughout the county for potential school expansion, said Jim Miller, who manages the district's real property.
The Tampa Road property was originally part of a 12-acre parcel that was intended as a site for an elementary school, Miller said. But a study determined that some of the parcel's lowlands would need to be filled before construction could begin.
Rather than absorb that cost, Miller said, the district decided to build elsewhere. Then, during the expansion of State Route 580, the Florida Department of Transportation bought most of the property to help with stormwater drainage from the new road.
Miller said the school district decided to hold on to the portion that fronted Tampa Road because officials knew it held significant value. Recently, they approached the city.
"We always approach a municipality first," Miller said. "In a sense, we're passing public money back and forth."
City officials have no specific need for the property. Council member Jim Ronecker suggested the site might be a good location for a city pool. Currently, the city does not have a public pool.
Mayor Jerry Beverland said the city might also sell the land to a developer. Beverland said Tampa Road lots are selling for more than $1-million.
"If you own it, you have both options," said City Manager Bruce Haddock, who recommended the purchase.
Tuesday's agreement is at least the city's fifth real estate deal in the past two years. The city still controls all but one of its acquired properties. Those four, including the School Board site, are vacant.
In 2002, the city purchased a former bank building next to City Hall for $660,000 as part of a land swap with SouthTrust Bank. In February, council members rejected a $750,000 offer from two Clearwater attorneys to buy the property, which is currently being used for storage and firefighter training but is otherwise unoccupied.
Last year, the city purchased the waterfront home of Roger and Lila Kumar for $2.2-million for use as a new arts center. But after an engineer's report said repairs to the home could cost $3-million, council members decided instead to raze the existing structure, which sits on 51/2 acres. They have not decided what to do with the property.
In September 2003, the city purchased a former Tampa Electric Co. customer service center for $350,000. The city sold that building to a local developer who has since sold the property to a publishing company.
Later that year, the city spent $373,000 on an acre parcel at the northwest corner of Pine Avenue and Forest Lakes Boulevard. That land was acquired as part of a complicated development deal. Though the city has no plans for that land, Beverland said purchasing the property keeps a gas station or a convenience store away from nearby residents.
Even now, the city has discussed purchasing an Oldsmar family's 21/4 acres for $295,000. That land would not have a specific function either, city officials have said.
The land grab will help shape the city's future, city officials say. For instance, the School Board property was an enclave and not in the city limits. Once the sale is completed, that parcel will become city land.
And one day, that land, like the others, could show up on city tax rolls.
Said Beverland, concluding the discussion with a wry grin: "You can't own enough land."
