SULPHUR SPRINGS - Mann-Wagnon Memorial Park needs a savior.

As its joint county and city owners ponder the park's fate, a group of citizens, civic leaders and art patrons are trying to envision the future for Cecile Wagnon's riverside paradise.

Wagnon donated two acres of residential land nearly 48 years ago for a memorial park to honor her husband and brother. A legal dispute split ownership between Hillsborough County and Tampa. For nearly 20 years the county's parks, recreation and conservation department housed its administrative staff at the park, 1101 E. River Cove Drive.

Recently those staff members moved to a site off Falkenburg Road, leaving behind several empty buildings. Residents hope the site can become home to a Sulphur Springs' history museum, the nonprofit Community Stepping Stones and possibly other programs.

Today the city's parks, recreation and conservation department will present a report on the park's future to county commissioners. Wagnon's legal will states if the memorial park cannot be maintained, she wants "no other buildings placed thereon other than museum buildings."

Demolition money is available from a trust fund. The county, however, is prepared to wait several months to see whether any proposals materialize from on-going talks among residents and various agencies.

Proposals would be evaluated and the county attorney's opinion sought to determine whether the proposals meet the will's intent, the report states.

City Councilwoman Linda Saul-Sena and Commissioner Rose Ferlita have tracked developments for the park. Ferlita in April requested the county's report.

"What we really need is someone who is going to be a godfather," said Art Keeble, director of the Arts Council of Hillsborough County. "Right now nobody has stepped forward in that role. It's mostly that everyone is so busy they can't take on any more projects."

Meetings have been held recently with residents and representatives of groups including the University of South Florida, Museum of Science & Industry, the Sierra Club and the Tampa Metropolitan YMCA.

The condition of some buildings on site is "rough," Keeble said. Work would be needed on bathrooms, a kitchen, and heating and air conditioning systems.

"But the setting is just so ideal," he said. "I'd love to get a satellite office of the county extension center."

The arts council supports the Stepping Stones, a youth art program in Sulphur Springs. Two rooms in one building on site would work well for the nonprofit, Keeble said.

Ed Ross, who operates the Stepping Stones program, held ceramic classes at the park in the 1970s. "I've always seen this as a place where we can have a cultural center and an arts center," he said.

The history museum which has been championed by Norma and Joseph Robinson of the Sulphur Springs Action League is a logical tenant for the park, said Linda Hope, historian and publisher of the Penny Saver.

Norma Robinson "would be ready to go with an established museum once we have clearance onto the property," Hope said. The anticipation is that residents would start donating even more artifacts and memorabilia from Sulphur Springs, she said.

Other possibilities include ties in to Lowry Park children's programs or with MOSI. "There are a lot of groups that provide services for children that could establish a satellite," Hope said. "Put three or four of those together and we have a cake."

Reporter Kathy Steele can be reached at (813) 259-7652.