TAMPA — The indoor sports facility planned for the MOSI property is moving into the design phase.
The Board of County Commissioners approved an interlocal agreement with the Tampa Sports Authority and passed a budget amendment resolution at the Oct. 15 meeting, moving just over $3 million to the project.
The additional money — $2 million has already been procured from BP settlement money — is expected to come from the county’s tourist development tax fund. Staff had initially recommended using Countywide Construction Fund money, but some of the commissioners thought TDT money would be a better choice.
“I believe that the most prudent financial decision is that this went through the TDT fund,” said commissioner Josh Wostal, “just because we have so many pressing backlogs of needs throughout the county that would not be eligible for TDT. It seems like the better decision.”
They will vote on that change in November.
The project will now proceed to the design phase, which is part of a massive $70 million redevelopment of the 73-acre MOSI site, 67 acres of which is currently undeveloped.
The $5 million will secure the services of OSPORTS, which has been selected by the TSA board and a committee that included county and city of Tampa representatives.
According to John Muller, the county’s director for Facilities Management and Real Estate Services, OSPORTS has a portfolio that includes $700 million in similar field house projects in recent years. It also was commissioned by USF to design an Athletic Visioning Master Plan for the school’s campus.
As part of its plans for the athletic facility at MOSI, OSPORTS has proposed leveraging the MOSI West building in its initial design concept. According to Muller, keeping the fieldhouse in the northeast quadrant of the MOSI site would not require rezoning, reduces preconstruction time and will save $15 million.
The west building, the former home of the museum, would be connected to the athletic facility, which will have 11 all-purpose courts built for volleyball and basketball tournaments, primarily, and repurposed with things like an entertainment park, a courtyard, a sports lounge, locker rooms, a café and event space.
There is no construction cost estimate for the fieldhouse project, but that will be brought forward for a commission vote when the design is 90% complete.
The goal is to open the facility in 2028.
The fieldhouse is part of a larger project under Alliant Partners Development, which is developing what it has called a center for science, technology and innovation that will also include multifamily housing, retail space and a hotel.
“We plan to meet with our master developer to ensure coordination on this project begins immediately,” Muller said.
Those meetings will also include a feasibility study on putting an ice hockey/sports facility on the 67 acres as well.
Board chairman Ken Hagan, who has long touted the MOSI site as one of Hillsborough County’s unearthed gems and been a longtime advocate for sports tourism, believes the entire MOSI redevelopment will be “a several billion-dollar project once complete.”
He said the fieldhouse will help drive the larger project’s success.
“It will be the catalyst for what I believe will be the most transformative economic development project Hillsborough County’s ever done,” Hagan said.