The New Tampa Players (NTP) non-profit community theater troupe unveiled its 2017-18 schedule on Nov. 18 at the Hunter’s Green Country Club clubhouse, but not before receiving a little bad news to kick off the festivities.
District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist, who represents New Tampa’s District 2, speaking before the group of local actors and supporters, said plans to finally get NTP its new home — the New Tampa Cultural Center (NTCC), to be built across the street from Hunter’s Green on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. — had hit a speed bump.
“There’s good news and there’s bad news,” Crist told an audience of about 50. “The good news — I got the money. The bad news — I don’t like the timeline.”
Crist says that the county is now looking to have the foundation for the NTCC in place by April of 2019, meaning the center likely won’t be ready to open until 2020. The news drew a collective groan from the audience. “I am going to go back and work on that schedule and see what I can do to speed it up,’’ Crist said.
Until then, the NTP will put on its 2017 season at the University Area Cultural Development Center (UACDC) on N. 22nd St., where so many of the troupe’s previous shows have been performed. Next year’s slate of performances includes “Jesus Christ Superstar” (in Mar.-Apr.), “The Wiz” (July & Aug.) and “The Addams Family” (Oct. & Nov.).
The NTCC will be part of the tenatively-named Village at Hunter’s Lake development, which is being built on 17 acres of land by Harrison Bennett Properties, LLC. In addition to the cultural center, the project was approved in Dec. 2014 by the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) by a unanimous (7-0) vote to include a three-acre dog park, a green grocery store, shops, restaurants and 100-250 condos, townhomes or boutique apartments.
Land-use, permitting and rezoning issues have slowed the project. David Harrison, who runs Harrison Bennett Properties, was hoping the inspection and approval process would end by Apr. 2017 so construction could finally begin.
“The City of Tampa is giving (the developers) a difficult time and that’s where I think I might be able to help,’’ Crist said.
He also said that because the NTCC has to be self-sustaining, he is working on bringing in multiple partners who will be able to create those revenue streams. While stressing that the NTP will be the primary resident of the NTCC, Crist said he has negotiated a deal to bring the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts and the Patel Conservatory on board as well. He said the NTCC would serve as an annex for Patel in North Tampa.
“This will be Patel North,’’ Crist said.
That is a huge partnership, Crist added, because, “it brings ethos, huge credibility to the facility and elevates it from just being a neighborhood cultural clubhouse to a real, high-scale, quality arts-based programming center.”
The hope is that the notoriety provided by such partnerships will help lure the deep-pocketed residents of South Tampa north for additional cultural opportunities. Crist also said that he sees that relationship as being reciprocal.
Crist also announced a third partner, the Prodigy Cultural Arts Program, which reaches more than 3,000 Hillsborough County youth annually who live in high-risk neighborhoods or have been diverted from the Juvenile Justice System.
And, while Crist told the NTP that he doesn’t want the NTCC to be a place where people just walk in off the street, he stressed that it needs to be inclusive, not exclusive.
The NTCC itself will still be a 25-35,000-sq.-ft. facility that will cost $10-million (according to the county), although Crist thinks the figure should be closer to $15 million.
He said the county currently has $5.5-million to spend, and is looking for the rest.
“Let me assure you, it is going to be something you’re very proud of,’’ Crist said, even if it gets built in stages. Crist noted that when he was spearheading the construction of the UACDC, where NTP currently practices and performs, it was built in five phases, while he raised money throughout the three-year construction phase to get it finished.
As for where he will get the money, Crist simply said: “I’ll find it.”
One of the only concerns raised during the 15-minute presentation was how the partnership with the Straz and Patel centers at the NTCC would impact local dance studios like New Tampa Dance Theater and America’s Ballet School. Crist, however, said that he thinks there are more than enough aspiring performers in New Tampa to support everyone.
And, Adam Shoemaker, one of the NTP performers, asked if once the NTCC is completed, will his group of local thespians finally have their own home to practice and perform on their own schedule?
Crist wrapped up his comments by promising him they would.
“You are a guest at the UACDC, a second thought,’’ Crist said. “It was built for Prodigy. But, this will be your permanent home. You will be the lead tenant in that space, and anybody else would have to work around you.”
That final line drew the loudest applause of the night.
For additional information about the NTP and their schedule for 2017, visit NewTampaPlayers.org or Facebook.com/NewTampaPlayers.
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