TAMPA - The Tampa Convention Center could become the latest publicly owned building that doubles as a billboard for a major corporation.

The city is considering selling naming rights to the 600,000-square-foot, waterfront center that just posted its best year in a decade. The discussions are in the very early stages, convention center Administrator John Moors said.

"We don't want to leave any stone necessarily unturned," Moors said, noting that many cities are looking into nontraditional revenue sources.

Tampa officials have contacted several other cities that have sold naming rights to their convention centers, as well as consultants who specialize in brokering those kinds of deals.

He said there was no timetable for the city to make a decision about whether it would put the convention center's name on the market. If it did, officials would consider carefully what company's name would be emblazoned on the building.

"We're going to take our time" and test the market, Moors said. "We have no preconceived notions."

Tampa is not the only local government debating whether to allow corporate sponsorship of public facilities.

Hillsborough County's Parks, Recreation and Conservation Department is considering whether it should sell naming rights to public parks and sports fields. County commissioners could make that decision in February.

Virtually every piece of the new Tampa Museum of Art is for sale - with the building, a rooftop terrace and even corridors available for sponsorship. The asking price varies from $10 million for the museum itself, $3.5 million for the terrace and $100,000 each for storage rooms, elevators and kitchens.

Sponsorships for 15 of the 46 areas in the new museum have been sold, said Steve Klindt, the museum's director of development.

Florida governments find themselves particularly cash-strapped, with lawmakers cutting property taxes last year and voters set to decide on another reduction in January.

Moors said naming rights could pay for improvements to the convention center, which was built in 1990 and is city-owned. The facility last year received $2 million from taxes levied on hotel rooms, he said.

If renamed, the convention center would join several other downtown destinations named after corporations, including the St. Pete Times Forum, which holds professional hockey games and concerts. The soon-to-be-built children's museum will be named the Glazer Children's Museum after the family that owns the Tampa Bay Buccaneers donated $5 million.

The privately funded museum is scheduled to open in summer 2009 near the new art museum.

Sports facilities have also been popular targets for marketing, with the Bucs playing home games in Raymond James Stadium and the Tampa Bay Rays calling Tropicana Field home.

Tampa's Would Be 1st In Florida

Other cities have rechristened their convention centers for top bidders.

Cincinnati received $9 million from Duke Energy to rename its convention center the Duke Energy Center. Milwaukee's convention center was renamed the Midwest Center after Midwest Airlines agreed to pay $9.5 million over 15 years.

No major Florida cities have convention centers named after corporations.

Orange County leaders considered selling the naming rights to their county convention center in 2000. They discarded the plan when bids were lower than expected, said Kathie Canning, deputy general manager.

"It was in the range of a couple of million dollars," Canning said. "It would have come with different caveats. We didn't pursue it."

Canning said the amount companies will pay for naming rights is based on the number of "impressions," or mentions the building will get on television and radio. That's why companies are more than willing to pay big bucks for naming rights to professional sports stadiums.

"But it's certainly something worth looking into," Canning said. "Tampa, being a different destination, it may be very well received. It's got a good hotel package, a big stadium nearby. It's a very good convention destination."

The Tampa Convention Center just boasted one of its best years ever, Moors said.

The 600,000-square-foot building offers 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 36,000-square-foot ballroom, and 36 breakout rooms totaling more than 42,000 square feet. Outdoor areas overlooking the mouth of the Hillsborough River are available for group functions for up to 7,500 people.

This year the center booked 49 groups, the most in 10 years. Revenue from renting space and from concessions totaled about $8.5 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, $2 million more than expected.

Moors said before Tampa would agree to sell naming rights to the convention center, it would have to evaluate the strengths of the purchaser. He noted that Houston sold naming rights to Enron for a baseball stadium but later had to strip the troubled corporation's name from the venue.

At least one city councilman isn't behind the idea, no matter how much the city stands to gain.

"It just cheapens everything," Councilman Charlie Miranda said of naming rights.

"The citizens own that, and I think that should always be the Tampa Convention Center."

Researcher Melanie Coon contributed to this report. Reporter Mike Salinero can be reached at (813) 259-8303 or msalinero@tampatrib.com Reporter Anthony McCartney can be reached at (813) 259-7616 or amccartney@tampatrib.com.