Approve First Amendment to Lease Agreement Between the School Board of Hillsborough County and the Housing Authority of the City of Tampa for Use by Meacham Urban Farmers LLC at the Meacham Middle School Site, Tampa

On  May 10, 2016, the School Board of Hillsborough County, Florida, entered into a Lease Agreement with the Housing Authority of the City of Tampa to approve use of the Meacham Middle School site by Encore Urban Farms to operate an  urban organic farm and educational resource for district students.  The Housing Authority has requested that Encore Urban Farms entity be replaced with the Meacham Urban Farmers LLC organization. 

Meacham Urban Farmers proposed uses would encompass the same principals and programs as previously approved by the Board and is a learning lab for school-aged children, Encore residents and surrounding neighbors in the Choice Neighborhood Footprint with agriculture, biology, botany, economics, and business all represented in the design and management of the farm; and provide for Meacham Urban Farmers to sublease a portion of the site to an experienced beekeeper for the purpose of keeping beehives.

The initial term of the amended Lease Agreement will be five (5) years commencing April 3, 2018, and terminate April 2, 2023.  All other terms and conditions remain the same.  Executed documents from the Housing Authority and Meacham Urban Farmers will be delivered to the School Board prior to the April 3, 2018, meeting.

Approval of the First Amendment to the Lease Agreement between the School Board of Hillsborough County and the Housing Authority of the City of Tampa will have no financial impact to the School Board.  All expenses for the design, building and operation of an urban organic farm on the Meacham Middle School site, will be the sole responsibility of the Housing Authority and the Meacham Urban Farmers LLC.