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Trinity College Getting Ready To Grow

Cheryl Bentley/SUNCOAST NEWS

Mark T. O’Farrell, the president of Trinity College, with plans for the coming campus expansion, which will include a residence hall.

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By Cheryl  Bentley | The Suncoast News

Published: January 23, 2008

TRINITY, Fla. - TRINITY, Fla. - Trinity College of Florida is on the go. Having just celebrated its 75th anniversary last year, the interdenominational, evangelical-based college in southwestern Pasco County that focuses on Christian education is now in the midst of a building campaign.

As tentative plans stand now, that will eventually result in adding eight new buildings to the present three-structure campus.

But the college's president, Mark T. O'Farrell, emphasized long-term plans are in the planning stages, with square footage still to be determined for some of the buildings.

"It depends on how much buildable space we have and approval of the master planned unit development," O'Farrell explained.

College officials hope to submit project plans to the county some time this year.

For now, the college is awaiting a building permit from Pasco County to proceed with a three-story, 50-room, double occupancy student residence hall with state-of-the-art technological facilities.

That compares to the present facility that houses 50 students.

The county has allowed Trinity to separate the residence hall from the master planned unit development, thus permitting construction to proceed before the entire project has been approved.

The new dormitory will cost a little more than $3 million. Friends of the college have already pitched in $2 million of that amount.

Trinity will turn to the community, churches and alumni for the rest, O'Farrell said.

The student residence hall will be the first building in Phase 1. That phase also includes a student life center and chapel/performing arts complex, but those buildings are still in the planning stages.

The 200-student college has been in the Trinity area since 1985, when it moved from its longtime home in Dunedin.

It was founded by W. T. Watson in 1932. The Rev. Billy Graham was a 1940 graduate when Trinity was called the Florida Bible Institute.

The college had four other locations in Florida before the 40-acre Trinity campus was built. The land was donated by a longtime supporter, Dr. James P. Gills, the Tarpon Springs-based eye surgeon, real estate developer and endurance sport entrepreneur.

As one of the first occupants in an area that was once pastures, the college gave the now rapidly developing area of Trinity its name. Companies headed by Gills were in the forefront of this development.

It offers associate and baccalaureate degrees. Most of its students focus on ministry or Christian services programs, counseling and elementary education.

Last year, Trinity earned a feather in its cap by placing second on Consumers Digest magazine's list of U. S. colleges offering the best academic value per dollar.

Since assuming the presidency in 2005, O'Farrell has worked on strengthening Trinity's ties to the community through hosting breakfasts for local government and business leaders.

The college has additionally partnered with religious organizations that help the poor, including Somebody Cares Tampa Bay, Somebody Cares Pasco County and CareFest.

While now concentrating on getting the ball rolling for the residence hall, officials are also working on obtaining multi-million dollar lead gifts for the overall building campaign.

That shouldn't be a problem for an institution with a history of what some would call miraculous fundraising.

As recounted in the school magazine "Connection," founder Watson once canceled classes so that students and faculty could pray for a much needed $10,000.

While they were on their knees in prayer, a phone call came from church supporter E. R. Kellog.

Without knowing anything of the college's financial predicament, Kellog reported he was wiring $10,000 to the college because of a sudden strong urge to do so.

O'Farrell, who became a born-again Christian when in high school, has faith the college still has the ear of a higher power.

"I'd like it to be a channel of higher Biblical education that would have all the good Biblical expertise to help students discover what God wants them to do," he said.

For more information go to the Trinity College Web site.

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