Pinellas County is still trying to develop a 235-acre chunk of land that used to be the Toytown landfill. This time, they’re hoping to turn it into a youth sports complex.
The area is located off Interstate 275 and Roosevelt Boulevard.
The proposal from Sports Facilities Companies includes rough plans for 20 baseball and softball fields, five long fields, 24 pickleball courts and a dozen sand volleyball courts.
Visit St. Pete-Clearwater President Brian Lowack said such a complex would attract the booming industry of youth sports tourism.
"We know there's a strong demand for sports tournament field space venues and we see it all over the Tampa Bay area, all over the state of Florida, the southeast,” Lowack said.
He added that the county's beaches, dining options and museums help make the Toytown site an attractive location for youth sports tourism, which could include local and national tournaments.
The county was specifically looking for companies that had experience building on former landfills when they sent out the request for proposals.
In its plan, Sports Facilities Companies said the project will bring in $350 million over five years.
The next step is having the developer submit a more detailed design and financial plan before the county moves forward with the project.
