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Zephyrhills likely to study feasibility of arts center

By MINDY RUBENSTEIN
Published February 10, 2007

ZEPHYRHILLS - City Council member Danny Burgess voted for a Performing Arts Center feasibility study, but he's since changed his mind.

The proposed $15-million center, he said, is well beyond what Zephyrhills needs now.

He wants something smaller and unique and suggested converting the movie theater on Fifth Avenue rather than building a new facility across from the police station on Eighth Street.

"In my eyes, save the money," said Burgess, 20. "Let's not blow the $50,000 on an answer we already know."

But during a workshop Monday evening, the City Council decided to go ahead with the study, if it's approved at the next council meeting Monday.

"I used to go to the theater with my grandfather growing up," Burgess said. "Stuff like that is what keeps up who we are, even with the growth." He said everything seems to be going toward the Wal-Mart and Chili's on the north end of town, rather than downtown.

The city needs to give people the desire to go downtown, he said. "One of my ultimate goals is to get a Starbucks downtown."

City Manager Steve Spina thinks the $50,000 feasibility study is needed and is even more important now that the location is up for debate.

"I think we can best address where to put it if we have a feasibility study," Spina said.

The city collected bids for a feasibility study and decided on Tampa-based PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

The study would collect information on demographics and economics of the area to determine the potential size and location of a performing arts center - information that can be useful in the development of downtown.

"The general information provided can be used for other things," he said.

Other options the city will consider include not having everything in one location, Council member Luis Lopez said. For example, having the performing arts center downtown and a separate recreation center and banquet hall elsewhere.

"That came up to be a very interesting concept," he said.

Burgess holds out hope for his ideas, even though he thought other council members weren't receptive at Monday's workshop.

"To me it's something we can jump up and down about again," he said. "I feel like a little kid again. It's exciting."

[Last modified February 10, 2007, 00:54:25]