Two groups have mixed-use redevelopment visions for MOSI's Tampa property
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: May 1, 2024

Two teams have submitted mixed-use development proposals for the 67 acres surrounding the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa's Uptown district.

Hillsborough County released a request for proposals for the property in late 2023. Submissions were due in February. An initial evaluation of the proposals was held April 26, the county's procurement services department said through a spokesperson, and oral interviews with both teams are scheduled for May 6.

The RFP specified that MOSI would remain on its 7 acres and that the county was seeking development ideas for the land surrounding the museum. Real estate developers have been slow to embrace the Fowler Avenue corridor despite the area's economic powerhouses, such as the University of South Florida, Moffitt Cancer Center and James A. Haley Veterans' Hospital. New York-based RD Management has been working for a decade to redevelop the former University Mall's 100 acres, and there's an ongoing push by business and civic leaders to rebrand the area as Tampa's Uptown district.

The county previously issued an RFP for MOSI's property in 2019 but killed those plans during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"We're excited because featuring MOSI as the centerpiece of this project is a huge win-win," John Graydon Smith, CEO of MOSI, said in a statement. "The developers and investors in the redevelopment have an anchor attraction that brings in tens of thousands of visitors a year while constantly rolling out new and innovative ideas. Meanwhile, MOSI benefits from being at the center of a new neighborhood that’s full of energy and fresh options for locals and tourists."

Both teams are led by Tampa-based firms: Alliant Partners Development leads one, and RGA-Design LLC leads the other. Here's a look at both proposals.

Alliant Partners Development

Team

Alliant Partners Development

Kolter Mixed-Use

Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel Patel Family Office

Stantec

Alfonso Architects

Ellison Construction

Horus Construction Services Inc.

Shubin Law Group/The Euclid Group

Development plans overview

The Alliant Partners team envisions MOSI as home to a research and development community for technology companies with a focus on hospitality and sustainability. The proposal includes full- and select-service hotels, medical uses, food and beverage concepts, workforce housing, multifamily real estate, retail space, education space and more.

"This will be an entire community where locally generated technology, startup companies or research and development wings of national corporations can beta test their products to get crucial insights before finalizing the versions that will enter the general marketplace," the team wrote in its proposal.

"We at Alliant Partners Development appreciate the county's consideration for the privilege to meaningfully contribute to the forthcoming development of this exciting property surrounding MOSI. We eagerly anticipate the opportunity to collaborate with our esteemed partners to bring this project to fruition," John Nertney, chief financial officer of Alliant Partners, said in a statement.

RGA-Design LLC

Team

Architect E. William Henry

RGA-Design LLC

Stantec

Zons Development

Roers Cos.

Brennan Investment Group

Attorney Tyler Hudson of Gardner Brewer Hudson PA

Florida Center for Community Design and Research

Development plans overview

The RGA team proposes a three-phase development plan: research, workforce housing and hospitality. The research phase will be built between 2025 and 2027; the workforce housing will be built from 2027 to 2029; and the hotel will break ground in 2029.

Transit-oriented development is also a major focus.

"The development of the MOSI site has significant potential as a transit-oriented development," the team wrote. "The historic rail corridor, with potential connectivity to downtown Tampa (and beyond), offers a major and unique opportunity as a potential terminus station servicing the Tampa Innovation District (aka iP) and the entire northern Tampa/sough Pasco region. It has the potential to serve as a multimodal hub and catalyst for this mixed-use project."