Gruden makes wall come tumbling down

By ROGER MILLS
Published February 24, 2005

[Times photo: John Pendygraft] Bucs coach Jon Gruden takes down a wall of the former Tampa Bay Center mall which is being demolished to make room for a $30-million training facility which the Bucs hope will be completed before the 2006 season.

[Times photo: John Pendygraft] Gruden gets some help guiding the Cat EXL heavy duty hydraulic arm that costs about $300,000.

[Times photo: John Pendygraft]

TAMPA - At the controls of a $300,000 Cat EXL heavy duty hydraulic arm Wednesday, Bucs coach Jon Gruden tore down the symbolic first wall at the back of the former Tampa Bay Center mall, paving the way for the demolishing of the site and construction of a training facility.

"We've been anticipating it, but I didn't know I was going to tear down a mall," said Gruden, who was praised by construction workers for his handling of the machine.

"They've been very patient, and obviously, it involved a lot of people. But to have it actually beginning is something we're very, very excited about."

The Bucs have called One Buc Place home since their inception in 1977. But it is now a maze of buildings and trailers (with accompanied forms of wildlife).

If all goes as planned, the Bucs expect the $30-million facility, which officials said will look like a Ritz-Carlton inside, to be ready in about 18-20 months.

"The demolition will probably be four to five months," said Mike Newquist, the Bucs' senior director of business administration. "Once we get the majority of the mall down, then we can start (construction). And the hope is to get in right at the first part of the 2006 regular season."

The Community Investment Tax, approved by voters in 1996, will contribute $12-million, the Bucs the rest.

"This is huge," Gruden said. "If you've been to One Buc Place, you know that it doesn't have a lot of things that a lot of other facilities have.

"You don't have to have a great facility to win a Super Bowl. But the classrooms will be so much better. The practice fields will be so much better; the training table so much better. Certainly, sitting in a nice custom-made theater here in this new facility will help (attract free agents)."

Despite the extra space, which could be used for living quarters, the team said it likely will not hold training camp at the facility, instead heading out of the area.

"It helps get our players and coaches away for a month so they can concentrate on football," Newquist said. "We love going over to Orlando right now. We love Disney."

"Hopefully, they do something creative to keep it around," Gruden said. "Who knows? Maybe we'll make it the Buccaneer Hall of Fame."

Any other suggestions?

"Blow it up!" Newquist said.

[Last modified February 24, 2005, 00:54:17]