Pasco County sports complex to bring economic boom to area, commissioners say

WESLEY CHAPEL, Fla. - Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County is officially open.

It hosted its first tournament last weekend and is booked with tournaments almost every weekend over the next 12 months.

The 98,000 square-foot facility can hold nearly 4,000 athletes inside at one time.

There are indoor basketball, volleyball, and futsal courts, a weight room, a cheerleading area, and outdoor soccer fields.

County commissioners said taxpayers didn't have to chip in for any of the $26 million complex.

"It was 100% paid by our TDT dollars, that means people coming in hotels paying the tourism tax, that's who paid for that," said Mike Moore, the chairman of the Pasco County Commission. "It's an extraordinary thing here for Pasco County, it's something we've been working on for probably 20 years."

Youth athletes will compete at the complex from around the country, bringing a large economic impact to Pasco County, according to commissioners.

"It's going to benefit local citizens, it's going to benefit our local businesses when it comes to tourism," Moore said.