Three commissioners want to buy Bank of the Ozarks property for park space
The purchase discussion came up as most commissioners said they opposed an offer to swap the property for the old library
By Beth Kassab
Winter Park Commissioners appeared to reject two different land swap proposals for the old Winter Park library building this week, saying they preferred to keep control of the building as a gateway to the city. They opted instead to attempt to purchase the Bank of the Ozarks property offered in one of the potential swaps.
Commissioners Sheila DeCiccio, Todd Weaver and Marty Sullivan said they were in favor of authorizing City Manager Randy Knight to offer $6 million for the property at 1100 N. Orange Avenue, just across Denning Drive from the future site of Seven Oaks Park.
“If we don’t purchase the property we will forever regret it,” DeCiccio said, noting that a multi-story bank building on the Ozarks land would be “out of character” with the neighborhood.
The purchase amount would potentially include $5 million in city bonds and $1 million from other sources.
Mayor Phil Anderson and Commissioner Kris Cruzada expressed concerns about taking on more debt in what is expected to be a lean budget year.
“I’ll count myself into the minority who questions whether a $350,000 per year debt service bill will fit into the next budget,” Anderson said, adding that amount could cover between two and four firefighters or police officers.
Commissioners are set to begin next year’s budget discussions in July.
“By all accounts we are headed into a recession,” Cruzada said. “I like the idea of purchasing it eventually. I just don’t think it’s appropriate at this time given the tight constraints on our budget.”
For now, though, the majority of the elected board asked Knight to pursue the potential purchase as well as to finalize a Request for Proposal to develop the old library site.
The details of what commissioners are looking for on the library site are likely to be approved at the next meeting on June 28.
Public comments at a special meeting about the old library land development earlier this week and those heard at Wednesday’s Commission meeting trended against the city selling the land.
“I have not heard a lot of favorable comments to dispose of the library property,” Sullivan said.
In recent months, commissioners have expressed a desire to favor nonprofit or arts-centered groups for the old building as well as potential residential units. So far, six nonprofits have expressed interest in the old library.
Heather Alexander, executive director of the Winter Park Playhouse, said Wednesday she is still interested in the possibility of the theater finding a home there. But the city is still exploring whether it could save the playhouse, which is losing its lease, by also purchasing the building it currently occupies.
If the city pursues the playhouse building as well as the Bank of the Ozarks land, that would make two properties snapped up by commissioners in the North Orange Avenue area where Seven Oaks Park construction is underway. The bank property would allow the park to expand and provide more greenspace in the midst of an increasingly dense urban corridor.
Not in the best interest of Winter Park taxpayers to accelerate land purchases and slow down the electric under-grounding. $6M could do a lot of other things in they city. Think about it – traffic improvements, stormwater improvements, fiber optic etc.
Seidel, Anderson, and the other politicians in Winter Park have their scenic nature views from their own homes.
But not all of Winter Park’s 30,000 residents are so fortunate.
Many residents have to get in their cars and drive somewhere to find nature.
It’s time to scrutinize the “Let them eat cake” attitudes.
And to ensure that ALL of Winter Park’s residents have access to nature – now.
Here we go again. City can not make a decision on a building that is old, unusable, and not in current code compliance. The only viable option is to sell the building which will generate more money than any other imbecilic ideas already discussed. If the City is so concerned about the “gateway” they have the power to approve or deny the new owners construction proposals. Time and again, the commision has no real understanding on how to acquire, use and implement political power in local governing.
Selling the building will only make someone, other than the resident taxpayers who now own it, quite rich. A sale is one and done. Community needs can be addressed with this community asset and revenue can be generated. What rationale is there to raze a sound structure? Changing tastes? A good piece of real estate in such a prime location should never be sold out from under taxpayers.
The building is not sound and the cost to bring up to code has been made public which is one of the many reason why this building has not generated many inquiries. Get your facts straight. Any monthly income derived from this property, less operating expenses, is small in comparison to the city selling it outright. Community? Casa Feliz all over again.
Wes F.- Had the building had ever been declared unsound, there would be no ongoing discussion of re-use/repurposing. It would be condemned or razed. But there has never been any determination that building is unsafe. That is why the commission is still planning to put out an RFP that will allow for re-use of the building.
Why does the city keep taking property off the tax rolls? As a city with mostly residential properties, the tax burden falls primarily on them. Commercial properties help to spread the load.
Yeah. Sell all the parks off to developers so that the the taxes can be spread around.
Green space is for rabbits.
Linda L. This is a residential city and the budget shows that property tax receipts are largely from residential sources. This is not going to change. WP is mainly a city of homes. Look at the budget.
Exactly. That’s my point. Residents’ property taxes provide a major portion of the GF budget.
Don’t sell the old library, use it for an arts exhibit hall. BTW, WP has an excellent living and breathing arts community that is continuously over-looked – partner with Crealde and the Playhouse.
Purchase the Ozarks land for park space,
And fire Randy Knight.
Selling the library and ignoring opportunities to buy other properties is short-sighted policy. Keeping the library and purchasing properties is a long-term and insightful strategy. We have enough businesses in Winter Park and there is no more space for more residential building or businesses (other than the Orange ave overlay) other than to knock old homes down and build box mansions. So, it would be nice in the future to have these properties for the community. Look long-term and think about future generations. 5 box mansions = one small park. Which do your grandkids want?
The park land is big enough! There is enough traffic on that route now! Do not add to it! Plus 6 million???