A Hillsborough County field could soon undergo a major transformation.
Researchers at the University of South Florida say the Facility for Outdoor Experimental Research and Training or FORT would be the first of its kind in the state of Florida.
Officials say the work they could do there could possibly bring some closure to the families of missing persons.
Researchers want to use about two acres of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office 230 acre training facility in Lithia to study what happens when bodies are exposed to the elements.
USF officials claim the facility would not contaminate water and soil. The closest resident lives about a half mile away and should not leave a scent in the air.
USF Professor Dr. Erin Kimmerle says the information they could learn from the facility would a make a difference in identifying remains.
"In a homicide investigation the timeline is very important,” said Dr. Erin Kimmerle. “[The research isn’t] just about who is the person but when did they come to be here. Was it last month or 10 years ago, it makes a big difference and so it's all about refining who the person is and what happened and how did we get here and we put it together backwards."
The project currently has the support of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, State Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Florida Sheriff's Association.
USF officials tell us they've already had 33 people reach out asking for donation packets so that they may donate their bodies once they die and the facility opens.
There will be a public meeting to discuss concerns on the project at Lithia-Pinecrest Elementary on Thursday, April 23 at 6 p.m.