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County Set To Approve $1.65 Million Construction Of New 4-H Facility
January 12, 2014
Escambia County is set to award a construction contract for a new Escambia County 4-H Center located at the Escambia County Extension Office on Stefani Road.
The total cost for the facility will be $1.65 million. The contract, if approved at a January 16 Escambia County Commission meeting, will be awarded to A.E. New, Jr., Inc. The company was the lowest of 12 companies that bid on the facility.
In 2012, the children and teens on the 4-H County Council voted to sell their 240 acre Langley Bell 4-H Center to Navy Federal Credit Union. Navy Federal paid $3.6 million for the property next to the credit union’s campus in Beulah, and the Escambia County Commission agreed to construct a new 4-H Center on Stefani Road with $1.5 million in local option sales tax (LOST) funds.
The new facility, as designed by Hernandez Calhoun Design International using input from 4-H leadership, has a final price tag $165,000 higher than originally planned. That amount was originally set to be covered by the 4-H Foundation, but the county will use additional LOST funds to pick up the difference.
The new 4-H Center will be a single story building just under 10,000 square feet that will include a multi-purpose room/auditorium with stage, kitchen, offices, reception area, life skills room, science room with wet lab, volunteer room with technology lab, county council,club meeting room and storage.
The 4-H Center and funds to build it are separate from the $3.6 million the 4-H Foundation received from their land sale and any additional facility or land the foundation may purchase.
Pictured top: The Langley Bell 4-H Center was sold to Navy Federal Credit Union for $3.6 million. Pictured below: A new 4-H Center will be constructed adjacent to the Escambia County Extension Office on Stefani Road. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
28 Responses to “County Set To Approve $1.65 Million Construction Of New 4-H Facility”
BCC having a public comment time today,01-16-14 @4:30 in their meeting place. Still time to make it there and express your opinion. They are finally realizing the public outcry over this issue. GO if you can. Support the kids!
I am so saddened that our County Commissioners would even consider to allow these children to be wronged like this……promises were made to these children! They should receive something of equal value , something adequate for their needs. Twenty acres is not equal and it’s not enough land! Wake up guys you can stop this insanity!!! You have to live with your choices…….
Ok folks you need to call CC # 595-4950 FOR COMM. BERRY OR 595-4902 TO GET THE OTHER CC’S ON THE PHONE I was told that they are not reading these responces due to negitive comments These are not negitive It is citizens voicing their opinions about how the kids are being treated. Get with it adults (CC & Pam IFAS) Just because you seat in a chair you do not work for yourself you work for us even in this matter of the 4 H kids. We all have a stake in this. fLOOD THE LINES WE WILL BE HEARD
The 4-H children did not vote Yes so they could get nothing in return. Building a nicer building for the Extension Office and using the 4-H children’s money to build it for YOU!!! My children have ONE WORD for this “STEALING”!!!! Thank you for teaching my children such a wonderful lesson in life.
Sometimes I wish I had left the Air Force and returned to Escambia County. This is one of those times. I would have ran for BCC and would be voting a LARGE NO on spending 1.xxx million for Pam Allen and IFAS until such time as they come around to what the 4H community and supporters want to happen. I have had too many calls and complaints freom foemer 4H members that I knew and freom local
volunteer leaders wanting something different than is being proposed.
In the 1943 Deed it spells out that any sale or financial gain is the property of Escambia 4H Boys Council. We know that gi,rls were allowed to partkickipate so it became the Escambia 4H Council. GIVE THEM BACK THEIR RIGHTS TO ;PROPOSE LAND AND FACILITIES THEY WANT!!!
Lemon, Steven and Wilson, vote to hold IFAS, Pam Allen and 4H Foundatuion in the fire until such tikme as thney m ak,e things right with 4 H families, members and friends of 4H. Once they have done right by thne kids then the building can proceed!
I have a real problem with adults lying to our children. This is not the first time adults said children could make a choice, the the adults do what they want.
The area at the Extension Office is NOT enough room for the 4-Hers to show their animals. Where are the parents to park their trucks and trailers, what about spectators? Thank goodness my 3 daughters are out of 4-H in Escambia County.
Shame Shame Shame on you adults who made this choice. Lets pads their monies (for the county) and forget the what is best for our future generations!!!!!!
Congras to the other people who agree with me.
It is indeed very suspicious that for years and years we were told the Navy OLF was not available.
Once the sale contract for Langley Bell was signed………………bingo!
A trade is in the works: Navy OLF for some land in Santa Rosa County.
But it is just a coincidence………right.
This Stefani Road office building is going to be just that, a pretty new office building for the extension office. Pan will make sure any weekend 4-H program does not take place for some excuse as no one from the office will be in town that weekend to open it. Just like she did at the Langley Bell property.
What say you Uncle Wilson?????????????????
theres money left over whos gona get it,the commioners? theres wrong doings here and everyone knows it. they cold have bought the bayer land and that would have been perfect.
I would love to trade the county some property… You sell 240 acres and replace it with 20? that sounds fair… are you kidding me? lets make a deal… yeah right!
It is a shame that the 4-H kids made an educated choice to help out the local community but the UF/IFAS and our county commissioners cant!!! They are stealing from the future of the kids/4-H by limiting them to such a small area and taking the money from that purchase. why not buy the Bayer property? seems to be a simple solution to me…shame on you people for not doing the right thing…money hungry, power hungry, no good intention thieves… that what you are. Maybe we should have more children running things… they make better decisions than the adult leaders!!! another question, how can someone in an office in Gainesville know what is best for these kids here? they probably can’t even spell “4-H” or even know what it means….
To Erica, The county has their eye on it talking about the hands in the cookie jar
Tragic…….is the only definition I can come up with for this situation. The commission should be ASHAMED if they vote to approve this.
>>Do you happen to know what all the other bids were?
The full bid award was for a base plus options. ” A.E. New, Jr., Inc., for the Base Bid for building and site construction, in the amount of $1,366,500, and Bid Option 1, in the amount of $36,800, Bid Option 2, in the amount of $11,200, and Bid Option 13, in the amount of $13,100, for a total of $1,427,600″
The main tabulation sheet is at the link below, but it does not list the option bid amounts:
http://agenda.myescambia.com/docs/2014/REGBCC/20140116_950/5188_Bid%20Tab%20Awarded%20068.pdf
The county extension gets it wish. That office has been trying to get 4-H facilities under their control since the mid 70’s. That is forty years of effort. Starting with trying to use Langley 4-H facilities as storage for their office overflow. Now they have all of it next door.
William,
Do you happen to know what all the other bids were? I told them there was no way they could build that building for 1.5. I would also like to know what was left out of the original plans. I am sure this price is just a basic building. We know they are going to take money from the 1.6 to finish the building. This is a crying shame!!!
Our commissioners need to strongly consider the traffic situation that this 4-H project will generate. As an area resident, we are already experiencing heavy traffic on 9 1/2 Mile Road, as well as Stefani Road. 9 1/2 Mile Road from Pine Forest Road is already a much-traveled short-cut to Highway 29. The traffic at Pine Forest and 297 is a disaster and this will be adding to it; now we will have another traffic jam at the 4-way stop at 9 1/2 and Stefani. I will strongly campaign against commissioners pushing this through without the consideration of local residents. Stop and fix the traffic mess on Pine Forest and consider putting the 4-H facility farther out in the country where it belongs, flies and all. Stop and think what this will do to local property values of established residents and traffic situations. Why not incorporate it with the equestrian center on the highway? This neighborhood cannot handle and does not want the traffic congestion.
Aside from traffic problems, what will become of this building when the users decide they want to move again. What kind of situation is the local government going to put the residents in then? We are looking for our property values to increase, not spiral down any farther.
And the 4-H’ers just HAD to sell to Navy Federal because the Navy OLF wasn’t available. I wonder how long the deal to acquire the OLF was in the works? Before the sale of the 4-H property? This whole thing stinks of coercion of 4-H’ers and deception by Escambia County.
why didn’t navy federal buy the helicopter field next door instead of ruining and tearing up the wood for the 4h?
how much more room could they possibly need its so ridiculous! soon there will be now woods left at all!
Please run for BOCC again Packy, this county could use a big dose of common sense.
I would assume the BOCC has to vote to approve get on the phones and call commissioners robertson, may, and especially Barry. 3 votes is all we need, and these are the three that have supported the kids in the past. vote the other 2 bums out if you are in their district.
THIS IS INSANE!!!! This in no way serves the needs or desires of the actual 4-H organization. Ever since the DEAL was made the powers to be have been deceiving everyone about this process. The sale of $3.6 million dollars was approved by the KIDS from local 4-H groups.Immediately, $2 million was set aside at U of F , a fact I can not understand, but will not argue at this point.. What I WILL ARGUE with is the balance of $1.6 million that was promised to the kids to purchase a comparable piece of property. The CC sweetened the negotiations by putting this $1.5 million for a replacement auditorium/classroom building for the 4-h members..
The real problem with this issue is that Ms Pam does not want to leave her little haven slice of the world and have to work for her job. With the ongoing cooking, Master Gardening and few meetings carried out at Stefani Road, the existing faclties are quite adequate.She destroyed All prior projects at the LAngley Bell Center over the years, just to show that according to her, a large purchase is not needed. a measely 20 acre section was proposed at Stefani. WHAT can you possibly raise and teach our FUTURE Farmers and Cattle Raisers to do on 20 acres??? ALL facets, projects, shows, etc. for this 4-h program, can a will go on without her involved.. GLADLY I may add…
The Bayer Property has been at the forefront since the beginning of this process. It has some existing amenities, leases to local farmers which could pay some maintenance cost, and large enough for the program to grow, not ignoring the fact that it is right in the middle of where it would best serve the purposes…By the way, the original asking price of $1.3 million has been reduced to $800 thousand.. NOW a sure enough SLAM DUNK !!!! BUY IT!!!! Save $700 thousand, keep it here locally to enhance the programs….
Hold off on this building at Stefani Road and transfer it The Bayer property as was originally proposed.. Keep the KIds money here, $2 million is enough for them to loose, Buy the Bayer Property NOW before some investors do, and KEEP THE PROMISES TO THE KIDS !!!!!!
The County Commission does NOT have to vote yes on this project. I say, when IFAS allows the Foundation to purchase a property similar to what the kids were forced to sell, then vote to give Pam her building. Where is the support from you people who spoke against the kids when they had to cast a vote to sell THEIR land? Why don’t the kids get to vote to purchase something similar? Shame on you, County Commission! Shame on you Dean Parks! Shame on you, University of Florida! Shame on you, Pam Allen! And shame on all Escambia County residents who don’t put pressure on your district commissioner to vote “NO” on January 16.
correction: wolves in sheeps clothing…let my fingers get ahead of my thoughts….sorry….
They forgot to mention the livestock “kits” that will teach the kids about sheep, goats, rabbits, pigs, chickens, etc.(who needs a live animal to learn on when the kit will do??) and the nice stainless steel sink out the back porch for the kids to wash their boots off before they come in…to their new pristine learning environment…
I think the kids already have learned their lesson about sheep…in wolves clothing.
The 4H motto HEAD,HEART,HEALTH,HANDS has been dumped in the dirt by All the
People involved in the discussion making of all the nonsence being presented to the kids .Wasted money being spent on a facility that is not necessary to build when the Beyer property has what they need without waiting for months or years for development. You people must not be reading these post or you would also be taking in our concerns for our future 4Hers and the needs of our county to bring back the fundamental farming for our success in the county. It cannot be left up to a few select people to keep growth in all areas of the operating of the same day
I knew that between the county commissioners and this lady “Pam” that the kids or young adults of the 4-H were gonna get shafted when they sold there property to Navy Federal. I still ask why they can’t buy the Bayer property in Molino, it is pretty much turn key for the kids. But I guess the cc’s and ” Pam” have other thoughts for the kids money. They can’t do half of what they did on Stefani Rd like they were able to do at the old place. I say get rid of ” Pam” and the cc’s that let this happen. These kids are the future of Escambia County not the county commissioners and surely not “Pam”.
So, why could not part of the 3.6 million from the original sale be used to pay for the new facility??? Why does money from the sales tax bucket need to be tapped at all??? And where did the 3,6 million go??
Key word in all of this “next to the office”. I guess Pam and the local movers and shakers who have never been involved in 4-H projects know what’s best for 4-H young people. To the young people who got short changed in this deal, welcome to the real world. Sorry to see the direction 4-H is being moved. Glad my daughter is older and out of it. Shame on the business “leaders” who are only interested in their own deep pocket needs.
This building is a waste of money. If the University of Florida recommended that agricultural projects can be spread out over the county by leasing farm property, then why can’t other projects be done the same way? Oh wait, that’s right Pam said the Stephani road property could be used for single day agricultural projects, so I guess since 4-h is now in the livestock show business, they can host their one day shows there. Pam has made so many conflicting statements, I don’t know if anything she says is true
I love 4-h, but somewhere along the way the real purpose was lost, and it has become a great big political game. This is about the kids, present and future generations. People need to look at this project, and the plans for it. It is being built for adults not kids. Many of the kids suggested that they wanted a gym/ recreational area added. These kids were always being fussed at when they were at Langley Bell for horseplaying (just being kids). They want an area they can play in…someplace to come on weekends and afternoons to hang out. Someplace they can invite friends, a place that parents know there kids are safe and learning. What better way to grow a program than to provide a place like that? Isn’t that a goal of the program? I would think so. Meeting rooms and kitchen space are good, they provide learning opportunities too, but you have to look at and listen to your target audience. I’m no marketing major, but I do have common sense.