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Commissioners endorse Veterans Memorial Park master plan and ask staff to return with housing strategy
Summary
The board received a master-plan update for Veterans Memorial Park, including a proposed Collins museum, Gold Star and Buffalo Soldier memorials, a community resource center and conceptual veterans housing. Commissioners unanimously directed staff to return within 60 days with a recommended public–private partnership strategy for veteran housing.
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners unanimously directed staff to return within 60 days with a recommended strategy to implement a residential housing concept included in the Veterans Memorial Park master plan update.
The presentation outlined completed and planned park projects, a proposed Collins Museum near the park entry, a Gold Star Family memorial and a Buffalo Soldier memorial, outdoor meditation gardens, a planned 150-foot flagpole, a community resource center and conceptual four-story veterans housing on 4.7 acres the county recently acquired north of the park. Architect renderings shown to the board were described as schematic and conceptual.
John Kidwell of Heppner Architects walked the board through renderings and an $18 million placeholder estimate for the four-story housing buildings and a $2.5 million estimate for the community resource center. Dexter Barge, assistant county administrator, said advisory council members reviewed the proposals and supported them. “We have proposed plans for that part of the park as well as existing plans for already approved capital projects that are ongoing now,” Barge said.
Commissioner Gwen Myers made the motion asking staff to develop an implementation strategy that included options for public–private partnerships and experienced veteran-housing developers. The motion called for staff to return with a recommended strategy within 60 days; Commissioners Donna Cameron Cepeda and others spoke in favor, noting the land acquisition and the advisory board’s support. Les Miller, chair of the Veterans Advisory Board and a former county commissioner, addressed the board in support of the plan and said the advisory board “overwhelmingly supports this concept.”
County staff said there is sufficient capital improvement funding to complete many park improvements (museum, marquee, memorials) but that approximately $21.5 million is needed to implement the conceptual housing component; staff recommended seeking state, federal and public–private partnership funding to fill that gap.
The board’s motion was approved 7–0. Staff will return with a proposed strategy for public–private partnerships, procurement and financing that the board can review prior to any final development agreement or disposition of county land.
