From Don Covington

TAMPA -- The days of Ringling Brothers elephants lumbering along Orient Road on their way to the Florida State Fairgrounds are numbered. The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be leaving its winter home at the fairgrounds for a new 47-acre complex in Ellenton. The move is part of a plan to consolidate operations for Feld Entertainment, which owns the circus, over the next five years. The entertainment company also produces live shows, ranging from Disney on Ice to motocross races. In addition to its rehearsal space at the fairgrounds, Feld Entertainment maintains its headquarters in Vienna, Va., along with a facility in Palmetto where crews make costumes and configure lighting and sound systems for shows. "After the first of the year, we are going to start migrating from Palmetto," said Feld spokesman Stephen Payne. "We're hoping to have it up and running on a much larger scale by next summer." The circus has wintered at the fairgrounds since 1992, polishing its acts for the next year's tour. There is no exact timetable for when the circus will move away from the fairgrounds. Right now, circus performers are rehearsing two new acts Built to Amaze and Fully Charged – for the 143rd edition of the Ringling circus. Despite the planned move, officials at the fairgrounds are expecting the circus back next year. "They usually make their decision each spring for the next year, and they're here this year rehearsing the circuses," said Charles Pesano, executive director of the Florida State Fair Authority. "They've indicated to us verbally that they thought they'd be back next year, but they haven't made any formal commitment at this point and time." During a six-week span, Ringling Bros. typically uses Expo Hall, Entertainment Hall and various pieces of land on the fairgrounds property, at Interstate 4 and U.S. 301. "Obviously, it's a piece of business we've had for a number of years, and we will miss it; but if they make their decision to move to Ellenton, there's nothing we can do about that," said Pesano. "We'll find some other usage for the building during that time period." Both Pesano and Payne said Feld Entertainment and the fairgrounds continue to enjoy a good relationship. One question that will need to be answered is how Ringling Bros. move will impact the local economy. The circus' two-month stint at the fairgrounds accounted for 97 jobs and $2.7 million in wages during the 2004-5 season, according to a 2006 study by the University of South Florida's Center for Economic Development Research. The circus operation had a direct cash contribution of $4.9 million to the local economy, the study concluded. Fairgrounds officials will work hard to fill the void, Pesano said. "It's just business like normal," he said. "You keep good customers for a long period of time, and sometimes they make decisions [to leave] and then you look hard to find a replacement for them." With Ringling Bros. moving just over the Manatee County line, one thing that won't be lost is the region's longstanding ties to the circus, which began in 1927, when John Ringling moved his winter headquarters from Bridgeport, Conn., to Sarasota. The circus also spent three decades in Venice, wintering there from 1960-1992, before coming to Tampa in 1992. Sarasota, now home to several circuses, also has a circus museum, a clown college, and The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, built on property Ringling bought in 1911. Many circus performers wound up settling in the area over the years – in places such as Gibsonton and communities in Manatee and Sarasota counties. "A lot of performers made their homes [south of Hillsborough County]," said Hillsborough County Commissioner Les Miller Jr., a Florida State Fair Authority board member. "As a matter of fact, I remember going down that way when I was a little boy, and there were shows on the side of the road with the people who, when they weren't doing their thing at the fairs, they would have entertainment shows along the way, I guess to maintain themselves and bring in income. "They're entrenched here and have been here for a long time." The circus' new home in Ellenton is a former General Electric wind turbine factory that includes nearly 500,000 square feet of space. The new location will put all of Ringling Bros.' operations together and provide direct rail access for the circus' custom rail cars. "It also made a lot of sense so that we can have as many people as possible consolidated," Payne said. "When you get a bunch of creative people together, you never know where the next big idea is going to come from." Feld Entertainment, which bought Ringling Bros. in 1967, will keep its 148 existing employees and is expected to add 235 new jobs over the next five years, according to the Manatee Economic Development Corp. "We are already moving certain people down to Florida from Virginia," Payne said. "After the move is completed, we will continue to add jobs locally from Manatee and surrounding counties. We want to become part of the community and one of the large employers in the county."