Pasco County approves $44 million Wesley Chapel sports complex and hotel
By Frances McMorris
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Aug 15, 2017

The Pasco County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to approve plans to develop a multi-use tourism sports facility on an approximately 224-acre, county-owned parcel of land located in the Wesley Chapel area.

A Residence Inn by Marriott also will be developed. The pet-friendly hotel will be owned and operated by Mainsail Lodging & Development. It will offer studio, one- and two-bedroom suites, with a pool, a fitness center, sport court, outdoor area with fire pit, meeting space and rooftop bar.

"The vision was to create a first-class, multi-use sports destination focused on amateur sports tourism to provide economic impact while serving the regional community's needs,” said Joe Collier, president, Mainsail Lodging & Development. "Given the explosive growth of the Wiregrass area and the commitment of Pasco County, we think this project is poised to exceed all expectations.”

Phase one of the project will consist of a 98,000-square-foot indoor sports facility. Richard Blalock, the founder of Jonesboro-based RaddSports LLC, which is developing the sports complex, estimates that its economic impact to the county will be more than 27,000 visitor nights and more than 12,000 day visitors annually, resulting in $6.5 million in the first year and accumulated direct and indirect benefits of $100 million over 10 years.

The complex could be open by the spring of 2019. The $44 million sports center, which now has 1,100 parking spaces, will provide a minor league development system for athletes ages 9 through 18 in five sports: cheerleading, basketball, soccer, lacrosse and volleyball.

Frances is a reporter for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.