The Pasco County Commission voted 4-1 to seek a $12 million loan to help cover the costs for sports fields and other improvements at the Wiregrass Sports Campus, in Wesley Chapel.
Pasco Commission Chairman Jack Mariano voted against the loan — after unsuccessfully seeking to persuade his colleagues to delay the issue while exploring other ways to repay the loan.
Under the proposal brought to the board, the loan will be repaid with Tourist Development Tax dollars.
Mariano advocated taking a closer look at potential sources of money to repay the loan.
“I think we can do this better. I think we have other sources. We’ve got Penny for Pasco money.
“The road infrastructure, we can look at transportation impact fees,” Mariano said.
The county might also be able to use park impact fee money, he said.
He said he didn’t think the board had the detail it needed and sought to delay the vote until more information was obtained.
His words did not sway his colleagues.
Adam Thomas, director of tourism for Florida’s Sports Coast, told the county board: “We do have a contractual obligation to the family that donated the land.”
He also noted that the sports campus, which is in Wiregrass Ranch, is the centerpiece of the county’s sports tourism efforts.
Commissioners Seth Weightman, Kathryn Starkey and Ron Oakley spoke against Mariano’s request for a delay.
“We’re, what, three years behind schedule on this,” Weightman said. “I want to become compliant in the contract.”
Starkey added: “I am in full support of this project. I think we have an obligation to finish it. It pains me that it’s such a big hit on our tourism folks, but I think we need to finish our obligation.”
County Administrator Mike Carballa told the county board, “Like any loan, there’s nothing that would preclude us from early payment, repayment. We need the authorization to go get the money, so we can actually start the project.”
Commissioner Ron Oakley expressed his support.
“I’m for moving forward with this project. We’ve been waiting too long, 2 ½ years past due of having these fields built. We need to go forward and make sure we do the right thing.”
The planned improvements include:
- Five multipurpose sports fields, with lighting (plus lighting at two existing fields)
- Parking for the area
- A concession stand with restrooms
- Three pavilions
- A multi-use trail
- A parking area for the pavilions, concession stand and trail
- A roadway loop to take teams to the multipurpose fields
- Stormwater ponds
- Additional landscaping
Thomas, who leads Pasco’s tourism efforts, cautioned against using funds from various sources because that could reduce the availability of the multi-purpose fields at the sports campus for tourism-related events.
Thomas also broke down the costs for the expansion, which total approximately $14.9 million and will be covered by the $12 million loan and other county funding sources, according to Carballa.
Here’s how those costs break down:
- Exterior improvements, including fill, curbs, fencing, parking, roads: $6.6 million
- Building (three pavilions, one multipurpose restroom/concession): $1.7 million
- Fields (turf surface, under-draining, root zoning): $4.6 million
- Electrical (lighting, street lighting): $1.3 million
- Landscaping and irrigation: $450,000
- Contingency: $250,000
Published August 30, 2023
