WINTER HAVEN -- The Florida Citrus Showcase made a pitch for the Dome Monday night, and city commissioners let 'em have it, with a paint job, too.
City commissioners voted to lease the Dome to the Showcase for next January's festival, but would not vote for an agreement for longer than one year. Showcase officials asked for a lease of 3-5 years.
Commissioners also decided the Dome was ripe for a good painting, voting to undertake this within the next two months, even though City Manager Carl Cheatham told them there was no more money in the general fund for the project.
According to Jim Joiner with the Showcase, event organizers want a multi-year lease, which would allow them to apply for agricultural grants that could be used to renovate the Dome.
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Winter Haven city commissioners voted Monday night to lease the Dome to the Showcase for next JanuaryÕs festival, but would not vote for an agreement for longer than one year. They also agreed to paint the facility.
Kathy Waters/ News Chief
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But commissioners voiced concern about tying up the Dome for such an extended period of time and voted instead to lease it for one year. Showcase officials were under a deadline of late July to reach an agreement for the Dome before they would have had to have found another facility for the 2001 festival.
"The Showcase wants to be here for the longhaul," said Joiner. "We particularly want the lease for January 2001."
Commissioners did ask if the Showcase could fund the painting of the Dome, even suggesting that such a stipulation be put in the lease agreement.
But Joiner said that would not be possible.
"If you're asking the Showcase to shoulder that financial responsibility, at this time we cannot," said Joiner.
But commissioners were in agreement that the Dome's appearance must be remedied.
"I think the people of Winter Haven deserve to see that building looking better as soon as possible," said Commissioner Dave Dershimer.
Commissioners discussed several options on how to fund the paint job, from the Showcase funding it to starting a community initiative.
"If the people of Winter Haven are as ashamed of that Dome as I am," said Dershimer. "I'd be willing to contribute $250 out of my own pocket."
Commissioner Charles Cone suggested that if no plans for the Dome were agreed on by next year, then the city should consider tearing it down, because "we've got more citizens complaining about the appearance of it than the use of it."
The Dome has been a constant headache for city officials -- renovations for the facility will cost approximately $500,000, with air conditioning costing $170,000 alone. Estimates for a paint job ran more than $40,000. Cheatham has been in talks with Sherwin-Williams about painting the 35-year-old building.
After voting to paint the building in the next two months, the only other question about the issue was what color it should be painted next.
