A sparsely attended special commission meeting ended with a plan to draft a lease agreement of 1914 building between the City of Plant City and East Hillsborough Historical Society.
Hundreds of empty chairs filled the Trinkle Center Monday night at a special city commission meeting where it considered the only Request for Proposal (RFP) submitted by the non-profit East Hillsborough Historical Society (EHHS) relating to the restoration of the city-owned 1914 Plant City High School Community Center.
The approximately 50 people in attendance listened as EHHS President Shelby Bender detailed the RFP proposal, which included a plan to create two teams (the Restoration Advisory Team and the Remediation Advisory Team) which would work to restore the building in three phases. The initial phase of the plan would consist of making much-needed roofing repairs and waterproofing the structure which would be completed with a $1.5 million windfall secured from Hillsborough County’s 2022-2023 budget that will be awarded to the City of Plant City.
The intent, according to the RFP, is to restore and rehabilitate the historic 1914 Plant City High School building to a safe, useable condition that keeps the historic and architectural integrity intact.
Bender, who’s been at the helm of the Society since 2003, said the EHHS is ready to take the bull by the horns and begin the repairs. “Doing nothing is no longer an option and our Band-Aid is just getting bigger and bigger,” she said. “The 1914 is a gem and deserves to be brought back.”
The three-story brick building, which holds significant historical and cultural value, has stood as a cornerstone of Plant City’s architectural heritage for more than a century. Erected in 1914 at a cost of $40,000, the building operated as Plant City High School until 1955 when it became Tomlin Junior High School. In 1975, Hillsborough County School Board deeded the building to the City of Plant City.
The EHHS has occupied the building since 1977 but there isn’t a written lease on record detailing the conditions of occupancy. The agreement was a “gentleman’s agreement” and sealed with a handshake. The RFP proposed the City, through a fee-simple deed, transfer ownership of the building to EHHS.
After her presentation, Commissioner Sparkman was quick to commend EHHS for its efforts. “I’ve been on the commission 30 years and a year or year and a half ago I came up with the idea of giving the 1914 to the historical society,” he said. “I support your association and ownership of that building 110% and I know there’s a lot of people in this building with the same feeling.”
After further discussion by other commissioners, which seemed to lean towards drafting a lease agreement between the city and EHHS instead of a complete transfer of ownership, Commissioner Sparkman made motion to quit claim deed the property to the EHHS with a reverter clause after all details have been worked out so the 1914 can be an asset to the community. Members in the audience responded to his motion with applause but the motion died on the floor with a lack of a second.
Commissioner Dodson then made a motion for the commission to authorize city officials, including City Manager Bill McDaniel and City Attorney Kenneth Buchman to draft a lease agreement with EHHS. The lease agreement would outline specific details of the agreement including responsibilities of each party and outcomes. The motion was seconded by Commissioner Mathis and passed with a vote of four to one, with Commissioner Sparkman dissenting.
As the meeting adjourned Commissioner Jones commented that he’d like to see a purchase agreement in the lease if the EHHS meets the terms of the contract. “I think it’s important that deed eventually transfer over to them,” he said.
Commissioner Dodson mentioned a conversation he had with Commissioner Mike Owen, who was amenable to seeking additional funding for the 1914 building. “I want to make it clear we all have the same intentions and they’re all good: to do what’s right and to find a way to restore the building,” he said.
Mayor Kilton also offered encouraging words to EHHS members. “Ms. Bender, we’re going to get together with you and the city counselor and we’ll get to the work as soon as we possibly can on those exterior items,” said Mayor Kilton. “We’re all trying to get to the same place here.”
The lease agreement, once drafted, would come back to the city commission for final approval. City officials are also working to ensure the transfer of the $1.5 million in county funding.
