The Hillsborough County Commission unanimously voted June 17 to move forward with negotiations on a proposed $70 million contract to build an indoor sports fieldhouse on the Museum of Science and Innovation campus in northeast Tampa.
MOSI is adjacent to the University of South Florida on Fowler Avenue.
The 7-0 vote authorizes the Tampa Sports Authority to negotiate a final agreement with Suffolk Construction before the project returns to commissioners for final approval.
If built, the 178,000-square-foot fieldhouse would become the centerpiece of a larger redevelopment planned for the county-owned property surrounding MOSI, which officials envision as an entertainment and tourism district.
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Commission Chair Ken Hagan described the vote as another milestone in a vision that has been years in the making.
“Today’s fieldhouse agenda item is the catalyst that will accelerate the $2 billion MOSI redevelopment project,” Hagan said before the vote. “I think everyone associated with this project agrees this transformative project, along with USF golf course redevelopment and new stadium, will completely redefine the USF campus and surrounding area.”
Plans for the site extend well beyond the indoor sports venue. County leaders have discussed future additions including a hotel, restaurants, entertainment uses and other attractions designed to complement the museum while capitalizing on nearby investments at USF.
While commissioners focused largely on construction, tourism and economic development, MOSI president and CEO John Smith said one misconception has continued to surface since the project gained attention.
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“MOSI’s not getting $70 million, and MOSI’s not running a sports facility,” Smith told the Catalyst.
Instead, Smith said the project is part of Hillsborough County’s broader redevelopment of property it already owns.
“The buildings and land here on campus are owned by Hillsborough County,” Smith said. “Hillsborough County is now working on redevelopment of that entire property, with MOSI as kind of the core of the campus moving forward.”
The proposed fieldhouse would be built adjacent to the museum through what county officials now refer to as “The Hub,” a renovated portion of MOSI’s former main entrance. County documents also call for approximately 46,000 square feet of repairs and renovations to the adjoining MOSI West building, including improvements to public spaces supporting the new facility.
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Smith said the project’s greatest value isn’t the building itself, but the people it could bring to the campus.
“We’ve been the attraction on an island for a long time,” he said. “So now, MOSI not being on an island … will be a good thing.”
He believes the planned sports venue aligns naturally with MOSI’s audience.
“I think what’s really nice about this is the overlap between the demographic audiences of who we serve and who this new facility will serve,” Smith said.
Rather than drawing visitors away from the museum, Smith said families traveling to Tampa for youth sports tournaments could become museum visitors as well, particularly as other amenities, including a proposed hotel, are developed nearby.
For now, however, Smith said the project remains several steps from construction.
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The June 17 vote authorized negotiations with Suffolk Construction but did not give final approval to build the facility. Smith said his immediate concern is navigating what could be a lengthy construction period while keeping the museum operating.
“My concern obviously is … the two years while it’s getting built,” he said, citing potential disruptions including parking, traffic flow, noise and construction impacts.
Smith said one message has become increasingly important as the project has gained attention: MOSI isn’t being pushed aside.
“We’re not going anywhere. We’re not going out of business. We’re not changing our focus.”
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