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Board approves land exchange and funding to relocate Hillsborough County Sheriff’s operations center
Summary
The county approved a two‑phase land exchange with Ybor City Holdings to provide a larger site for the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office operations center, approve related funding increases and interlocal agreements, and authorize leasebacks to preserve current parking and operations during a planned multi‑year move.
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners on May 7 approved a three‑part package to move and expand the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office operations center, authorizing a two‑phase land exchange with Ybor City Holdings and related funding agreements.
John Mueller, director of Facilities Management and Real Estate Services, told the board the exchange would provide a larger site in the Flockenberg corridor with about 260,000 square feet of future expansion capacity and support hardened communications and emergency operations. “This is a 2 phased exchange at our request,” Mueller said, noting phase 1 would transfer fee simple title of the new property to the county while the county would relinquish two of five smaller Ybor parcels and negotiate leasebacks so the Entrepreneurial Collaboration Center (ECC) retains overflow parking.
Mueller and Greg Horwedel, deputy county administrator, said the county revised earlier cost estimates and requested additional pre‑investment funding. “We did have a requested modification to increase that amount to $48,784,000 today for more pre investment to increase the size of the hardened communications from the original size of 13,000 square feet to 32,000 square feet,” Mueller said.
The board also noted a planned, orderly transition that could take up to three years to complete site improvements, communications infrastructure and the physical move. Sheriff’s Office representative Thomas St. John thanked staff for the interagency work; he told commissioners the department was “very excited” and grateful for county assistance.
Commissioner Harry Cohen described the transaction as “an investment in public safety and our quality of life for generations to come” and moved approval. The board voted 7‑0 to approve items B1 (the land exchange resolution and contract), B2 (an interlocal agreement to fund property modifications, capital improvements and relocation costs) and B3 (a fifth amendment to an existing lease to provide temporary parking across the street for the ECC).
Mueller said the county completed public notice and due diligence required by land exchange statutes and included protections such as escrow arrangements and leaseback terms to allow the current occupants time to transition.
No litigation or external approvals were reported as blocking the exchange; staff said Grow Financial (the current occupant of the primary building on the exchange property) will require a defined transition period. The board directed staff to implement the negotiated transition and to incorporate the revised budget requests in future capital planning.
