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Official unveils sports park plan

The complex would be built on 425 acres of rural land Hillsborough owns. But there are environmental concerns.

By BILL VARIAN
Published July 21, 2005

TAMPA - Jim Norman wants to turn rural, northeastern Hillsborough County into the center of Florida's amateur sports universe.

The Hillsborough Commission chairman unveiled a proposal Wednesday to build an estimated $40-million "Championship Park" north of Plant City that would serve as a playoff location for amateur teams in football, baseball, soccer and track.

Norman's fellow board members blessed the proposal conceptually Wednesday voting 6-1, with Commissioner Kathy Castor casting the lone dissent. A couple of the others signaled that they have potential environmental and cost concerns that may dim their enthusiasm as they learn more.

Plans call for a 22,000-seat football and soccer arena, a baseball field with stands for 3,000 and a track that could accommodate another 1,500 spectators. Along with practice fields, the complex would be built on 425 acres off State Road 39 about 3 miles north of Interstate 4 on property the county owns known as the Cone Ranch.

Norman said he envisions a place where high schools and maybe some colleges come to play championship games and competitions. NFL Europe could use the complex for training and regional high schools could hold high-profile regular season football games there.

The county would charge for use of the field and Norman predicted that the county would make more than enough to pay for upkeep of the complex.

"We're trying to piece together something like no other community has," Norman said. "There's not a site like this in the state of Florida."

With their vote Wednesday, commissioners agreed to put the idea on a list of projects that could be paid for with money from the half-cent Community Investment Tax. But that doesn't mean it will stay on the list.

Commissioners have committed all of the money from the Community Investment Tax through 2008. But county finance officials expect the tax to raise another $1.4-billion from 2008 through 2026 that has not been committed.

The board is already planning ways to spend those future dollars and is expected to meet later this summer on the subject. Norman's proposal joins the list of considerations.

Tampa Bay Water owns the rights to pump water from much of the 12,000-acre Cone Ranch property, which it may do in the future. Hillsborough County has fought those plans, fearing damage from the pumping in an area that helps replenish the Hillsborough River.

Castor said she felt such a facility should be built in an area where growth is taking place and expressed concern about such intensive development in a rural area.

"This is a very interesting idea," she said. "I'm concerned that we undermine our argument about the environmental sensitivity of this area."

Norman said he'd be happy to look at other, more developed areas, but isn't aware of other large pieces of land that the county already owns.

"I'd love someone to come forward and say, "I've got 300 acres I'd give you for free,"' he said.

The center isn't intended as a corner ball field for recreational league softball or pick-up games, he said. It is meant to attract players and teams from sanctioned leagues that come to town, stay in hotels and bring their tourist dollars with them.

With that in mind, Commissioner Ronda Storms encouraged him to consider seeking some money to build it from tourist taxes charged to people who stay in hotels. She also voiced environmental concerns.

The project will require commissioners to change zoning for the land and amend their comprehensive plan, the growth blueprint for the county. It also likely will require approval by the Southwest Florida Water Management District and the county's own Environmental Protection Commission.

Rejection by any of those agencies could wither commission support.

Staff writer Bill Varian can be reached at 813 226-3387 or varian@sptimes.com

[Last modified July 21, 2005, 00:56:18]