Hillsborough County leaders are moving full steam ahead on a $70 million indoor sports fieldhouse at the Museum of Science & Innovation campus, betting big that a multi‑court complex can help remake Tampa’s Uptown district. The planned venue is pitched as a year‑round tournament magnet, a home for local programs and a catalyst for new hotel nights as part of a broader mixed‑use overhaul of the MOSI property. County documents and project partners are eyeing an 18‑month construction schedule and an opening sometime around 2028.
Commissioners clear the path
The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted 7‑0 on June 17 to authorize the Tampa Sports Authority to start contract talks for the project, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The approval lets authority staff work with a recommended construction manager, then bring back a negotiated guaranteed‑maximum‑price and final agreement for another commission vote.
Design, scale and partners
Design duties for the Fieldhouse have been led by OSPORTS, whose project materials describe a flexible, tournament‑ready layout with roughly a dozen courts and support space for both events and day‑to‑day practices, according to the firm’s project page. County planning documents put the building at about 178,000 square feet. MOSI’s president told Bay News 9 the venue is slated to sit next to the museum’s new planetarium and share a common entrance, effectively creating a combined front door for science buffs and tournament crowds alike.
How it will be paid for
County officials say the roughly $70 million cost will be covered mostly by tourism‑related revenue. About $65 million has been identified in the Community Investment Tax reauthorization, with the balance coming from countywide funds, as reported by WUSF. Commissioners also boosted design funding last fall when they approved additional tourist‑tax dollars for construction documents in October 2025.
Economic pitch and tradeoffs
Backers of the project argue that tournament traffic and visitor spending will help the Fieldhouse carry its own weight over time. Analysts and county officials point to the county’s Tournament SportsPlex, which generated roughly $2.8 million in bed‑tax receipts in 2025, and project about 44,000 hotel room nights by year three for the MOSI venue, along with a potential operational break‑even in the second or third year, according to reporting compiled by Youth Sports Business Report.
What’s next
The Tampa Sports Authority now has the green light to negotiate a construction manager‑at‑risk contract with the selected builder and return with a final price and agreement for commission approval. Project postings and the public RFP for the CM@R are available through the authority and construction‑listing services. Those materials and sequencing proposals are expected to guide efforts to keep MOSI open and operating during an estimated two‑year construction window, and the listings include the public bid notice for the MOSI Fieldhouse at Construction Bid Source.
