Blueprint likely to pull away from FSU convention center as Doak renovations request surfaces

 

Blueprint likely to pull away from FSU convention center as Doak renovations request surfaces

Put a pin in the proposed convention center. For now. 

That's the recommendation of Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency staff as they continue to analyze, along with Florida State University, budgetary limitations, construction cost increases and a struggling post-pandemic economy. 

The proposal, which has been an idea since 2012 when FSU acquired the Tucker Center from Leon County, is set to come before the IA Thursday at the same it considers a $20 million request to partially fund improvements and prime the underlying structure of Doak Campbell Stadium for renovations that will improve the fan experience.

While more people become vaccinated against the coronavirus, people still aren’t looking to travel for conventions, instead seeking outdoor activities and less crowded spaces, according to a survey. The project has also led to pushback from critics on whether such an investment of taxpayer money is appropriate.

At the same time, FSU has signaled it is working toward building a Tucker Center area hotel on its own where such a convention center could be incorporated.

“Staff is recommending that the IA discontinue negotiations to pursue a convention center at this time,” according to agenda materials.

“As 18 years remain in the Blueprint 2020 time window, there is ample time to analyze, assess, and identify new convention center project opportunities to timely act upon in the future of the current sales tax.”

In a Your Turn column published in the Tallahassee Democrat Sunday, FSU President John Thrasher said a convention center may actually be an economic risk, an about-face from last year when funding was increased just ahead of the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Repairs to Doak Campbell Stadium may be more beneficial, he said.  

“In a post-COVID world, the time is not right to expand in-person meeting space for conventions and large gatherings. In fact, moving ahead with this project may create an economic risk for our local community,” Thrasher wrote. “When donor and tax dollars are on the line, we need to choose the wisest, most conservative course. To that end, we are requesting funding for an investment that has the highest degree of likelihood for giving our investors — in this case, taxpayers — the very best return on their dollars.”

The discussion surrounding the convention center has ramped up since last spring when Blueprint officials committed $40 million to building the facilitym which would have been operated by FSU. Since then, $10 million was pulled from the budget for renovations to Florida A&M University’s football stadium and another proposal to upgrade Tallahassee Community College’s athletics facilities is on the table Thursday.

TCC is seeking $1 million after pitching a proposal in February that its athletics facilities were in dire need of being upgraded. Staff is offering to pull money from the federal American Rescue Plan funding for the TCC proposal.

Both the city and county have agreed to provide almost $9 million in federal funding to Blueprint, the bulk of which, $7.5 million, slated to go toward infrastructure and another $1.3 million to the Office of Economic Vitality, where the TCC funding is recommended to be pulled from.