Commissioners will discuss the proposal at a special meeting on Monday, July 10 at 5 p.m.
A special city commission meeting has been announced to consider the Request for Proprosal (RFP) submitted by the East Hillsborough Historical Society, Inc. (EHHS), relating to the restoration of the city-owned 1914 building. The meeting will be held on Monday, July 10 at 5 p.m. at HCC Trinkle Center, located at 1206 N. Park Rd.
EHHS, who was the only entity that submitted a response to the RFP, proposes to acquire the historic 1914 Plant City High School Community Center through a fee-simple deed with restrictive covenants.
In the proposal, the EHHS, a non-profit organization, plans to undertake the project in three phases which will be completed by two teams (the Restoration Advisory Team and the Remediation Advisory Team) under the direct supervision of EHHS President and Executive Director Shelby Bender. The Restoration Advisory Team for Phase I and Phase III is comprised of Vivian Salaga, Principal, AIA, ATELIER Architecture Engineering
Construction Inc. (“ATELIER”), Cassie Gardner, CEO, General Contractor, All Trades Historical Restoration, LLC. (“All Trades”) and Brian Wilder, CPA, Munro & Wilder, (“MW”) Owner Restorer of Mirror Lake Lyceum.
The Remediation Advisory Team for Phase II is comprised of Miles Ballogg, National Brownfields Practice Leader, EnSafe, Inc., (“EnSafe”), Kelly Bishop, Principal, PG, Brightwater Solutions, LLC (“Brightwater”), James Greenfield, Principal Scientist, Greenfield Environmental, Inc., (“Greenfield”) and Bragg Crane, President, ADS Abatement & Demolition Services, Inc., (“ADS”). The proposal details the experience of each team member, which includes decades of experience in grant-writing and the successful completion of many historic preservation projects.
Phase one, which will span one year, will consist of “sealing the envelope and waterproofing the structure,” which includes repairing the roof, windows, doors, lintels and brick masonry. In phase two, that will run concurrently with phase one and take approximately two years, environmental concerns will be addressed, including lead paint and asbestos remediation. In phase three, which could last seven years, the focus will be interior restoration and implementation of programming and services.
Included in the proposal is the funding sources the EHHS will utilize for the restoration, which includes an already secured $1.5 million from the 2022-2023 Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners budget. It has plans to procure additional funding from income producing projects, grants from both public and private sources and funds from donors. According to the proposal, one of the team members, EnSafe, has significant experience in applying for and being awarded cleanup dollars to address phase two needs.
EHHS President Shelby Bender, who’s been following historic preservation for at least 45 years, is hopeful the commission will accept the EHHS’s proposal, the goal of which is to successfully preserve the 1914 building and increase its economic viability. Time is of the essence as the building continues to deteriorate due to deferred maintenance.
“The East Hillsborough Historical Society’s motto is preserving the past for the future,” she said. “This building has served multiple generations and it can continue to serve as a community gathering place for generations to come.”
