Convention center, YMCA deal falls apart

[Dan Hildebran]

By Daniel E. Hildebran

A once promising marriage that may have produced a
combination convention center and recreation complex
for Bradford County appears to be on the rocks.

Last year, officials with the North Central Florida
Y.M.C.A. and Bradford County's Tourist Development
Council proposed constructing the complex together,
but now, both organizations appear to be going their
separate ways.

The two organizations once envisioned constructing a
combination convention center and family YMCA complex.
On August 12th, the tourism council met with county
attorney Terence Brown to discuss the legal structure
of the joint venture. The two groups even funded a
marketing study that analyzed the feasibility of both
a convention center and recreation complex. And
according to the tourist group's administrative
officer, Ron Lilly, the market survey may have killed
the deal.

"Since they’ve gotten their survey," Mr. Lilly told
the T.D.C. members during an April meeting, "and have
seen that the community will support them in whatever
effort they decide to go with, I think they are not as
interested in partnering with us as fast as we need to
be moving to get our facility".

Starke City Clerk Linda Johns, who is a T.D.C. Member,
appeared surprised with Mr. Lilly’s revelation.

She asked Mr. Lilly, "When did that fall through the
cracks?"

"Well, I think it kind of fell through the cracks once
they get their survey," replied Mr. Lilly. "I mean,
if you notice, Tim [Y.M.C.A. Regional Director Tim
Blenco] was very active with us up until when we got
the survey started and got it done. Mr. Miller [T.D.C
chairman John Miller] will tell you, the [Y.M.C.A.]
fund raising efforts started real strong, and then
once they started getting the results back from the
survey, they are not even doing any fundraising right
now."

He added that the Y's wellness center on South Walnut
Street was another sign the Gainesville group has
changed its focus.

"If you look at the bigger picture and you see that
they’ve already taken a spot on 301 as a wellness
center, I think you can really see that they’re
pretty happy with that, giving them their foothold
here, to start working their timetable."

Mr. Lilly also offered that the two groups still have
compatible goals, but not compatible schedules. "I
don’t think their timetable really correlates anymore
with ours. I think they would do it [construct a
building], with the TDC, if the right opportunity
came up, because we were the guys that were going to
build and pay to keep their lights on."

But during an Aril 28th meeting of the YMCA's Bradford
County founders committee, the group's regional
director indicated that timing might not be the only
obstacle to the project. He said a joint facility
might not ever be practical.

"In terms of a convention center," Y.M.C.A. Regional
Director Tim Blenco told the group, "the way they are
run and the way a YMCA is run, are often times, going
to conflict. It would take a lot of compromise on both
of our parts.”

The regional director then offered an illustration.

"Say somebody wants to [hold a] convention for a week
during basketball season," he explained. "We've got a
basketball season to run, they’ve got a convention
center to run. How are they going to schedule events
if we schedule events at the same time?"

*******Writer's note:********
Last Saturday’s Y.M.C.A. wellness center grand opening
wrapped up a busy week for YMCA supporters, which
also included hosting a Chamber of Commerce Bash on
Friday, and a meeting of the group's founder's
committee Thursday.

But as the organization continues launch programs and
activities for Bradford County youth, one aspect of
the Y's plan for Starke has disappointed its
organizers.

In the May 9th issue of Starke News Week magazine,
I'll tell you about the group's exciting plans for the
summer, and why the founder's committee is refocusing
its original plans.

Starke News Week magazine is available at Starke's
Madison Street Pharmacy, Lawtey Shell, and other fine
retailers.


Deh