The Pinellas Park land could become home to a program for troubled middle schoolers.
By ADRIENNE P. SAMUELS
Published June 23, 2004
St. Petersburg College is close to selling its headquarters to the Pinellas County School District, a move that would help finance the college's relocation to the new EpiCenter building in Largo in September.
If the deal goes through, the buildings at 8580 66th St. N in Pinellas Park will be home to the School Board's new program for troubled middle schoolers that should open in January.
The land and buildings are valued between $2-million and $5-million, according to SPC. The School Board is conducting its own appraisals to determine how much it will pay for the property.
The property is appraised for tax purposes at $1.96-million, an amount that is usually about 85 percent of market value, according to the Pinellas County Appraiser's Office.
The building could be sold near mid July.
"We're still in negotiations with several people about it," said Susan Reiter, SPC director of facilities planning. "We think the most viable is the School Board."
SPC expected Job Corps to purchase the site, along with a private lot next door. But the deal fell through earlier this year when the agency discovered it couldn't buy the property adjacent to the college. Job Corps trains and places at-risk youth.
The School Board plans to renovate the main SPC building and add portable classrooms out back for treating troubled middle schoolers with chronic problems.
"It's in a good spot: mid county and adjacent to an easily traveled road," said Tony Rivas, school district director of facilities. "It's already zoned for school-type use, as opposed to a piece of property that has no designation for a school."
The property is already off the tax rolls, making it easier for the School Board to create the Community Education Partners program.
CEP would educate as many as 600 middle school and high school youths having trouble in a regular school.
The youths - who have problems such as chronic suspension or defiance - would be separated by sex and attend CEP for a full school year. The program employs uniforms and what some people might describe as tough love.
School superintendent Howard Hinesly said the board had looked at four or five different sites, but the sellers were asking for more than market value.
"For one thing, we didn't have any option for middle school kids, and we really needed some," said Dee Burns, administrator for dropout prevention service. "This will get kids performing on grade level as quickly as possible."
CEP, which is a private company, runs a program that differs from what will be offered at the under-construction, alternative Bayside High School.
SPC hopes to start moving into its new EpiCenter headquarters by September.
The EpiCenter project is a joint venture between SPC and Pinellas County government. It will house SPC's administration, corporate training, a corporate think tank and a four-year technology management degree, as well as other SPC bachelor's and master's programs involving the University of South Florida.
The county will move four offices, including the Convention and Visitors Bureau, to the EpiCenter as well. It is located within the Icot Center on Ulmerton Road east of U.S. 19.
- Times staff writer Thomas C. Tobin contributed to this report. Adrienne Samuels can be reached at 727 445-4157 or at samuels@sptimes.com
