Hillsborough County selects master developer for MOSI site
By Henry Queen
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jun 20, 2024

The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners has selected Tampa-based Alliant Partners Development to lead the redevelopment of the 67 acres surrounding the Museum of Science and Industry on Fowler Avenue.

The MOSI site is a prime infill opportunity, but the project experienced a setback during the Covid-19 pandemic when the county put its request for proposals on hold. The process restarted in November 2023, and two teams submitted proposals earlier this year. Under this agreement, MOSI will remain on its 7 acres.

"I've long felt that this 74-acre site is the county's most under-utilized asset," Commissioner Ken Hagan said on Thursday. "With the size and location of this property, the opportunities are limitless to capitalize on the synergy and the proximity to the [University of South Florida] — as well as the other economic drivers in the innovation district. We can really transform this site into an innovative mixed-use urban development."

Commissioners' unanimous approval of Alliant Partners allows county staff to begin negotiations with the firm.

Given the fluid nature of the project, county staff emphasized that Alliant's proposal won't be built exactly as it currently stands. Discussions on adding an indoor sports facility to the site have occurred.

"If this [sports complex] ever has a chance to materialize, we're going to have come up with a creative public-private partnership similar to what we did in New Tampa with the performing arts center," Hagan said.

Deputy County Administrator Greg Horwedel said the goal is to generate as much property tax revenue from the site as possible. Tourist development tax dollars would also come if hotels were built.

"Right now, it is not an ad-valorem generating property," Horwedel said. "We do want to focus on that. ... There are other opportunities, perhaps, for anchoring the entertainment district possibly by looking into an indoor sports facility that would help generate interest in the site and would help create the need and demand for hotel space."

In choosing the group led by Alliant Partners, Hillsborough spurned a proposal led by Tampa-based RGA-Design LLC that focused on creating a technology park on a portion of the site similar to the Elk Grove Technology Park near Chicago. Before Thursday's vote, representatives from that team urged commissioners to reconsider the staff's recommendation. No official protest was filed.

"I don't have to remind commissioners that the median family income in Hillsborough County is not what we all want it to be," architect William Henry said. "The focus of the RFP — I thought — was to create high-paying jobs. So the team we put together was completely focused on economic development."

A six-member evaluation committee gave Alliant 80 points out of a possible 105, while RGA-Design LLC received 60 points. John Muller, evaluation committee chair, wrote that RGA-Design didn't meet the requirement of being a developer.