LARGO — Despite what one commissioner called “wiggly math,” the Largo City Commission on July 7 approved a $10.5 million reduction to its Horizon West Bay construction contract, a deductive change order that saved the city more than $625,000 in sales tax.
The 6-0 vote — Commissioner Mike DiBrizzi was absent — approved the 11th change order to the contract with builder Biltmore Construction.
Building construction manager Nick Hadsell told commissioners the change order was “not a request to increase or decrease the project fund,” as previous ones had been, but “a formal reduction to the Biltmore Construction contract in the amount of $10,513,163.67 to reflect the total materials the city purchased directly.”
By buying items such as precast molds, air-conditioning units and glazing directly, the city avoided paying sales tax on them, a savings of more than $625,000 on the $85 million-plus mixed-use development, Hadsell said. He noted “the final contract value is being adjusted now during the project close-out.”
During board comments, Commissioner Curtis Holmes said he “was working the math out on this.”
“You had to read it real carefully, because you got the figures showing what it could have been, but since it wasn’t that way, this is what it should be,” Holmes said. “It was an interesting take. But a good idea.”
Commissioner Michael Smith agreed.
“I’d agree that the math was a little woggly, or wiggly, for me a little bit,” he said. “But I figured it out.”
When Smith asked whether the city had done this before to save tax money on materials, lead engineer Jerald Wolosynzki said yes — that it was standard practice, part of the city’s procurement manual and “quite common across the United States.”
Commission adopts rental fees for Horizon spaces
When Horizon West Bay opened in late May, it drew praise not only as a new home for the city’s workforce and government meetings but also for the restaurant, retail and public spaces it added downtown, including the outdoor pavilion and amphitheater that hosted the June 2 ribbon-cutting.
On July 7, the commission voted to open the 87,000-square-foot facility to the public even further, unanimously approving a fee structure for businesses, civic and private groups, and individuals to use Horizon’s amphitheater, plaza and meeting rooms. Officials said the arrangement offers “an opportunity to bring new activity downtown by partnering with small businesses, community groups, and local organizations by providing them with an accessible space and also the opportunity to engage with the city in a positive way.”
Commissioner Michael Smith welcomed the decision, which lets local nonprofits use rooms free of charge.
“I like it,” Smith said. “I think this will hopefully bring more groups this way and work with them ... and I think it’s one of the good things about this building being in this area.”
Mayor Woody Brown said he had already fielded multiple inquiries about the meeting space.
“I think it’s good that it’s more beneficial to Largo-based nonprofits and Largo-based businesses,” he said. “That’s who paid for this building. So that’s great.”
The motion to approve Ordinance 2026-20 passed 6-0.
In other business, the commission approved a consent agenda item amending the lease with The Tox Technique, a wellness salon set to open in the complex.
The Tox “requested an extension of the rent commencement date, currently scheduled for July 6, due to construction design and buildout activities taking longer than originally anticipated,” according to city documents, which noted that “construction is currently progressing on schedule and the tenant anticipates opening for business in early August 2026.”
The amendment pushes the first rent payment to “on or before September 1, 2026.” Staff supported the change, saying the extension “is reasonable given the project’s timeline and current construction progress.”
In an email sent shortly after Horizon’s June 2 grand opening, Tox Technique director of operations Rebecca Geraci confirmed the August opening for the new Largo location and said the business would offer “an exclusive VIP experience for our first 50 founding clients to celebrate.”
Geraci described the offering as “a lymphatic-based body sculpting treatment designed to enhance wellness, promote detoxification, and sculpt the body for a leaner, more defined appearance.” The noninvasive treatment reduces water retention and is meant to leave clients “feeling leaner, energized and recharged after just one session,” she wrote.