TAMPA - After a contentious debate Thursday, the Hillsborough County Aviation Authority selected a New York architectural firm as the top prospect to draft preliminary designs for Tampa International Airport's proposed North Terminal.

The board voted to award the $15.8 million conceptual design contract to William Nicholas Bodouva and Associates over a second-ranked Missouri firm with a local office, which sparked the spirited discussion.

The authority board - with Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio, businessman Al Austin and lawyer Stephen Mitchell constituting the majority - voted for Bodouva over two other competitors. During the debate, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan and businessman Ken Anthony proposed that HNTB Architects of Kansas City, Mo., be chosen.

The board was deciding which firm would create the initial conceptual design, which will set parameters for the architecture of the buildings.

When it came time to vote on which firm to negotiate a contract with, Hagan proposed the board choose HNTB because it has a local office. That set off a flurry of debate about the value of supporting local businesses and whether the board should stray from the airport staff's recommendation. Historically, the board has concurred with staff-recommended project awards.

After 605 hours of review of proposals, the airport's staff ranked Bodouva first, with 605 of 630 possible points; HNTB second, with 576 points; and Chicago-based Ricondo & Associates third, with 558 points.

"Tampa is trying to position itself as a global community," said Iorio, adding that it would be unfair to penalize Bodouva when the board did not give preference to local firms in the guidelines for evaluation.

"It shouldn't be brought up at the end when it wasn't directed at the start," she said.

The airport staff will negotiate a contract with Bodouva under a total project budget of $15.8 million. The architects will develop concepts and schematics that will guide the creation of detailed plans by a firm in the future for the first phase of the terminal expansion, projected by late 2015.

Reporter Jacob Schneider can be reached at (813) 259-7850 or jschneider@tampatrib.com.