Polk School Board Drops Out of Old FDOC Building Purchase

BARTOW | The former Lakeland headquarters for the Florida Department of Citrus remains for sale after the Polk County School Board dropped out of negotiations to buy it.

"Based on our evaluation of the building, my recommendation is it doesn't meet our needs," said Fred Murphy, assistant superintendent for school facilities, Wednesday.

The School Board had been searching for a property to consolidate several administrative offices in Lakeland and Bartow.

It would need a little more space than the Citrus Department building at 1115 E. Memorial Blvd., Murphy said.

The building, more than 50 years old, has 28,095 square feet of office and conference space and a 6,210-square-foot warehouse on about 3.5 acres.

The amount of renovation required to meet the staff's needs was also a factor, Murphy said.

Ken Keck, executive director of the Citrus Department, told the Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday there was a possibility the School Board would buy the building later this year, when the successor to Superintendent Gail McKinzie takes office.

But Murphy told The Ledger his recommendation on the purchase was final.

"We're not interested in the building," he said.

The Citrus Department will go ahead with seeking competitive bids from a real estate broker, which are due at its new Bartow headquarters by April 6, Comptroller Debra Funkhouser told the commission.

The broker would get a 5 percent commission for negotiating a sale for up to $1 million, she said. It would get an additional 2 percent for a higher price.

The department initially sought bids at a minimum $2 million price. Nobody bid at that price.

[ Kevin Bouffard can be reached at kevin.bouffard@theledger.com or at 863-422-6800. ]