Category: Government
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Canal Park to become Oldsmar Sports Complex
Last summer, the Oldsmar City Council agreed to create a new Master Plan for Canal Park, one that would transform the Tampa Road park into a world-class sports complex featuring BMX racing, soccer, baseball and more. Thanks to a recent decision the by the council, the park will be getting a brand-new name as well. The…
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Architect Francisco Semsch receives Oldsmar Council-Manager Award
Chances are if you’ve visited, read about or lived in Oldsmar over the last 10-15 years, you’re familiar with Francisco Semsch’s work. But it’s okay if you didn’t realize it. The soft-spoken, Tampa based architect isn’t one to toot his own horn regarding the many local projects he’s worked on through his firm, FSA, Inc.,…
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Oldsmar officials acknowledge Rays stadium dream is basically dead
One of the underlying themes of the City of Oldsmar officials’ yearlong attempt to lure the Tampa Bay Rays to town was the fact that the idea was always considered to be a longshot, at best. However, that didn’t stop Mayor Doug Bevis from pushing his proposal to everyone who would listen, including Pinellas and…
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Oldsmar Cares inks 40-year lease with city as part of major expansion project
When representatives for the local nonprofit Oldsmar Cares presented their expansion plans to the Oldsmar City Council in November, the big news was the new 3,000-sq.-ft. headquarters that would be built at the organizations current home on SR 580 near City Hall. But lost amid the hubbub about the new building, which is estimated to…
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Oldsmar officials balk on Rays survey again, but it might not matter
For the second consecutive Oldsmar City Council meeting, Mayor Doug Bevis was asked to conduct a survey to collect feedback on the possibility of the Tampa Bay Rays’ moving to town, and for the second consecutive meeting, he balked. Despite calls by former council member Linda Norris and current member Jerry Beverland to seek input…
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Oldsmar council considers survey about potential Rays move
As the City of Oldsmar’s pursuit of the Tampa Bay Rays enters a more official stage, some City Council members have called for a survey to be created in order to gauge residents’ thoughts about the potential move. During the latest council meeting on Tuesday night, Eric Seidel mentioned an anonymous email officials received that…
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“Underutilized” Sheffield Park set to shine
The City of Oldsmar is home to 10 parks and preserves, so it’s only natural that some get more attention from residents and visitors—and city officials—than others. Canal Park, with its world class BMX track and plan to turn it into a multi-purpose sports complex, Mobbly Bayou Preserve and its zipline adventure park, plus R.E.…
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Oldsmar Council agrees to move forward with new downtown development plan
The Oldsmar City Council agreed last week to move forward with the latest plan to build a mixed-used development in the downtown district. The conceptual plan created by Tampa architect Francisco Semsch and Oldsmar developer John Bews was first presented to city officials during a workshop in January. At the time, Bews and Semsch outlined…
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Oldsmar’s pursuit of Tampa Bay Rays is now official
What began as somewhat of a joke by Mayor Doug Bevis recently became official, as the Oldsmar City Council agreed to create a task force, led by the mayor, to let everyone know the city is all-in when it comes to landing the Tampa Bay Rays. The idea that city officials should present a united…
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Oldsmar officials initiate city manager succession plan
Oldsmar officials held a work session last week to start the process of developing a succession plan for longtime city manager Bruce Haddock, who is set to retire in January 2018. The workshop, held on Valentine’s Day, was led by Fire Chief Dean O’Nale and City Attorney Tom Trask, who will serve as the point…