By Marvin G. Cortner
Editor

The Osceola County Commission Monday delayed for a week its approval of the final step toward the county’s purchase of a former car dealership on West U.S. Highway 192 for a new museum of military history to be run by local veterans.

The vote on an addendum dealing with potential environmental problems on the property, which is the site of the former Coggin dealership and which is now owned by Alan C. Starling, was delayed until the Monday, June 28, meeting at 1:30 p.m. The property is at 4425 W. U.S. Highway 192, across from the Walmart store.

The county manager on Feb. 22 executed an agreement with Starling to buy the site for $2.6 million using tourist development tax money, and the county since then has been conducting due diligence on the property.

With approval of the addendum and when the purchase is closed, Starling would be responsible for any environmental cleanup on the property if ever it were deemed necessary. In addition, Starling must establish a $30,000 escrow account that would be used to cover the county’s costs for three years of testing, monitoring and reporting about the status of existing monitoring wells on the property.

The new museum would replace the Osceola County Veterans Tribute and Museum now operating out of Osceola Square Mall.

The commission recently took a business plan and feasibility study for the facility under advisement.

The museum’s board also has requested the county provide a subsidy of approximately $300,000 annually for two years to cover start-up, marketing and operating expenses at the new museum. There also would be a one-time development cost of about $370,000. These costs, as proposed, also would be covered by tourist development taxes.

A consultant for the veterans group that operates the museum said having a new facility could help bring military reunions to the area, which is a segment of the tourism industry that the county is not currently pursuing and one that is growing quickly. The museum also could be a destination for retired military personnel and their families in the Central Florida area for other reasons as well as a destination for Florida residents vacationing close to home while on “staycations.”