Diaz Fritz secures bid for $14.5 million recreation center

Pinellas County commissioners have approved a $14.5 million construction contract for a new recreation center in Palm Harbor, moving forward with a long planned investment in community infrastructure funded through the Penny for Pinellas program.

The Board of County Commissioners awarded the contract to the Tampa-based Diaz Fritz Group, Inc., the lowest responsive bidder among seven proposals submitted for the project. The agreement carries a not to exceed value of $14.54 million, including contingency, and covers construction of a new facility that will replace an aging building on the county’s 16th Street campus.

“This facility contains special structural materials making it hurricane-proof,” said Tod Nicholson, VP of Preconstruction at Diaz/Fritz. “Those materials require careful coordination to ensure a successful and timely project.”

The project has been in development for several years as part of the county’s capital improvement program, which prioritizes upgrades to public facilities alongside long term resiliency planning. County officials have emphasized that the new center will not only expand recreational programming, but also serve as an emergency shelter during hurricane evacuations, reflecting a growing focus on dual use public infrastructure across Florida.

Plans call for a roughly 28,000-square-foot facility designed to significantly increase programming capacity in the Palm Harbor area. The building will replace existing infrastructure on the site, which has served the community for decades but no longer meets current demand or resiliency standards.

The project is funded through the voter approved Penny for Pinellas infrastructure surtax, a dedicated revenue source that has supported a wide range of public works projects across the county, including parks, transportation improvements and public safety facilities. Funding for the recreation center is spread across multiple fiscal years as part of a broader capital allocation strategy.

The existing Palm Harbor Parks and Recreation campus has long operated as a central hub for the surrounding community, offering youth programming, athletics and event space, according to the organization’s website. The campus also supports a wide range of local leagues and activities, making it one of the more heavily utilized recreational sites in northern Pinellas.

County leaders have pointed to that sustained demand as a key driver behind the project, particularly as population growth continues in Palm Harbor and surrounding areas. The new facility is expected to modernize amenities while expanding access to indoor programming space that can accommodate larger events and more diverse uses.

Construction is expected to begin following an issuance notice, with an anticipated timeline of approximately 425 days. Once underway, the project will add to a steady pipeline of public sector construction activity across the county, despite construction cost woes.

For Diaz Fritz, the contract represents another addition to its growing portfolio of institutional and community focused work across the Tampa Bay region. Founded in 1985, the firm has completed more than 1,800 projects spanning healthcare, senior living, retail and public sector development.

In recent years, the company has taken on projects that reflect broader regional priorities, including affordable housing and specialized residential developments. Among them is Baytown Apartments, a project designed to serve residents with disabilities. That development required navigating cost escalation, supply chain challenges and weather related delays, issues that have increasingly shaped construction timelines across Florida.

Diaz Fritz has also remained active in healthcare and senior focused construction, delivering medical office buildings and assisted living facilities throughout the region.