Long-Awaited Groundbreaking For Wiregrass Sports Complex June 7

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL – Seventeen years after Pasco County began exploring the idea of building a mega youth sports complex in Wiregrass Ranch, the county will finally break ground on the $44 million facility next week.

A groundbreaking ceremony has been scheduled for Thursday, June 7 at 10 a.m. at the site of the new complex, 3211 LaJuana Blvd., Wesley Chapel.

After several false starts, the Pasco County Sports Commission and Tourist Development Council finally got the green light to develop the 120-acre property donated by the Porter family, developer of Wiregrass Ranch.

Funding had always been the biggest obstacle to the project moving forward until RADDSports of Sarasota came forward and agreed to build and operate the $14 million, 98,000-square-foot indoor field house, which will be the focal point of the complex. The field house will feature eight bio-cushioned hardwood regulation courts for basketball, volleyball, mixed martial arts, gymnastics, indoor soccer, cheerleading and dance.

The sports commission hopes to attract events such as the Gasparilla Volleyball Kickoff Classic, currently held at the Tampa Convention Center, and national martial arts tournaments.

To accommodate out-of-town sports teams, a 128-room Residence Inn by Marriott will be constructed on the property as well.

The first phase of the sports complex development also includes an outdoor amphitheater, which will seat 500 to 1,500 people for concerts and performances, a lawn space for festivals and other gatherings, and a public park with walking trails and playgrounds.

The second phase will include outdoor sports fields in anticipation of hosting state and national amateur sports tournaments like the the Dick’s Sporting Goods Tournament of Champions boys’ lacrosse tournament, currently played at Wesley Chapel District Park and Wesley Chapel High School due to space constraints.

"Amateur sports tourism is one of the fastest-growing market segments of the travel industry, and Pasco County’s about to become a major player,’’ said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore. “This facility is going to be boon for small businesses across the county.’’

Pasco County will kick in $8.5 million raised through its tourist development tax, a tax on hotels, motels, resorts and campgrounds, which the commission raised from 2 percent to 4 percent last year.

But commissioners are confident it’s an investment that will pay off.

Amateur sports tourism has become big business in Florida because of the opportunity for year-round outdoor play.

According to the Florida Sports Foundation, the sports industry attracted 16 million visitors to the state in 2017, generating $57.4 billion in total sales across Florida.

Sports-related activities also accounted for 580,000 jobs in Florida.

Pasco County hopes to get a bigger piece of the $3.3 billion revenues that the sports industry contributes to state and local governments.

However, rather than jumping into the high-stakes fray of pro sports, the Pasco County Commission is concentrating on the burgeoning and increasingly lucrative youth and amateur sports industries.

Last month, more than 300 figure skaters came to Pasco County to participate in the Sunshine State Games at Florida Hospital Center Ice, an indoor ice rink complex that opened a year ago. The center also served as the training facility for the U.S. Olympic women’s hockey team, which brought home a gold medal.

Pasco is now the home for the Professional Bowlers Association50 Florida Open bowling tournament, the Wesley Chapel Soccer Spring Cup and the sports commission has plans to host state and regional sand volleyball and wakeboard tournaments on the 70-acre spring-fed lake at SunWest Park in Hudson.

The county also lures its share of amateur and leisure sports like fishing, skydiving, bicycling, golfing and boating, which attracted 5.3 million visitors to Florida last year who spent $3.3 billion in the state, according to the Florida Sports Foundation.

These figures don't include the economic impact from in-state Florida sports teams traveling to overnight and weekend tournaments.

RADDSports estimates the field house alone will attract 27,000 visitors a year.

Additionally, in April the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it will contribute $2 million toward the construction of the field house so it can withstand hurricane winds of up to 170 mph.

FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Grant Program will pay 75 percent or $2,068,262 of the $2,757,683 total cost. The rest will come from non-federal sources.

The first phase of the Wiregrass Sports Complex will include:

1. Approximately 98,000-square-foot indoor sports facility with

* 8 basketball courts

* Dedicated cheerleading and gymnastics area

* Fitness center

* Team meeting and coaches area

2. 128-room Residence Inn

3. Double sports field / event lawn

4. Amphitheater

5. Running, biking trails

Images via Pasco County