Dade City Hall - A $4.3 Million Vision For Dade City
By Joe Potter
March 24 brought a visitor’s note from City Hall: The proposed new city office building could carry a price tag of about $4.3 million. The two-story, 9,000-square-foot structure would house the Building and Community and Economic Development Departments, according to Catherine Ralston, director of the latter. Forecasts place construction on pause until the FY 2026-2027 budget is adopted, said Peter Altman, the city’s Finance Officer. The new fiscal year runs from October 1, 2026, to September 30, 2027. As for funding, commissioners discussed several options, including Penny for Pasco funds, a program voters approved three times and which remains in effect through 2039.
The city currently has about $1 million in Penny for Pasco money that could help defray part of the construction cost, Altman noted. An accompanying slide show offered a tentative glimpse of an architectural vision, though officials stressed that renderings were preliminary and could shift as costs change. The proposed site is at 38052 Pasco Avenue, the former location of Dade City’s Police Department. Late last year, two former DCPD buildings were slated for demolition to clear the way for the project. Ryman Construction is managing the design-build aspects of the endeavor for the city.
Inside the planned building, first-floor occupancy would be divided between the Building and the Community and Economic Development Departments. Ralston said the second floor would be reserved for the city’s Information Technology staff and equipment, with a long-term plan to expand it to accommodate up to 20 additional city employees. As discussions of the project move forward, commissioners will receive further information at upcoming meetings.
Yet not all feedback at the March 24 session was celebratory. Mayor Pro Tem Normita “Angel” Woodard and Commissioner James “Jim” Shive voiced concerns about the project’s price tag. Woodard suggested redirecting some funds to replace the current James Irvin Civic Center, built in 1963 and located at Naomi Jones Pyracantha Park, 1520 Oak Street. “I’d like to see some of the city’s funds used to construct a new building to replace the civic center,” she said, underscoring a broader wish to refresh aging infrastructure.
Shive, meanwhile, floated the possibility of pairing any construction funds with investments in other essential facilities, specifically mentioning a new wastewater treatment plant as a higher priority alongside other city projects. Turning to a different city initiative, commissioners also took up a large-scale comprehensive plan amendment for West Hill Estates. The ordinance shifted the property’s future land use from Pasco County RES-3 to Dade City Low Density Residential (LDR). The amendment, originally adopted in mid-January, required re-transmittal to Florida’s Department of Commerce for review because staff had not completed a formal transmission.
The ordinance will take effect 31 days after Commerce confirms the plan is complete and compliant, subject to any timely challenges that might delay final approval. West Hill Estates spans about 68.67 acres, located south of St. Joe Road and roughly a quarter-mile east of Happy Hill Road. To date, 55 single-family homes have been built within the development. Commissioner Shive acknowledged the project’s progress, saying, “This project has already been constructed. It’s a beautiful development. I wish we had more like it.”
But Woodard pressed for more expedient governance, warning that “There have to be some checks and balances. You can’t take 45 days for something to come before us.” As the city weighs its next steps, the proposed office building stands as a focal point of planning, funding, and infrastructure decisions that could shape Dade City’s public face for years to come. With a target price of $4.3 million and a projected 9,000-square-foot footprint, the project invites a broader conversation about how best to invest in city services, while balancing the realities of budgeting, timelines, and community needs. ♥
