TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Roof Cave-In Punctures Plans For Historic School

Tribune photo by JAY NOLAN

The collapse of part of the former Gary Adult School has complicated plans to revitalize the building.

ADVERTISEMENT

By KATHY STEELE

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 23, 2008

TAMPA - A portion of the roof and west wall of the old Gary Adult High School has collapsed. No injuries were reported.

The 95-year-old building, empty and in disrepair for years, is the cornerstone of a proposed project to build a sports center with an Olympic-size swimming pool and basketball and volleyball courts.

On Thursday, Tampa City Council members postponed a vote to rezone the property, 3610 E. 10th Ave., to give developers time to resolve issues with inadequate parking and nearby transmission lines owned by Tampa Electric Co. Another public hearing is scheduled Oct. 23.

Council members also heard from residents upset because they thought too little was being done to protect the building from the elements.

One resident provided pictures showing broken windows.

Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena, who learned of the collapse Tuesday afternoon, said it appears to be "demolition by neglect, and it should not be allowed."

Residents who live near the school spotted the destruction Tuesday morning.

"Totally, just depressed," Fran Costantino, president of the East Ybor Historic & Civic Association, said as she walked around the site Tuesday afternoon.

"It's ironic to come just a few days after city council" meeting, Costantino said.

The school, built in 1913, was designated a local historic landmark by the City Council in 2005 in response to concerns about its deterioration. The school board declared it surplus property, and in 2007 contractor John Simon bought the site for about $331,000.

The structure served the once-rural Gary community, east of Ybor City, and was open as an elementary school until 1979. The next year, it became an adult school. A new Gary school at 5101 N. 40th St. opened in 2006.

Simon's vision is to build a sports center for competition for programs from elementary to collegiate level. He also said community events would be scheduled, free of charge.

Contacted Tuesday afternoon, Simon said he had not heard about the building's collapse. He could not be reached after the collapse was confirmed.

"It was not salvageable when we bought it," he said. "We're going to be doing some shoring up. I don't want to tear it down for any reason."

The center's design, he said, calls for gutting the school's interior, but its exterior walls except the north side will remain to preserve its history. Basketball and volleyball courts will be built on the school site; the pool will be in a 50,000-square-foot addition.

The city contributed about $20,000 in emergency funding from a preservation trust to help pay for a tarp for the building's leaky roof. The tarp is on the roof, Simon said, but it is not effective.

The sports center was in limbo after last week's hearing when council members learned the project has lost much of its anticipated parking. Negotiations also are ongoing with TECO about nearby transmission lines that pose safety concerns.

Simon planned to use a nearby lot for much of the facility's parking. Recently, however, he learned the state Department of Transportation will need the lot as a staging area for a highway widening project until possibly 2012.

He did not know whether an affordable alternate parking site was available.

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 835-2103 or ksteele@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT