The Institute for Community Development, an ad hoc nonprofit created by advocates associated with the Without Walls International Church, has officially withdrawn from the process to acquire the Centro Español de West Tampa.
Pastor Randy White admitted in a faxed statement that area developers' opposition to the deal, and the uncertainty of whether the BOCC would forgive an outstanding lien on the building to allow the ICD to acquire it, played a role in the decision.
"At a meeting held with the organization's advisory board and legal counsel, it was determined not to be in the best interest of ICD to continue negotiations relative to purchasing the prominent historic building located in the heart of West Tampa," the statement said.
The building was owned by the Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League, which had received it from the city of Tampa in 1999 in a $1 deal. The city hoped that the league would renovate the building and start social and cultural programs from there, but that never happened.
When local residents found out about the league's plans to sell the historic building to the ICD, they raised questions about the organization's plans for the building and its funding sources for the renovation. White assured them that the funding existed, and said they had nothing to worry about but provided few details.
In mid November, the ICD asked and received a 30-day extension from the league and Wachovia Corp., the lender, so that it could gain public support for its acquisition.
But that support never came, so on Tuesday the city of Tampa started negotiations with the Tampa-Hillsborough Urban League Inc. and Wachovia Corp. (NYSE: WAC) to get the Centro Español de West Tampa building back.
The city attorney sent the league a notice of default on Nov. 30 based on a call from the league's chairwoman Lois Davis, who said that the ICD had withdrawn from the deal, the city said.
That withdrawal was not yet official until late Wednesday, when White and the ICD officially put it in writing.
Community reaction came almost immediately.
"Yogi Berra was a prophet - it isn't over until it's over," said James Hosler, a former city planner and now economic redevelopment and demographics manager with TBE Group in Clearwater. "It is apparent that those involved with the deal underestimated and misjudged the symbolic importance of the Centro to West Tampans."
"I think it is good news," said Ed Turanchik, of In Town Homes. "Centro Español is fabulous asset for the entire Tampa Bay area. It should be a first rate cultural center for our whole community. I hope the city and the county pulls together a group of business, community, and cultural arts leaders to make this something special."
"This is a great opportunity for our city," said Jason Busto, of Busto Plumbing. "Mayor Iorio did the right thing in finally asserting city leadership on the matter. Most of us hope that City Hall will implement the West Tampa Economic Development Plan in all planning decisions moving forward so we do not have such massive miscommunications in the future."
"I'm thrilled," said Melinda Chavez of the Tampa Bay Business Committee for the Arts. "I did not think that the Without Walls church had the resources or the comprehension to deliver the kind of programming that many of us envision for the Centro. Both as a historic site in West Tampa and as a traditional center for cultural programming, many of us think that it is crucial that this tradition and use be continued, both to preserve the history of West Tampa and to serve as a means of community revitalization."
The TBBCA's fear was that things were moving so swiftly that there was no time to respond, Chavez said.
"This news is good because it will, perhaps, provide an opportunity to reach the mayor and convince her of this need," she said. "However, my concern is that the necessary resources of money to accomplish these dreams are very scarce and that there is insufficient organizational strength to respond to this challenge."
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