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Hernando Today

Developers Making Steady Progress At Old Hospital

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By TONY HOLT

Published: August 24, 2008

BROOKSVILLE - As renovations continue at the old Brooksville hospital building, the developer continues to keep the county updated on its progress.

As it nears completion, negotiations with prospective tenants are inching closer toward signatures and handshakes.

Among those possible tenants is Mavericks in Education — the company hoping to open a charter school for students who "have not worked in a normal school system," said Bill Rain, a spokesman for Metro Bay Development.

Metro Bay is the developer overseeing the project — now known as the Oaks Towne Center. So far, executives are focused on the portion of the building that will house The Grande — a retirement living facility.

"Everything is moving ahead very well," said Rain. "People still refer to it as the old hospital, but it's not looking like a hospital anymore."

Residents will begin moving into The Grande by the end of the year, said company spokeswoman Beverly Bohlen.

In the meantime, more work is expected to be done in the interior and exterior of the building, as well as to the parking lot and underground storm retention.

In an e-mail sent to the Hernando County Office of Business Development last week, Rain wrote that all of the floors and dry wall were nearing completion and the kitchen cabinets had been delivered.

The windows and store front are nearly finished and the "building is almost sealed in," Rain stated.

The Oaks Towne Center is located at 55 Ponce de Leon Blvd. on 14.4 acres of land.

Those hoping for space in the 60,000 "flex office" section of the building currently are in talks with Metro Bay.

The proposed charter school would be called Hernando County Mavericks High D. Wade's School, or Mavericks High.

Mavericks High would serve about 550 local students, ages 15 to 21, who either have dropped out of school or are considered at high-risk of dropping out.

Rain provides regular updates — by phone calls and e-mails — to the Office of Business Development, said spokeswoman Valarie Pianta.

"Whatever we need to know, he tells us," she said.

The building became vacant in 2006, when Brooksville Regional Hospital employees relocated to a larger, $30 million facility along State Road 50.

Reporter Tony Holt can be reached at 352-544-5283 or wholt@hernandotoday.com.

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