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Features
Fire Destroys Clair Mel Youth Center Under $2.5 Million Renovation
An early morning fire de- stroyed a neighborhood youth center early Thursday. The center was undergoing reno- vation at the time of the blaze.
Corey Dierdorff, spokes- man for the Hillsborough County Fire Department said when firefighters arrived at the Winston Park Recreation Center, 7605 Destin Drive, it was fully involved at 3 a.m.
He further stated that it took approximately an hour and fif- teen minutes to bring the blaze under control. The building was vacant at the time of the fire and no injuries were reported.
Dierdorff said the building was a total loss. The cause of the fire has not been deter- mined and the investigation continues.
The building had been cho- sen as the recipient of a $2.5 million grant. The grant was the result of Hillsborough County, the Vinik Family Foundation and the Boys & Club of Tampa Bay.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller,
Winston Park Recreation Center
Jr., said, “It really, really hurts because we have worked so hard to revitalize that build- ing. We came up with the grant and the community was really looking forward to its reopening in a couple of months. It’s heartbreaking.
“From my understanding, it is a total loss. But, I’m going to do everything in my power to get it rebuilt for the people of that community.
“We are going to have to wait to see what happens with the insurance and look at other sources.. But, my hope is that we can rebuild it.”
LES MILLER, JR. Hillsborough County Com- missioner
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 3-A