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Commission Approves New 4-H Building, Moves Forward On Land Purchase
March 19, 2014
The Escambia County Commission voted Tuesday to move forward toward the purchase of two parcels of property for Escambia County 4-H and construct a $1.65 million 4-H Center.
4-H Center Construction
The commission awarded a $1,427,600 bid to A.E. New, Jr., Inc. for the construction of an Escambia County 4-H Center to be located at the Escambia County Extension Office on Stefani Road. The total cost for the facility will be $1.65 million from the Local Option Sales Tax.
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.
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.
4-H Land Purchase
The commission also Tuesday directed county staff to obtain appraisals, environmental site assessments, surveys, title insurance commitments, and complete all other requirements required to create a final sale contract for the approval by the commission.
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.
$2 million of the sale proceeds were placed in an endowment fund for 4-H, and $1.6 million was reserved for 4-H to use under the guidance of UF/IFAS for a property including livestock facilities.
But after reviewing the findings of a task force, University of Florida/IFAS Extension Dean Nick Place recommended 4-H keep the $1.6 million and use the Cottage Hill State Forest, Escambia County Equestrian Center and private lands for outdoor activities and livestock education. The Escambia County Commission in July refused to accept the plan, with some commissioners saying that land deal was in no way equitable to the former 240 acres at Langley Bell.
And in January, the commission put the brakes on approval of a $1.65 million 4-H facility to be located at the Escambia County Extension Office on Stefani Road.
As the impasse continued between Place and the commission — including very public letters chastising each other — Place reached out to Lamar Christenberry, retired Escambia County IFAS director, as in intermediary.
Escambia County Commissioner Steven Barry researched local available properties on the internet and found the two properties which he toured with Christenberry and 4-H supporters Brett Ward and Jimmy Cunningham, who is also president of Escambia County Farm Bureau.
One parcel is 79.5 acres in the 5600 block of Chalker Road and currently belongs to Scott and Denise MacMurray of Pensacola. The property includes about 20 wooded acres, a pond and a 5722 square foot barn. The property was listed at $425,000 with a $390,000 offer accepted on behalf of 4-H.
The second property, located at South Highway 99 and Chalker Road, is about 28.7 acres and allows the main property to have road frontage on South Highway 99. An offer of $5,000 per acre was accepted.
A few residential lots border east side of the proposed 4-H site along Chalker Road, while the north side is bordered by a 50 acre improved agricultural lot. The southern and western sides of the site are surrounded by hundreds of acres of timber belonging to La Floresta Perdida, Inc.
After the land deal is approved by the Escambia County Commission, which acts at trustee for the 4-H Foundation, commissioners are expected to consider moving forward with the 4-H Center on Stefani Road. The 4-H Center will be used indoor classroom type activities, while the 198 acres will be used for outdoor activities and livestock education.
Pictured top and bottom: An existing 5,722 square foot barn on one of two parcels that may soon be home to Escambia County 4-H. Photos for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge. Pictured inset: Two parcels will provide 4-H about 108 acres near Barrineau Park. NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge.
Comments
16 Responses to “Commission Approves New 4-H Building, Moves Forward On Land Purchase”
Steven Barry has worked hard and dilligently to put this 4H package together. Grover, Wilson, Lemon and Mr Valentino have seen the light with IFAS and with the uproar from 4H supporters have insisted on land. Bayer was a better choice,in my opinion, but at least kids are getting a better break. There are those in Extension that do not like the purchase of land. It is out of their hands a nd land is being bought. Watch for buildings and improvements to this land soon. There is also more land near available. More land can be added later.
Now , if we could only get new leadership in Escambia Extension!
Thanks to all who have worked behind the scenes to get something going. Flor a lolng time it appeared to be a stalemate. Not a perfect picture but it is doable!
They are all all thieves, everyone of the crooks who are involved in this takeover of 4H. Commissioner G. R. is all about the good ol Boy system same as the other Commissioners for this county, they do not give a rats tail about 4H or the kids. I knew the kids of 4H were going to get the shaft. I sure hope everyone remembers this on election day and kicks out everyone of the incumbents, bunch of stinking thieves.
So how much is this building costing us per square foot? HUMMMMMMMMMMM
I tied to warn Wilson R. about this “space use for other than 4H “. Hope that does not happen.
Hope the University 4H Extension office does not use this space for non 4H use under their control like what they wanted to do forty years ago. Their effort started, without notice to the clubs, by placing their lock on a storage area used by 4H clubs at the Bell property location.
Strong club leaders solved the problem very quickly. Maybe that style of leadership has not changed.
I DONT HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT BUT I THINK THE KIDS ARE GETTING THE SHORT END OF THE STICK ONE MORE THING TO REMEMBER ALONG WITH THE 4 CENT PER GALLON TAX COME ELECTION TIME
The LOST money for the new building was a bribe so the 4H’ers would vote yes to sell the LB property. The 4H’ers were told they would get a new, modern 4H activities building for free and be able to use all of the LB sale funds to buy replacement land.
In reality the State of Florida Extention Office workers are getting a new free office building without impacting their budget. Thanks to Escambia County taxpayers.
And the 4H’ers get a small barn on half the acreage and can only spend a portion of the proceeds of the LB land sale.
Nice huh?
I agree that the smaller piece of property would be perfect for this million plus building.
I am familiar with the large property and it is very nice and not too inconvenient to reach.
This county has to grow northward and Molino Road is paved and a lot closer to the center of the county than in the middle of a huge residental area. This property is just off Molino Rd.
Sorry to say but again county commissioners have bowed to pressure.
Look y’all,, hang up the idea that extension agents will EVER be on any other property !! The main dog doesn’t even live in Escambia County!! She is a Breezer!! (Well that makes sense!!) THEY HAVE NOOOOOOO interest in livestock or agricultural programs! ( although I am sure they all eat meat and/or veggies so…???) and though the land deal is a slight measure of good faith, I doubt they will let us do many activities there EITHER!!!!!! (just as they did with Langley Bell!!!) We can pray that this will not be the case but unfortunately I am not optimistic !!! That would mean they may have to participate!!!! OH NO!!!!! It’s unfortunate that the attitude with participants is just “Whatever”!! And they wonder WHY they lose their kids to FFA!!!! Hmmmmmmm!!!
4H Mom,
You should ask that question of your extension director.
Her answer will be something like Molino is not close to the population center…What she really means is the Master Gardeners dont want it there. They seem to be running extension.. Watch what happens to the old extension building once ALL the extension agents have offices in the new building. The “master” gardeners are arent very smart either.. If I were a master gardener one acre of greenhouses at Bayer would have worth the drive, but alas they must be too dumb or too lazy to drive an extra 13 miles..
Nothing has changed with extension until leadership at extension changes..
I don’t understand the building being on Stefani Rd. Why not put it with the land? Why not make it where our building is on 4H property? If the county decides to do away with the Extension office location or move it or WHATEVER then the 4H money is just wasted because we don’t own that property just the upgrades to the building and the new fixtures etc in the building. Makes no sense. This is not what the children want…ask them…they have voiced it many many times. But I guess it is not about the children…as usual it is political and the POLITICIANS will always win over everyone else. Not sure my family wants to be a part of this organization any longer and that is sad because we all loved it and have been a part of it for a long time.
Land purchase seems to be a great idea, but I still don’t understand buying the land on Stefani and building a new building. Why not do it all on the land in Molino? As usual nothing is easy or makes sense in Escambia County.
I dont understand why the money for the building is coming from (LOST) funds, and not from the money paid for the sale of the original 4-H center. Now it seems we are paying for it.
This will eventually be a lesson well learned for the young adults. Is it fair? No; but these youngsters will long remember how ruthless the political arena can be in real life. Money and politics go hand in hand. It is disturbing to me that those involved can take advantage of a group of young people and still sleep when night time arrives. Our children are so trusting.
If you want more transparency , honesty, and frugality, go private ownership and private control.
Once again this is not a fair and equitable trade. 240 acres for 109 acres that will be so hidden and inconvenient. If commissioners wouldn’t have dragged their feet for so long, they could have gotten the Bayer land. Which I still see the for sale signs on.