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Hillsborough commissioners authorize negotiations for 178,000‑sq‑ft MOSI field house; Suffolk named top negotiator
Summary
The Board of County Commissioners authorized the Tampa Sports Authority to negotiate with Suffolk Construction for a 178,000‑square‑foot indoor field house as part of the MOSI/Mosey redevelopment, with staff reporting schedule, cost‑saving site choices and a return for funding approval pending guaranteed maximum price negotiations.
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners on June 17 authorized the Tampa Sports Authority to negotiate a construction manager‑at‑risk agreement with Suffolk Construction for a 178,000‑square‑foot indoor field house at the MOSI (Mosey) redevelopment site. The vote to authorize negotiations was unanimous.
Deputy County Administrator Greg Horwedel told the board the proposal links the new field house to the existing MOSI campus, producing approximately $15 million in savings versus a stand‑alone facility and preserving the museum'site operations during construction. "This is the next step on a journey that has taken a few years to get here," Horwedel said, adding the county will seek a guaranteed maximum price in the next negotiation phase. John Mueller, director of facilities management, confirmed the planned building is roughly 178,000 square feet and said staff is targeting a late‑fall construction start with an approximately 18‑month schedule.
Board members emphasized connectivity, hotel capacity and operational impacts to MOSI. Commissioner Ken Hagen said the project "will accelerate the $2 billion Mosey redevelopment" and stressed the need for transparency and due diligence. County staff said $5 million for design had previously been authorized, about $3 million of which has been spent, leaving roughly $2 million available for construction management when the project advances. The county noted most capital funding for the project is from CIT and BP dollars previously allocated to the development.
Horwedel and Mueller said the Tampa Sports Authority will negotiate terms with Suffolk, and if negotiations do not produce an agreement the authority may proceed to the next ranked proposer (Turner Construction) under the same terms. Any negotiated construction contract will return to the board for final discussion and funding approval.
The board voted 7‑0 to authorize the negotiation; staff said they would return with a contract and funding request for the board's consideration.
