Jeff Zito

Weekday Afternoons 3pm - 7pm

Talk about turning garbage into treasure! A former Largo landfill could become a new sports complex. That’s what developer Les Porter envisions for the 87-acre former landfill site near Largo Central Park and the Largo City Library.

Porter has come up with a bold proposal to turn the location into a sports tourism destination.  The plan is for three different complexes. The first, a 170,000-square-foot indoor recreation center featuring basketball courts, volleyball courts, open floor space, and a restaurant. The second facility would be a 10-acre crystal lagoon similar to the one in Wesley Chapel, and the third will be a complex with indoor and outdoor pickleball courts. There is a plan to host up to 35 sports tournaments annually.

Porter estimates that the new sports complex could make a $16 million annual economic impact for the city. “If we are given this opportunity, we hope to deliver something that everyone around Pinellas County and outside of Pinellas County all over the southeast will come to visit,” Porter said.

Studies still have to be done on traffic patterns and the toxicity of the underlying land. Since the landfill is owned by Largo, the city charter states that land owned by the municipality larger than 1.5-acres requires referendum approval before sale or lease. That means it’s up to the citizens of Largo in November to approve this landfill becoming a sports complex.

Check out the details about this project and artist drawings here.

[SOURCE ABC Action News]