Hillsborough: Hunt renewed for site to lure FAMU

Hunt renewed for site to lure FAMU

The old police station received low marks, so officials scramble to find another law school site.

By WAYNE WASHINGTON

TAMPA -- And now . . . plan B.

Seeing its opportunity to bring Florida A&M University's law school to Tampa fading over concerns about where the school would be housed, local officials are now considering two different sites: the old federal courthouse on Florida Avenue and the closed Winn-Dixie supermarket at 1601 W Kennedy Blvd.

Fred McClure, a partner with Holland and Knight who is involved in the effort to bring the school to Tampa, said local officials are scouring the area for potential sites. The two sites are still in the discussion stage, however, and have not been presented to FAMU officials.

"Frankly, every vacant space in town -- including those two -- are being considered," McClure said.

Tampa, competing with several cities along the Interstate 4 corridor for the law school, thought it had found a perfect use for the 40-year-old police station on Tampa Street. It was the centerpiece of the city's $12.7-million bid to bring the law school to town.

But the building's environmental problems -- asbestos, poor air quality, mildew, rodent and insect infestations -- gave FAMU officials pause. They put Tampa's proposal third behind Orlando and Lakeland in a preliminary ranking of sites, surprising local officials.

Still, Tampa Mayor Dick Greco remains convinced that the old police station is the best site for the school.

"That building is 85,000 square feet," the mayor said. "You could fix it up like the Taj Mahal if you want to for a few million."

Just in case FAMU officials don't buy that argument, Greco, McClure and Hillsborough County government officials are casting about for alternative sites.

The courthouse, partly occupied now that a new courthouse has been built, is owned by the federal government, which would have to approve its use by FAMU. Chief Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich said the new courthouse is just about full and that the old courthouse has value as a place to use when additional courtroom space is needed.

The cost of building new courtroom space far exceeds the costs of renovating existing space, the judge said.

The Winn-Dixie store, meanwhile, is privately owned.

McClure said one of those sites could be used while FAMU either refurbishes the police station or builds a new school somewhere else.

Louis Murray, FAMU's associate vice president for administrative and fiscal affairs, said he is not familiar with either site. But Murray, head of FAMU's site selection committee, seemed pleased that Tampa was still trying to put the right proposal together.

"It could be a surprise," Murray said of the proposal, "a pleasant surprise."

Chikh Sylla, an architect hired by the university to evaluate the bids, said he has not included the temporary sites in his review and could not comment on them.

Greco met with county officials Wednesday to go over the pitch it will make to university officials when they come for a site visit Aug. 28. A rally to show community support for bringing the law school to Tampa has been planned for Saturday at the police station.

"More is being done for this than for some of the biggest companies that have ever moved here," Greco said. "We're talking about companies with 5,000, 6,000 people."

The law school is expected to generate 127 jobs and an economic impact of $10-million per year. In return for that impact, the university expects cities to offer incentives worth at least $12.5-million.

Excluding temporary use of the old courthouse or the supermarket, Tampa officials valued the package they submitted to the university at $12.7-million. Orlando's package has been valued at $10-million and includes a $1-per year lease for 15,000 square feet of temporary space while a permanent school is being built. Lakeland's proposal is valued at $2-million.

FAMU will recommend a site to the Board of Regents on Sept. 8. The board, expected to accept the university's recommendation, makes the final decision a week later.