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Hillsborough commissioners approve land swap deal to move HCSO headquarters to Brandon

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Published  May 7, 2025 9:13pm EDT
Hillsborough County
FOX 13 News
HCSO land swap deal approved

HCSO land swap deal approved

Jordan Bowen reports.

The Brief

    • Hillsborough commissioners voted unanimously to move the sheriff's office's headquarters from Ybor City to Brandon.
    • HCSO will move to the Grow Financial building in Brandon.
    • The land where the current HCSO headquarters sits is being sold to local developer with plans to turn the land into mixed-used development with homes and retail shops.

BRANDON, Fla. - Hillsborough County commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday to move the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office headquarters from Ybor City to Brandon as part of a land swap deal. HCSO will move to the Grow Financial building in Brandon.

"It's not often you see something with so many benefits that saves us not only time, saves us money and allows for expansion capability 30 years into the future," Hillsborough County Deputy County Administrator Greg Horwedel said.

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Under the deal, the sheriff's office will build a new communications center and tower on the new property, which spans 24 acres, which is triple the size of their current headquarters in Ybor. HCSO said the move will put them in a more central part of the county, which they say will ultimately save taxpayers money in the long run.

"We're very excited. We couldn't be more grateful for the county's assistance and help, and the entire team that worked so tirelessly to bring this to this point today," Hillsborough County Undersheriff Thomas St. John said.

At Wednesday's meeting, Hillsborough County commissioners voted unanimously, 7-0, to approve the deal.

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"This is an investment in public safety and our quality of life for generations to come. This is an opportunity that took a lot of creativity and thought in order to execute," Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen said.

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The land where the current HCSO headquarters sits is being sold to local developer Darryl Shaw with plans to turn the land into mixed-used development with homes and retail shops.

"We appreciate the support of the county commission today, which recognized that this move benefits all parties involved: the sheriff's office, the county, and Ybor City. We are excited to continue the work of bringing new energy and vision to this neighborhood," Darryl Shaw said in a statement emailed to FOX 13 late Wednesday.

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The move will cost the county about $48 million and take about three years to complete.

"This is going to be something that people are going to thank us for in the future without even realizing what was actually done," Cohen said.

The Source: The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jordan Bowen

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