Dave Berman

FLORIDA TODAY

The county's tourism chief says it looks like the Space Coast Office of Tourism will punt on plans to spend $3 million on a tourist welcome center off Interstate 95 in Mims.

Rob Varley, executive director of the Office of Tourism, said he still likes the idea of the center as a part of a marketing effort to attract tourists to Brevard County and its attractions. But the cost is the hang-up, since the facility's current price tag is significantly higher than the original budget estimate of $1.75 million.

So Varley said his office now is looking at its options to rebid the project, in hopes of getting a lower bid, while keeping the facility's design eye-catching.

Tourism officials have described the working design for the welcome center as a cube that fell out of the sky and landed on a corner, a look that is aimed at capturing the county's high-tech/space vibe.

Varley on Friday told members of the Tourist Development Council Marketing Committee that he thinks "there's still a good opportunity to get this done."

But he is hoping there is "some community pride out there" in the development community for a company to agree to build the welcome center at a lower cost.

The advisory Tourist Development Council last month had indicated it wanted to forge ahead with the $3 million project.

But Varley on Friday said there is resistance among county decision-makers to a $3 million price tag for the 5,000-square-foot building, which translates into $600 per square foot.

But he still remains optimistic.

"It's not a dead issue," Varley said. "We've waited nine years for this project."

In the meantime, the Office of Tourism will look into a less costly alternative: placing unstaffed electronic kiosks around the county to provide tourism information to passers-by.

Office of Tourism Director of Marketing Kalina Subido-Person said such kiosks could offer tourists maps and coupons.

If the county goes forward with that idea, the kiosks could be places in such high-traffic areas as Cocoa Beach and downtown Melbourne, as well as at local attractions.

The proposed welcome center site is off the southbound lanes of I-95, and is adjacent to an existing state rest stop.

It would be the first facility of its kind off an interstate in Florida to be operated by a county. The building would be owned by the county on land leased from the state.

Contact Berman at 321-242-3649 or dberman@floridatoday.com Follow him on Twitter at @ByDaveBerman and on Facebook at facebook.com/dave.berman.54