Oldsmar continues with its plans for a library. The civic club needs a new place to play bingo.
By TAMARA EL-KHOURY
Published September 4, 2005
OLDSMAR - After years of wrangling between the City Council and the Oldsmar Civic Club, the club's building was demolished last week to make way for a new library.
On Sept. 21 the council will consider approval of the final site plan and preliminary design of the proposed $3-million library, said City Manager Bruce Haddock.
St. Petersburg-based Harvard Jolly is the architectural firm on the project. Haddock said he expects the project will be put out to bid in January and be finished a year later.
The city took legal possession of the building on the southeast corner of St. Petersburg Drive and Dartmouth Avenue in June, but the civic club asked to hold bingo nights there until Aug. 1.
"We had moved everything out of the building, and there wasn't really any point in having it sit there so we went ahead and demolished it," Haddock said.
The civic club and the City Council spent years trying to cut a deal over the 31/2 acres that was home to the club since the 1950s.
In 1994 the club donated the land to the city. In return, the city agreed to do $75,000 in renovations to the building. The city would lease the property from the club until 2044 and then take over.
But the council wanted that land to build a library before 2044. In 2003 the city offered to pay $90,000 for the land and allow the club to have monthly meetings in the library. The civic club wanted more money.
For two years the city and the civic club tried to cut a deal. They failed.
Finally, in December, the city filed an eminent domain lawsuit against the club. In April, the two groups reached a settlement. The city would pay $225,000 and the club's legal fees.
Thursday, only rubble remained of the civic club building.
"I'm glad the whole controversy is over," Mayor Jerry Beverland said. "What my whole thing is I want the library built. It's kind of sad that it went the way it did."
For now, the civic club is without a home for its regular bingo games. The 32-member club suspended bingo at the St. Petersburg Drive building the second week of July in anticipation of the structure's demolition, club trustee and past president Jim Campoli said. Efforts to find a church, private organization or city facility for the games came to naught, so the club put about $6,000 worth of bingo equipment in storage.
"We're just looking for a place," Campoli said. "If anyone wants to start a bingo, have them give us a call."
Times staff writer Richard Danielson contributed to this report.
