Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Pasco commissioners approve $21 million commitment to support Moffitt/Spiros campus grant application
Summary
The Pasco County Board approved a resolution directing county staff to memorialize a $21 million local match and support Moffitt/Spiros’ $228 million Spiros campus project and associated EDA grant application. Commissioners discussed property‑tax treatment and workforce benefits before the unanimous roll‑call vote.
The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners voted Feb. 17 to support a request from Moffitt Cancer Center and its Spiros affiliate for a $21,000,000 local match to help fund a proposed $228,000,000 Spiros campus.
David Engel, Pasco’s planning and economic development director, told the board the requested $21 million would serve as local matching funds in support of an Economic Development Administration grant application. Engel described a capital stack that includes $42 million from Moffitt and an approximately $49.8 million EDA component to one of the project’s grant applications.
Josh Carpenter, president of Spiros, said the campus would house radiopharmaceutical research, manufacturing and treatment facilities, and include an incubator tied to local workforce partners such as the University of South Florida and Pasco‑Hernando State College. "This building…will meet that need in a meaningful way and position Pasco to capture economic impact and grow jobs," Carpenter said.
Commissioners asked about property‑tax implications if nonprofit ownership is paired with for‑profit subtenants. Chip Fletcher, general counsel for Moffitt Cancer Center, said tax assessment turns on a property’s use rather than ownership: commercially used portions of a nonprofit‑owned campus typically are assessed and taxed after review by the property appraiser.
After discussion about protecting county revenue and embedding workforce and manufacturing objectives, a commissioner moved approval of the draft letter of support and direction to the county administrator and county attorney to memorialize the county’s commitment and implementing agreements. The clerk recorded a roll‑call vote approving the resolution (ayes recorded for the four present voting commissioners and the remote chairman), and the motion passed.
Next steps noted by staff and Moffitt representatives included directing county attorneys to draft an agreement defining deliverables and continuing coordination on the EDA application. Board members said they expect further contract and lease details to be brought forward to ensure the county’s financial protections and community benefits are documented.
