Citrus Chronicle
By: Mike Wright (mwright@chronicleonline.com)
Published: 19-Oct-2004

A Tampa developer bought 160 acres of land on State Road 44 near County Road 491, dashing hopes for Mike Hampton's sports complex.

The developer, Lecanto Town Center LLC, paid $2 million for the property, county records show.

A representative of the developer has already met with county officials to discuss a residential and commercial project on the site.

The single-family and multi-family residential units could number close to 1,000, Community Development Division Director Chuck Dixon said.

Hampton, an Atlanta Braves pitcher and Homosassa native, proposed in February that he partner with the county and school district to build a sports complex that would include a gymnasium, swimming pool, indoor training facility with batting cages and youth sports fields.

At the time, Hampton suggested the county would buy the property and school district build the swimming complex.

The plan began to sour in April when Hampton said he could buy the land and that the county could build the public recreational facilities. County officials estimated the taxpayers' cost would be in the millions of dollars.

Brent Hall, who represented Hampton during the negotiations, said Hampton and his wife, Kautia, are exploring other sites.

"He's definitely in the future considering that," Hall said. "It's disappointing, but it's part of the world. We learned a lot.'

County Commissioner Jim Fowler said the project was worthy, but too expensive.

"It just never had a chance," he said. "Once the roles reversed, we just weren't in a position to participate."

Commissioner Gary Bartell said he was disappointed the land was sold to a developer.

"That's why I thought initially it had so much potential to meet the needs of Citrus County kids and limit the amount of growth in that area," he said. "Economics played out, I guess."