New Maaco coming to Land O’ Lakes
Come January, yet another shop will open where Land O’ Lakes residents can get car work done.
New franchise owner Kristen Andreani is opening her first Maaco location at 4107 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., according to company spokeswoman Betsy McDonald.
Maaco, founded in 1972, has more than 450 franchises across North America through its Charlotte, North Carolina-based Maaco Franchising LLC.
It would become Pasco’s second Maaco location, joining one on U.S. 19 in New Port Richey. The only other close Maaco location is at East Fowler Avenue in Tampa.
New retail planned for U.S. 41
Property along Land O’ Lakes Boulevard that has been vacant for more than 30 years may soon get a tenant.
Robert Sharp has requested a meeting with Pasco County building officials to discuss a 5,100-square-foot retail building for 3714 Land O’ Lakes Boulevard. That’s property located just north of Copperstone Executive Suites, across the street from the RaceTrac gas station.
Sharp didn’t share details on what he had planned for that space, but did ask for drive aisles.
The land is a little more than a half-acre, and was sold to the Fay B. Norton Family Trust in 2005 for $375,000. Late last year, the estate of Brendan Norton transferred the land to three members of the Norton family through an executor’s deed. That estate picked up the land through a trustee’s deed in 2012.
The land itself is on the market, listed through Bales Properties Inc., for $199,000.
Buffalo Wild Wings on its way
Land is getting pretty expensive along State Road 56, which is exactly what the owner of the Buffalo Wild Wings chain found out late last month.
AMC Wesley Chapel Real Estate Inc., a company affiliated with Buffalo Wild Wings owner Diversified Restaurant Holdings Inc., purchased a little more than 2.5 acres of land along State Road 56 just east of Cypress Ridge Boulevard for $2.3 million. That’s a price just north of $903,000 an acre.
The developer has plans to put the land to good use, however. AMC is seeking final approval to build a 6,400-square-foot restaurant on the site, with an 800-foot patio, with direct access to State Road 56. Buffalo Wild Wings got initial approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission earlier this month, and will seek to get the same from the full Pasco County Commission in January.
This would become the second Buffalo Wild Wings in Pasco County after the State Road 54 location in New Port Richey. Other locations are in Ybor City and Tampa’s Westchase area, according to the restaurant’s website.
Developers have not said when construction will begin, or when the restaurant would open.
Orthodontist looks to build at Wesley Chapel hospital
Developers are looking to build a three-story office building just in front of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel on land connected to a local orthodontist.
Armando Cabre, of Cabre Engineering LLC, is set to meet with county officials behind closed doors next week to discuss plans to build a 16,000-square-foot medical office building on 1.8 acres of land just north of State Road 56 along Bruce B. Downs Boulevard.
Cabre doesn’t mention who is interested in developing the land, but it’s owned by Lismark Holdings LLC, a company connected to New Tampa orthodontist Mark Farina, the owner of Farina Orthodontics located on Amberly Drive, as well as a second location in South Tampa.
Lismark, according to county property records, purchased the land in November 2013 for $1.28 million.
The vacant land currently is zoned for commercial, and is part of a larger sector of land the Porter family — who control the Wiregrass Ranch development — have designated for primarily medical uses to help complement the Wesley Chapel hospital.
No other details were shared about the facility, except that some of the project would be set aside to construct a drive-thru ATM somewhere in the future.
It’s not clear if Farina plans to use space in the office himself, or if he’s building to attract other medical professionals. He did not return an email request for comment last week.
It’s likely too early to talk a construction start date just yet, since meeting with county officials typically is a preliminary step in the development process.
In-home nutrition business opens
Living Path Nutrition has opened in Wesley Chapel, providing in-home nutrition consultations for individuals, families and groups. Services there include individual and group nutrition coaching, pantry makeovers, and clean-eating parties.
A registered and licensed dietitian and nutritionist provides the service.
For information, call Kim Chism at (813) 344-6534, or visit LivingPathNutrition.com.
West Winds now Rosecastle of Zephyrhills
Just two months after picking up a new owner, West Winds Assisted Living Facility in Zephyrhills is no more.
The 75-bed for-profit facility is now called Rosecastle of Zephyrhills, according to a posting on the facility’s Facebook page.
Rosecastle, located at 37411 Eiland Blvd., was sold Oct. 1 to Sabra Health Care Holdings III, which lists its address in Irvine, California, according to Pasco County property records. West Winds Prime LLC was the seller, and managed the property through carious companies since West Winds opened in 2008.
Sabra is a real estate investment trust that acquires senior citizen housing, memory care and skilled nursing facilities around the country. It purchased West Winds for $10.2 million, adding it to six skilled nursing facilities and three senior housing facilities Sabra purchased through the first half of 2014 for $141.5 million, according to filings at the time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
It remains Pasco’s third-largest real estate transaction. Topping that list was the $36.1 million sale of the Arlington at Northwood apartment complex in Wesley Chapel, followed by the $16 million sale of more than 330 acres of land in Wiregrass Ranch to make way for a proposed 550-home subdivision.
Volunteer tax preparers needed
United Way of Pasco County is looking for help this coming tax season with volunteer tax preparers.
Last year, more than 8,000 county residents used United Way’s tax preparation service, and received more than $8 million in total refunds.
Those interested in being a tax preparer does not require experience, and comes with comprehensive training.
For more information, visit UnitedWayPasco.org.
