TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Cultural Center Ready To Open

ADVERTISEMENT

By ELIZABETH LEE BROWN | The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

CARROLLWOOD The Carrollwood Cultural Center is on track to have its first concert Sunday.

But for Executive Director Paul Berg, getting the new building ready has made for a harried few weeks punctuated with the simple joys of getting a copier, a Dumpster, and the keys to 17 different locks.

With each new installation, the center's functionality has snowballed.

Still on his to-do list: setting policies for employees, classes and volunteers, getting an Internet connection, receiving proposals for a marketing firm, and hiring key staffers.

In his first report to the Friends of the Carrollwood Cultural Center on Tuesday, Berg gushed about the building, an $8 million regional cultural campus that will be the centerpiece for community arts, music and theater.

"Everything that is in this facility, the county paid for," Berg said. "It literally floors me to see what they have done. They have put quality equipment in this building. These are great things that give us the opportunity to do great things that we wouldn't be able to do with lesser equipment.

"It's just phenomenal. I cannot say enough about what has been done," he said.

In other action, the Friends board:

Accepted the first naming rights agreement from the homeowners associations from Carrollwood Village Phases 1, 2, and 3. The residents' group will donate $12,500 to the cultural center in exchange to having the second-floor meeting room named the "Carrollwood Village Community Room." The agreement will be forward for county approval.

Postponed for two weeks awarding a $32,000 contract to install high voltage wire in the auditorium.

Elected John Miley to serve on the board, filling the opening left by Richard McLaurin, who recently resigned.

Read more about the Cultural Center in this Saturdays edition of the Carrollwood News & Tribune.

Reporter Elizabeth Lee Brown can be reached at (813) 865-1502 or ebrown@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT