Companies seek Penny for Pinellas funds for industrial projects

Pinellas County has opened a new round of its Employment Sites Program to help businesses fill their financial gaps and move forward on completing expansion projects. 

During a Tuesday board meeting, the Pinellas County Commission will review three new applications submitted in ESP’s fourth round. To date, the county has committed nearly $20 million to financially back multiple projects from some of the area’s most prominent employers, including Lockheed Martin. 

The ESP was created to assist in the construction and redevelopment of industrial (manufacturing and flex) and office buildings that attract target industry employers to the county. 

If the commissioners approve all three projects, the county would contribute an additional $3.57 million. 

The following projects submitted in the fourth round for review: 

A rendering of Johnson Development Associates’ new industrial building. All images: Pinellas County documents.

Johnson Development Associates 

Project cost: Roughly $18.77 million 

Funding sought: Roughly $2.152 million 

Project details: Johnson Development Associates Inc. plans to develop a flexible 110,700-square-foot Class A speculative industrial facility at 9950 28th St N. in Pinellas Park. This would be Johnson Development’s first industrial project in the county. To prepare the site, the group would need to relocate an existing drainage pond and associated infrastructure in the northeast corner of the site in the Gateway Center Business Park. Johnson Development is expecting to import approximately 3,300 cubic yards of structural fill. An unanticipated expense is a required sidewalk extension along 28th Street North. The requested funding would go toward needed associated infrastructure, structural fill and required landscaping. 

Economic impact: The new building would help fill a void of available functional industrial space in the county. Although Jackson Development has not yet secured a tenant, the project is expected to generate a tax base of over $300,000. The building could house 25 to 150 employees at the site, according to Johnson Development. 

National Doors and Hardware’s site plan.  

National Doors and Hardware 

Project cost: Roughly $2.4 million 

Funding sought: $327,000

Project details: National Doors and Hardware LLC plans to relocate and consolidate its headquarters and offices in Tarpon Springs and Palm Harbor to a new building. The new 10,000-square-foot facility in Tarpon Spring’s Riverbend Business Park would be constructed at a vacant .82-acre industrial site. The building would have four separate bays and include a showroom and fabrication area with storage. The requested funding would go toward covering increases in labor and material costs. Palm Harbor-based Russell and Russell Construction is the general contractor for the project. 

Economic impact: The new facility would allow the company to meet market demands and grow its seven-member team with five additional employees. 

Racetrack 430’s site plan.  

Racetrack 430 

Project Cost: $9.633 million 

Funding sought: $1.1 million 

Project details: Racetrack 430 LLC plans to rehabilitate a 23,410-square-foot industrial building. The company would add 19,453 square feet to the existing building and construct an additional 50,000-square-foot freestanding building on the site. The expansion would result in more parking, potable water upgrades, a fire suppression system, stormwater upgrades and a private sanitary sewer lift station. The requested funding would go towards underwriting over 12,000 yards of fill dirt, partial demolition of an existing building and infrastructure changes. Land O’ Lakes-based B.R.W. Contracting is the general contractor for the project. 

Economic impact: The new facilities would accommodate 26 employees, who would relocate from an office in Pasco County. It would also allow the company to hire 25 additional employees.