Bokors Corner Southeast Hillsborough News

09/15/2026

🚨 𝗧𝗔𝗖𝗢 𝗗𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗜𝗡 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗖𝗟𝗢𝗦𝗘𝗗

Taco Dirty’s Riverview location at 10460 Stelling Drive has closed.

Google is now listing the restaurant as “Permanently closed,” and the Riverview location has been removed from Taco Dirty’s official website, which now lists only its South Tampa location.

Taco Dirty opened in Riverview in May 2025, meaning the location lasted less than a year and a half.

I’m working to find out when the restaurant closed, what led to the closure and whether another restaurant or business is already planned for the space.

And I’ll say this because I hear it all the time: “Why don’t we get more new restaurants around here?”

Well, when new restaurants do take a chance on our area, we actually have to show up and support the ones we want to keep.

I’m not saying that’s why Taco Dirty closed — I don’t know that yet. But restaurants pay attention to which concepts succeed and which ones don’t when deciding where to open next.

Something to think about the next time we ask why a certain restaurant won’t come to Riverview.

I’ll update this story when I learn more.

📍 10460 Stelling Drive, Riverview

Bokors Corner Original Reporting
By Brian Bokor
Bokors Corner Realty
813-708-2266

09/15/2026

🐘 $𝟳𝟱 𝗠𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗭𝗢𝗢𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗔

Some investments aren't measured only in dollars. They're measured in memories.

The first time a child stands a few feet away from an elephant. A school field trip that turns into a lifelong fascination with wildlife. Parents. Grandparents. Kids. Generations of Tampa Bay families spending a day together.

On Wednesday, Hillsborough County commissioners are scheduled to consider finalizing a 15-year partnership with ZooTampa at Lowry Park — up to $75 million from the county, 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿-𝗳𝗼𝗿-𝗱𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 by ZooTampa, creating a $150 million investment in the future of the zoo.

And this isn't simply about making the zoo bigger.

It's about making it better for the animals that live there and the people who come to see them.

The plan includes major improvements to elephant and mixed-species habitats, Asia, two phases of a new South America expansion and other animal facilities.

It also includes the less glamorous things that matter: roof and HVAC replacements, animal fencing and shift gates, bird-holding facilities, quarantine improvements, animal-care facilities and other infrastructure.

𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝘂𝘅𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.

More than a million people visit ZooTampa each year. It's a regional destination for animal care, conservation, education and generations of families.

From a 3-year-old seeing an elephant for the first time to an 83-year-old taking the great-grandkids, ZooTampa is one of those rare places that brings generations together.

There will always be arguments about how government spends money.

This is one investment I believe Tampa Bay can be proud of.

🐘 Full story tonight — 6:33 p.m.

Bokors Corner Original Reporting — By Brian Bokor

09/15/2026

🍽️ 𝗪𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗢𝗣 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗨𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗘𝗘𝗞 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗜𝗚𝗛𝗧

Winthrop Restaurant Week gets underway this week, and the community is invited to kick things off 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝟲:𝟯𝟬 𝗽.𝗺. 𝗮𝘁 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗟𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗼𝗿𝘀.

Restaurant Week runs 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁. 𝟭𝟳–𝟮𝟳, featuring participating Winthrop restaurants throughout the 11-day event.

📅 𝗧𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 — 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁. 𝟭𝟱
⏰ 𝟲:𝟯𝟬 𝗽.𝗺.
📍 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗟𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗼𝗿𝘀

Come out and help kick off 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗽 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲!

Bokors Corner Southeast Hillsborough News
By Brian Bokor

09/14/2026

𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗕𝗜𝗚 𝗕𝗘𝗡𝗗 & 𝗦𝗜𝗠𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗦 𝗟𝗢𝗢𝗣 — 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧'𝗦 𝗕𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗕𝗨𝗜𝗟𝗧?

I've gotten a TON of questions lately about what's being built near Old Big Bend Road and Simmons Loop Road.

So I'm bringing this one back up.

𝗕𝗼𝗸𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟭.

🧱 A new Public Storage facility is planned at 9922 Old Big Bend Road in Riverview, near Simmons Loop Road and just east of I-75.

Plans show a 152,221-square-foot main storage building and a separate 7,545-square-foot building.

🚦 And yes, road improvements are part of the larger development plan.

The phasing plan includes work on Simmons Road, realignment of Old Big Bend Road and new turn lanes. Later improvements include additional work at Big Bend/Simmons and extending realigned Old Big Bend toward Lincoln Road.

Developers can be required to make road improvements associated with development. That doesn't mean one project is responsible for solving the larger Big Bend corridor traffic problem.

And a quick reminder: before messaging the page asking what's being built, try searching Bokors Corner + the road, intersection or business name on Facebook or Google.

There's a pretty good chance I've already reported it. 😂

𝗕𝗢𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗚𝗜𝗡𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚
By Brian Bokor
Bokors Corner Realty | Florida Real Estate Experts
813-708-2266

𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗦
Brandon Septic Tank Service Inc.
Barnett Gill
BubbaQue's-BBQ

09/14/2026

⚖️ 𝐅𝐑𝐎𝐌 𝐍𝐄𝐖𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑

Jana Barnett was 16 years old, attending Newsome High School and working at Panera in Valrico when she discovered something about herself: 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐚𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐰𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬. Apparently, she was slow enough that they moved her to the cash register.

That turned out to be a pretty important career development.

Tom Gill and his wife, Lisa, knew Jana and offered her a receptionist job at Tom's Brandon law firm. Through Newsome's on-the-job training program, she could leave school at noon and work at the firm from 12 to 5. She went from making $7.25 an hour at Panera to $8 an hour answering phones.

What she couldn't have known was that one day 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫.

Becoming a lawyer wasn't even the plan. 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐚 𝐝𝐨𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫. After graduating from Newsome in 2012, she headed to UCF as a biomedical sciences major on the pre-med track.

Then she met organic chemistry.

Jana studied harder than she ever had, walked into her first exam thinking she was finally getting it — and scored a 𝟓𝟓. She withdrew the next day. If she had to work that hard just to be mediocre at something, she knew medicine wasn't where she belonged. So she switched to legal studies.

In February 2019, Jana's father died — 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚 𝐁𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐦. Her mother offered to pay for her to postpone it.

“𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤.”

She took the Bar — 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐫𝐲. In January 2023, the Newsome graduate who had started answering phones at Tom's law firm at 16 became his partner. Today, their names are together at Barnett Gill, a Brandon law firm focused on family law.

A lot of Jana's work involves regular people dealing with situations they never thought they'd be facing. Maybe your marriage isn't working. Maybe a parenting arrangement that once worked doesn't anymore. Maybe you've lost your job and an existing support obligation has become difficult to meet. Maybe your former spouse isn't following a court order, or you're considering relocating with your children.

Jana put it this way:

“𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐝𝐚𝐲.”

When children are involved, Jana said something else that stuck with me. Parents sometimes stay in unhappy marriages because they believe they're doing what's best for their kids. But kids feel the tension and live through the fighting too. Sometimes, Jana believes, two healthy homes can be better than one miserable one.

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐝𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐚𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭 𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

But family law isn't always about something going wrong.

We also talked about prenups and postnups. I'll admit it — I always thought a prenup was something for people with a pile of money to protect. Jana sees it differently. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧𝐞.

Most of us hope we'll have more in the future than we have today — a house, a business, retirement savings or a pension. And unlike many of the difficult situations Jana handles, prenups usually involve people who are happy and planning their future.

Pretty remarkable when you think about where all of this started: a Newsome High School student who wasn't particularly good at making sandwiches walked into a Brandon law firm at 16 to answer phones.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐨𝐫.

And if you're dealing with a family situation where you're not sure what to do next — or you're simply planning ahead — maybe knowing a little more about Jana makes that first conversation a little easier.

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐥 | 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐋𝐚𝐰

📍 137 South Parsons Avenue, Brandon | 📞 813-654-0514
🌐 BarnettGill.com

𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐭 𝐆𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐁𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫.

09/14/2026

𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗥𝗕𝗨𝗖𝗞𝗦 𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗨.𝗦. 𝟯𝟬𝟭 & 𝗦𝗬𝗠𝗠𝗘𝗦 𝗥𝗢𝗔𝗗

A new Starbucks is planned as part of a larger commercial development along U.S. 301 in Riverview.

The roughly 7.5-acre project at 10611 Symmes Road, on the west side of U.S. 301, includes:

☕ Starbucks — 2,065 square feet
🛍️ Retail — 3,720 square feet
🏥 Medical office — 6,500 square feet
⛽ Gas station/convenience store — 5,400 square feet
🏢 Future three-story mini-warehouse — 30,400-square-foot footprint, approximately 90,000 square feet total

The Starbucks would share a building with the 3,720-square-foot retail space along the U.S. 301 side of the development.

A separate 6,500-square-foot medical office building is planned immediately to the north, while the future three-story mini-warehouse would occupy a large portion of the northern end of the property.

The southern portion of the development is planned for a 5,400-square-foot gas station/convenience store.

The plans for the development were filed with Hillsborough County on Sept. 9, 2026, under the “Straight to Construction” process.

Bokors Corner Original Reporting — By Brian Bokor
Bokors Corner Realty 813-708-2266

𝗕𝗢𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗦
Brandon Septic Tank Service Inc.
Barnett Gill - Brandon Family Law Attorney
BubbaQue's-BBQ

09/13/2026

🚒 𝗩𝗔𝗟𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗢 𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗔 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗣𝗧𝗔𝗜𝗡

A Tampa firefighter and his family could use some support today — and the Valrico community is stepping up.

Beers for Benny takes place today at Voodoo Brewing Co. - Valrico to benefit Benny, a Captain with Tampa Fire Rescue, who became seriously ill while on a family vacation in Hawaii.

Benny is a husband and father, and organizers are asking the community to rally around him and his family as he continues his battle.

Today’s fundraiser includes:

❤️ Vendor market from noon–4 PM
🎵 Live DJ beginning at 5:30 PM
🎟️ 50/50 and basket raffles
🔨 Silent auction
⛳ Raffle for a lifted four-passenger Venom EV golf cart
🍺 Food and drink specials throughout the day

📍 Voodoo Brewing Co. — 3434 E. State Road 60, Valrico

If you're out today, stop by, have something to eat or drink, and help support a local first responder and his family.

𝗣𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁!

09/12/2026

⚾ 𝐑𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊: $𝟕𝟔,𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐓

The proposed $2.36 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark won't just be expensive.

According to a new USA TODAY analysis, it would be the 𝐌𝐎𝐒𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐕𝐄 Major League Baseball stadium per seat in the country.

The proposed 31,000-seat ballpark works out to approximately $76,100 per seat.

For comparison:

⚾ Rays new ballpark — $76,100 per seat
⚾ Athletics' Las Vegas ballpark — $53,000 (Soon to be Vegas A's)
⚾ Globe Life Field — $29,800 (Texas Rangers - Dallas)
⚾ Truist Park — $16,400 (Atlanta Braves)

And this isn't simply because those other stadiums were built years ago.

USA TODAY found that even after adjusting for inflation, the Rays ballpark would cost more than three times as much per seat as Truist Park and nearly twice as much as Globe Life Field.

Among 24 recently built or planned MLB, NFL, NBA and NHL venues analyzed by USA TODAY, the Rays ballpark ranked 𝐅𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐓𝐇 overall in cost per seat — behind only the Clippers' Intuit Dome (Los Angeles), SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles), and the Warriors' Chase Center (San Francisco).

And here's where this becomes more than a baseball story for Hillsborough County taxpayers.

County commissioners have approved hundreds of millions of dollars in public funding for the Rays project, including Community Investment Tax dollars.

So while we're talking about roads, fire stations, stormwater, infrastructure, Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center, and other major needs across Hillsborough County, here's another number worth remembering:

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 $𝟕𝟔,𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐓.

That's not my number.

That's USA TODAY's.

👇 What do you think? Is this a reasonable investment in keeping Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay — or has the price simply gotten too high?

𝐁𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝐁𝐲 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐁𝐨𝐤𝐨𝐫

At about $76,100 per seat, Tampa Bay’s planned stadium tops every MLB park in USA TODAY’s dataset and rivals newer NFL and NBA venues.

09/12/2026

☕ 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐔𝐙𝐙 — 𝐁𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐍 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄

Back in May, Bokors Corner first reported that Better Buzz Coffee was planning to transform the former Steak ’n Shake at 1402 W. Brandon Blvd.

The plans are approved — and we now have a much better look at what Better Buzz Coffee has planned for Brandon.

Bokors Corner reviewed the approved plans for the new location, and this won't be just another standard coffee drive-thru.

The plans show Better Buzz's “Buzz-Thru” wrapping along the west side of the building, with vehicles entering the drive-thru lane from the rear and exiting near the front of the property.

And if you'd rather stay awhile, there's room for that too.

The interior plans show a full customer seating area with tables, counter seating and additional seating along the side of the building.

The exterior will feature Better Buzz's distinctive black, white and gold design, including its bee branding and “Life's Better Buzzed” signage.

Swipe through the plans 👇

➡️ The new Brandon location: what it will look like
➡️ The “Buzz-Thru”
➡️ How the drive-thru will work
➡️ A look inside

No opening date yet, but with the plans approved, Better Buzz is another step closer to Brandon.

Who’s ready for this one? ☕🐝

BOKORS CORNER ORIGINAL REPORTING
BOKORS CORNER REALTY
By Brian Bokor 813-708-2266

𝗕𝗢𝗞𝗢𝗥𝗦 𝗖𝗢𝗥𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗠𝗨𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗢𝗥𝗦
🔹 Brandon Septic Tank Service Inc.
🔹 Barnett Gill - Brandon Family Law Attorney
🔹 BubbaQue's-BBQ

09/11/2026

💰 𝐓𝐇𝐄 $𝟖 𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐌𝐀𝐏

Hillsborough County budgeted $8 million for land acquisition, planning and design of a 𝐍𝐄𝐖 Hillsborough County Pet Resource Center.

That money has been in the County’s FY 2026 budget all year: approximately $2.997 million carried forward and another $5 million budgeted for FY 2026.

The County’s published project page reports approximately $3,000 in prior expenses. The location is “TBD.” The completion date is “TBD.”

And the public gets a countywide map stamped:

“𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐁𝐄 𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐃.”

This is 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞𝐬-𝐂𝐖 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠—not CIT money. It comes from the County’s general-revenue budget.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞: 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐝?

In approximately 10 minutes, I identified a County-owned property behind Alonso High School that should at least be professionally evaluated. I am not claiming it is the final site. Has the County evaluated it? If not, why not?

If suitable, using land taxpayers already own could avoid a major acquisition expense and preserve more of the $8 million for planning, design and—with the required budget authorization—potentially construction.

𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐈 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 $𝟖 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲, 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐚 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞.

Whatever its effect on future County revenue, 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝟑 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 by itself cancel this existing appropriation or prevent the County from evaluating potential sites now.

Waiting does not guarantee lower land costs. God is not making any more land. And inflation continues eroding the purchasing power of the money already budgeted.

We deserve more than an $8 million map marked “TBD.”

🐾 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 — 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝟏𝟑 𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝟔,𝟎𝟎𝟎!

https://www.change.org/buildnewHCPRC