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Dunedin leaders okay buying Baptist church

After nearly a century, First Baptist will surrender its land to a plan for revitalizing the city's downtown.

By TERRI BRYCE REEVES
Published November 12, 2005

DUNEDIN - A city center with municipal, retail, office, residential and much needed parking space is closer to becoming reality.

The City Commission gave its blessing at Thursday's meeting to a $3.9-million contract to purchase what would be the linchpin of the project: the First Baptist Church property at 500 Wood St.

The property has been on the market for about a year and was appraised at $3.75-million. Private developers have offered as much as $4.2-million, but there were many contingencies and some wanted to build 80-foot-tall luxury condominiums.

"This is much more in scale with the quaint charm the city likes," said economic development director Bob Ironsmith. "And it is a solution to our downtown parking problem."

Apparently the church congregation thought the idea of selling the land to the city was fine. It approved the sale in October.

"The church has always felt the city would best maintain the ambience of downtown," Pastor Greg Varndell said. "Having been in that location for 95 years, it was important to us as to what will replace us."

The church has two years to vacate the property.

"We do have contingency plans to meet temporarily while the new church is being constructed," Varndell said. While the church has not yet selected a new site, it does intend to stay in Dunedin, he said.

In the meantime, merchants, city employees and downtown patrons may continue to use existing surface parking.

Ironsmith presented the commission with a proposed master redevelopment plan that includes both the 2-acre church property and the 1.6-acre city-owned property across the street on Louden Avenue.

The initial design for the mixed-use development calls for the demolition of the current structures, which Ironsmith said are "near obsolete."

Two three-story parking garages in the center of each block would provide 432 parking spaces. They would be wrapped by retail, office, municipal and residential structures. The concept was developed to achieve a balance between downtown parking needs, potential city facility upgrades, the presence of a Sheriff's Office substation and private development.

City Hall would be consolidated with municipal and technical services into a two- or three-story structure that would face Virginia Street. The sheriff's north district station would likely be a two-story building across Louden Avenue, also facing Virginia.

Two- or three-story townhomes or row houses would front Wood Street. Most of the buildings would have a height of about 40 feet to disguise the parking facility.

Ironsmith said the private development could also mean pennies from heaven, with a potential market value of somewhere between $2-million and $4-million. The money could be used to offset the cost of parking structures and buildings.

"There is a lot of synergy here," Ironsmith said. "I think this is an extremely creative entrepreneurial approach for a small city to undertake. This is a calculated strategy."

Ironsmith said he had received no negative comments, only questions from the commission to make sure the staff had adequately evaluated the risks of the project.

The expected closing date on the church property is March 2006.

Funding for the project would come from the anticipated sale of another city-owned property purchased two years ago for $2.1-million, Ironsmith said. The property, referred to as the Skinner tract, is located near the apex of Skinner Boulevard and Main Street.

Currently, there are two one-story office buildings and a former Goodyear station on the property. The parcel was recently appraised at $4.9-million, double its value from two years ago.

The profit on a sale of that property at the appraised value would be $2.8-million. That amount would be applied to the purchase price and the balance of $1.1-million would be paid for by a loan taken out by the Community Redevelopment Agency.

The city plans to sell the land to a developer who would put in a gourmet grocery store and possibly some retail shops and restaurants.

"This will take us to a new level," said Ironsmith of the proposed redevelopments. "We started out with artists and antique shops, then restaurants and cafes, and then the Green Market (farmer's market). This will add a good retail mix and provide a much needed downtown package."

Frank Baiamonte, who co-owns the Meranova Guest Inn, told commissioners the city desperately needed new parking and that he supported the purchase.

"This is a no-brainer," he said. "It will revitalize the central area of downtown where I am, as well as east downtown."

He added that he loved the idea of a gourmet grocery store.

"It was one of the things I thought we needed when we moved here."

PURCHASE PRICE FOR CHURCH PROPERTY: $3.9-million

AGE OF CHURCH: 95 years

CHURCH ACREAGE: 2 acres

NEW MASTER PLAN ACREAGE: 3.6 acres

CLOSING DATE: March 2006

TIME GIVEN TO CHURCH TO VACATE: 2 years

PROPOSED NUMBER OF NEW PARKING SPACES: 432

[Last modified November 12, 2005, 00:54:17]