The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Land O' Lakes News

In the Loop wants more hours, live music

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Owners of In the Loop Brewing want to expand the hours of operation and bring live music performances to their outdoor beer garden.

It’s about staying competitive in the local market and building on their success, they say.

Members of the Pasco County Planning Commission approved both requests at its June 7 meeting in New Port Richey.

In the Loop Brewing owners Mark Pizzurro, left, Peter Abreut and Joe Traina stand by the outdoor serving window at their Land O’ Lakes brewery.

The Pasco County Commission, which has the final word, is likely to consider the matter at its July 11 meeting in New Port Richey.

In the Loop opened in 2016 at 3338 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in a restored two-story home, with an on-site brewery, tap and tasting room. A landscaped beer garden, with a deck, overlooks Lake Padgett and its lakefront residences.

As approved by the planning commission, In the Loop could operate from 7 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Live music would be allowed from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Monday through Friday; and, from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Noise levels which currently apply to recorded music would remain the same, and also would apply to live music. Those levels are equivalent to conversational speech, background music or an air conditioner, according to comparative decibel charts.

“We want to be able to offer the same hours of other breweries,” said In the Loop co-owner Joe Traina.

The live music would be “acoustic guitar playing” – typically on weekends – that suits the relaxed atmosphere of In the Loop, he added.

“We want to be good neighbors,” Traina said.

A wooden deck in the beer garden of In the Loop Brewing overlooks Lake Padgett.

County staff members had recommended an increase in operating hours, but not as many as the planning commission.

County staff recommended against live music.

No one spoke against the proposal at the June 7 public hearing.

In the Loop started with a friendship and a home-brewing hobby in a garage on Cherbourg Loop.

In 2016, Traina, Mark Pizzurro and Peter Abreut took the leap and opened their brewery.

Traina said they want In the Loop to be a catalyst for redevelopment in Land O’ Lakes, along U.S. 41.

“We want a nice, classy place like in Seminole Heights, in Tampa,” Traina said.

In the Loop is a destination on beer bus tours organized by Tampa Bay Brewing Tours, with headquarters on Florida Avenue in the Seminole Heights’ neighborhood.

Yoga classes are held every other Sunday in the beer garden.

Chambers of commerce and other organizations want to use the business for breakfasts, parties and special events, Traina said. Current operating hours can’t accommodate that, he said.

At present, In the Loop is closed on Monday and Tuesday. It opens at 4 p.m. on Wednesday through Saturday, and, at noon on Sunday. Current closing times are 10 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday; 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8 p.m. on Sunday.

Published June 14, 2017

Land O’ Lakes site aims to improve forensic research

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Pasco County had a dedication ceremony for a 5-acre field that will be used to advance forensic research and aid in criminal investigations.

The “body farm” is next to the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, off U.S. 41. A separate forensics and training facility also is being planned near the body farm site.

A monument sign was unveiled on May 12 at a dedication ceremony for the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field. The ‘body farm’ is part of a project to build a forensics research and training center next to Pasco County’s jail.
(Courtesy of Pasco County Sheriff’s Office)

The field has been named the Adam Kennedy Forensics Field, in honor of the former principal of Crews Lake Middle School, who died in a car accident while driving to work in January.

His body was the first one donated to the body farm.

“There is so much bittersweet about this,” said Abigail Kennedy, the principal’s wife, as she spoke during a May 12 ceremony.

Officials from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office, county commissioners, and Dr. Erin Kimmerle of the University of South Florida’s Institute of Forensic Anthropology & Applied Science (IFAAS) also were there, as the sign for the field was unveiled.

Adam Kennedy wanted to leave his body to science, Abigail Kennedy said, noting that before her husband died, the couple had discussed possible options, including donating to a medical school.

She said her husband wanted to do something “dedicated to making people’s lives better.”

She contacted USF about the plans underway for the body farm and forensics facility to ask if her husband’s body could be the first donation.

“All I could think was this couldn’t be more perfect,” she said. “This is so cool. This is so Adam.”

The campus of the Florida Forensics Institute for Research & Tactical Training, or F.I.R.S.T., is expected to become a national and international hub for research in the field of forensic science.

The body farm and forensics facility will be the seventh in the nation to study body decomposition as a tool in solving crimes, and identifying victims of murder or other trauma.

The University of Tennessee, in Knoxville, opened the first facility of this type during the 1970s.

The former principal’s body will be buried and later exhumed for research.

So far, about 30 people have preregistered with USF for body donations.

Project partners include the sheriff’s office, Pasco County, Pasco-Hernando State College and the IFAAS.

Kimmerle and USF are well-known for their work in identifying bodies found in unmarked graves at the former Dozier School for Boys in Marianna.

The forensics building at F.I.R.S.T. will be the Thomas Varnadoe Forensic Center for Education and Research. Varnadoe’s body was among those recovered and identified at the grave site at the Dozier school.

Pasco’s campus will include a laboratory, classrooms, a morgue and evidence storage. Virtual autopsies with 3-D scanning and chemical isotope analysis will be done. Other activities will focus on legal medicine, forensic intelligence, aviation reconstruction and cyber forensics.

A tactical training facility for the sheriff’s K-9 unit and the Pasco Unified SWAT team also is planned.

About $200,000 in funding for this facility is being aided through a local campaign spearheaded by the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel.

State funds of about $4.3 million for the forensics and research facility are included in the 2018 budget approved by Florida legislators. But, as of The Laker/Lutz News’ publication deadline, Gov. Rick Scott had not yet decided whether to sign the budget bill.

Scott has expressed displeasure with the budget and could opt to use his line item veto, veto the education portion of the budget or veto the entire budget.

The project will go forward whatever the decision, according to sheriff’s office officials. If the appropriation isn’t approved this year, another request will be made in the 2019 state budget or other sources of money will be sought, they said.

Published May 31, 2017

Efforts to begin to ease area congestion

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Traffic is a mess at the Interstate 75 interchange with State Road 56.

On the plus side, that’s an indicator that new development in the area is boosting Pasco County’s economy.

More of that development is on the way.

But, it’s putting more people and more vehicles on inadequate roads.

The diverging diamond interchange includes lanes that crisscross, fewer traffic signals and signage to help ease traffic congestion. This aerial shows this type of traffic pattern at such an interchange in Missouri.
(File)

A project set to start in 2018 is expected to help reduce the traffic snarls at the I-75/State Road 56 interchange.

“There are huge amounts of traffic being generated,” said Ryan Forrestel, principal at American Consulting Engineers.

A traffic analysis found that during daily rush hours, vehicles are backed up for 1 mile to 2½ miles.

Most motorists are waiting at traffic signals to make left turns onto I-75, or off of it.

During a May 23 session, Forrestel provided a timeline for the construction of a $24.1 million diverging diamond interchange that is expected to relieve traffic.

He made his remarks to a gathering of about 30 people, at an event hosted by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce at the Mercedes-Benz automobile dealership, off State Road 56.

The meeting was focused on providing information to owners and operators of area businesses.

“We want to make sure they are well-prepared for what is coming,” said Hope Allen, the chamber’s president.

The chamber’s website also will provide up-to-date information on the project as it becomes available.

The project, which at one time had a 2020 start date, now has a construction start date of fall 2018.

A traffic analysis by American Consulting Engineers found traffic at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange can back up 1 mile to 2½ miles during daily rush hours.

Design and planning are expected to be finished by January 2018, and construction bids are scheduled to go out in June 2018.

The project’s construction is expected to take 18 months to 36 months.

Pasco County’s diverging diamond will be Florida’s second.

Two weeks ago, Sarasota became the first to open a diverging diamond on I-75, at University Parkway.

Licia Tavalaiccio plans a visit to see her daughter who lives in Sarasota. While she’s there, she wants a first-hand experience of test driving a diverging diamond interchange.

“I’m excited to go down there and see how it actually flows,” she said.

Being informed about the interchange is also a necessity for the Realtor who works with clients looking to invest in Pasco County property and new businesses. “When they are coming into our area, traffic is going to affect their decisions to purchase in the area,” Tavalaiccio said.

The diverging diamond interchange accommodates multiple lanes of traffic that crisscross from one side to another, with limited traffic signals. Road signs and marked off lanes help direct motorists through the interchange.

Forrestel said no additional right of way will be needed for construction.

The bridge that crosses I-75 won’t be widened, he said, but it will be redesigned to handle traffic coming to and from the I-75 ramps.

Additional lanes will be added to the ramps along with road signs and lane markers. Speed limits will drop to 35 mph on the approach to the interchange.

With fewer traffic signals, Forrestel said, “All turns are free flowing, to the right or to the left.”

In fact, he added, the diverging diamond works best where signalized left-turns dominate. “In other places, they are terrible solutions.”

Supporters of the design say it eases congestion, prevents wrong-way entry onto ramps and reduces crashes.

No daytime lane closures are planned. However, lanes will be shifted to accommodate construction, said Forrestel.

There will be some lane closures at night, he added.

The first phase of construction likely will be the installation of retaining walls surrounding the interchange. They will vary in height from 5 feet to 30 feet.

The completion of construction can’t come soon enough for area business owners.

Britt Young, franchise owner of Chick-fil-A, which fronts State Road 56 by Tampa Premium Outlets, said even employees who live nearby report 20-minute commutes simply to get across I-75.

He hopes the diverging diamond is the right solution.

“We need the flow of traffic to move,” Young said. “It allows for growth on both sides of the interstate. Economically, it’s what we all want.”

Published May 31, 2017

Land O’ Lakes gets a bus circulator route

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Local buses will begin making stops along the first circulator route to serve Land O’ Lakes.

For the first week, from May 22 to May 27, rides will be free.

A ribbon cutting ceremony at the Land O’ Lakes Community Park at 5104 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., will take place May 18 at 9 a.m. Ceremonies will be in the pavilion by the southwest corner of the parking lot.

Riders can try out the first Land O’ Lakes circulator route for free, from May 22 through May 27.
(Courtesy of Pasco County)

Buses will run hourly, but service to a few stops, such as the Florida Hospital at Connerton and the Land O’ Lakes Detention Center, will be intermittent.

The route will circulate from County Line Road to Central Boulevard, and will follow State Road 54 to Collier Parkway. Passengers can transfer to the Pasco County Public Transit buses on Route 54 to reach other parts of the county.

Pasco County commissioners are committed to a strong transportation system that connects people with government agencies, parks, schools, shopping and jobs, said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, in a press release from the county.

“The new Route 41 is another example of that commitment,” Moore said.

Stops along the way will include Walmart, the Central Pasco Chamber of Commerce, the post office and Land O’ Lakes High School. A stop at the Target Super Store on North Dale Mabry Highway will allow passengers to transfer to buses operated by the Hillsborough County Area Regional Transit system, known as HART.

The Land O’ Lakes circular route is the third new route in 2017. Estimated costs were about $300,000 for annual operating costs, and a one-time purchase of a bus for about $110,000.

Two other new routes along State Road 54 and in the Moon Lake area of New Port Richey already are operating.

Published May 17, 2017

Efforts continue for Ridge Road permit

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The long process of winning approval for a permit to build an 8-mile extension of Ridge Road could yield a decision from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers within 14 months or less, according to a consulting firm hired by Pasco County.

The Army Corps identified one of 17 proposed routes as “the least environmentally damaging practicable alternative,” as stated in an April 27 letter to county officials and the Florida Department of Transportation.

Ridge Road dead-ends in west Pasco County at the intersection with Moon Lake Road and Decubellis Road. The county wants to extend Ridge Road from west Pasco to U.S. 41 for an evacuation route.
(Kathy Steele)

“That’s very important,” said Dwight Beranek, senior advisor at Washington D.C.-based Dawson & Associates. “(It) allows the county to focus all of its attention and energy on one project as opposed to 17.”

Beranek gave Pasco County commissioners an update on the status of the county’s permit application at the May 9 meeting in Dade City.

The proposed route would be a four-lane, partially elevated road cutting through a portion of the Serenova Preserve. It would link Ridge Road, which dead-ends at Moon Lake Road and Decubellis Road in New Port Richey, to U.S. 41 in Land O’ Lakes. The eastern portion would come out opposite Connerton Boulevard, the main entrance into the master-planned community of Connerton. An interchange at Suncoast Parkway also would be built.

Pasco County officials give high priority to the road extension as an evacuation route during hurricanes and other emergencies. But, a permit has eluded them for nearly 19 years at a cost of at least $15 million.

County commissioners on May 2 approved an additional $404,000 for a month-to-month contract with Dawson & Associates.

Environmentalists vehemently oppose the Ridge Road extension, citing potential harm to a conservation area, as well as flooding and water pollution worries. They also say the project is more about opening the Serenova to development than about providing an evacuation route.

A Facebook page, Save the Serenova Preserve from the Road to Nowhere, is a rallying site for opponents who have been meeting on the matter for the past months.

“We will fight this with every legal option at our disposal,” said Tim Martin, chairman of the conservation committee for the Suncoast Sierra Club. “We’re trying to organize resistance. I think a lot of people are frustrated and upset by the developments.”

Dawson & Associates will aid the county in the next months on documents that detail construction and environmental impacts to the route identified by the Army Corps. At the same time, a modification also is needed on a prior permit from the Southwest Florida Water Management District, known as Swiftmud.

“There’s a lot of different activities left to be done,” said Beranek. But, he added, that the county is “well-positioned” to move forward to what hopefully will be a favorable decision.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore pushed for a commitment sooner than 14 months to get an updated permit from Swiftmud and construction permit from the Army Corps.

“I don’t see it taking that long,” Moore said.

Published May 17, 2017

Solutions sought for Pasco’s congestion

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A task force that will help decide the future of State Road 54 and State Road 56 has taken preliminary steps to set up a schedule and agree on a list of potential road designs meant to improve traffic along the busy corridors.

The 17-member task force will serve as advisory board to the Pasco County Metropolitan Planning Organization. It held an organizational meeting on April 20 at Rasmussen College, off State Road 54. About 25 people from the community were there, too.

This is the second of a three-part study to find traffic solutions to ease congestion, improve safety and increase mobility along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor — that is exploding with new development and increasing traffic.

Vehicles stack up during rush hours as motorists travel on State Road 54 and approach the intersection with U.S. 41.
(Kathy Steele)

The entire study area includes the corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east to U.S. 19 on the west.

This phase of the study will focus primarily on two intersections: Little Road and State Road 54 in New Port Richey, and U.S. 41 and State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

“We are reaching an important stage of development in this,” said Kris Hughes, the county’s planning and development director. “We are looking forward to what this process produces.”

Three meetings in total are planned in 2017. The second meeting will be in August, with a final meeting in October. At least two additional meetings are planned for 2018, but no dates are scheduled.

The task force replaces two previous task forces, each representing east and west sides of Pasco. They met during phase one of the project, and recommended six major highway and transit alternatives, five complementary alternatives and a no-build option.

The new task force will explore those options in more detail and whittle the list to three or four alternatives, and the no-build option.

“Do nothing? Well, that’s not going to work,” said task force member Jack Buckley.

Choices under review include designs for elevated lanes and redesigns at the ground level. Some options include dedicated lanes for buses and others don’t.

Sorting out how disruptive some designs can be to business and property owners will be a factor in choosing which direction to take, Buckley said.

Access on and off the roadway and the distances between on-off ramps are important, said Kim Brinkley-Seyer. She is principal of The Seyer Group in Lakewood Ranch in Sarasota.

“I am very concerned,” she said during public comment. “It is about moving people, but you have businesses and people along the way. That’s got to be a factor. You take the access, and it’s gone.”

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s MPO, Florida Department of Transportation, and consultants from AECOM will assist in the study.

Published April 26, 2017

Apartments an option for Northpointe Village

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The Northpointe Village shopping center could get a 300-unit apartment complex, on a vacant parcel with rental appeal for employees of Mettler Toledo.

The Swiss-manufacturer broke ground in January on a 250,000-square-foot plant, within Northpointe. The plant is expected to bring about 500 jobs into Pasco County, with about 185 of them being new jobs for the company.

Northpointe Village is a walkable ‘main street’ village concept with offices and shops, off State Road 54 at Suncoast Parkway. Apartments would add a residential component to the development.
(Kathy Steele)

Members of the Pasco County Development Review Committee recommended approval of the apartments at their March 30 meeting in New Port Richey. The matter now goes to the Pasco County commissioners for a final vote.

Letters of support came from the board of directors of the North Pointe at Suncoast Crossings Owners Association, and Mettler Toledo.

Mettler’s General Manager Viggo Nielsen wrote that the apartments may provide “convenient on-site housing for employees and a good mixed-use development that we hope will thrive for many years.”

The rezoning requested by Land Investment Partners would only affect the eastern portion of a master plan for Suncoast Crossings. The development is divided into east and west sides, with separate owners of each side.

Northpointe is a mixed use office and retail complex at the southeast corner of State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway. The complex is laid out as a walkable “main street” village with shops, offices and restaurants. Renaissance Inn and Hilton Garden Inn also are on-site, as well as TRU Simulation, a manufacturer of flight simulators and a pilot training center.

The Pasco Economic Development Council, which partners with the county on job creation, also has its offices in Northpointe.

The western side of Suncoast Crossings includes the Suncoast shopping center, offices and residential neighborhoods.

Despite efforts to market the Northpointe parcel for non-residential purposes, developers and investors showed no interest, said Clarke Hobby, a land use attorney representing Land Investment Partners.

They repeatedly said the location lacked direct access and visibility to State Road 54

Hobby said, “We think multifamily makes good sense, and it is consistent with market demand. What (Northpointe) doesn’t have and what the retail village has struggled with is multifamily or higher density to get it moving.”

Suncoast Parkway, at State Road 54, is attracting investment for several projects after languishing through the economic downturn.

The master-planned community of Bexley North is under construction on the north side of State Road 54, across from Northpointe. Also, on the north side of the state highway, two more residential and commercial developments are planned adjacent to Bexley and the Suncoast Trail.

If approved, the rezoning for Northpointe would add apartments as a use while retaining office, research and light industrial for another portion of the same site.

Hobby said the focus remains on attracting office and light industrial, and creating jobs. “We’re aggressively pursuing opportunities,” he said.

Future development could include about 225,000 square feet of Class A offices, as well as one or two hotels, he added.

Pasco County plans to build an extension of Northpointe Village Drive as part of an incentive package of about $7.6 million for Mettler Toledo.

Northpointe’s owners will contribute more than $250,000 to the project. That could be reduced by 15 percent if Pasco receives a state reimbursement of about $1.2 million for the estimated $3.2 million road project.

Published April 19, 2017

Emergency medical help coming to Central Pasco

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Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is again expanding its services, this time setting up a freestanding emergency department in Land O’ Lakes.

This is what Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel’s new emergency facility, being built off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, will look like.
(Courtesy of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel)

The facility, which is expected to be completed by January of 2018, will bring emergency medical assistance closer to residents of Central Pasco County. The new 18,000-square-foot center will be near the entrance to Bexley, a new community being built off of State Road 54, just east of the Suncoast Parkway in Pasco County.

The facility will offer full-service emergency care, 24 hours a day, and will be staffed by board-certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses that are highly trained in emergency care.

The 24-bed facility also will have state-of-the-art on-site imaging services such as X-ray, ultrasound, CT scans and laboratory services.

Dignitaries gathered at the site for an April 6 formal groundbreaking ceremony.

Speakers included Denyse Bales-Chubb, president and CEO of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore and Pasco County Fire Chief Timothy Reardon.

From left, Timothy Reardon, Mike Moore and Mike Schultz, were among the speakers at the formal groundbreaking ceremony for a new freestanding emergency room being built in Land O’ Lakes.

“Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is committed to our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ,” Bales-Chubb said. “With that mission, we need to make sure that we have emergency services that are convenient to where our community lives and works.

“This facility will provide the same quality care that our patients receive at our main campus,” she said.

Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore enthusiastically welcomed the addition of the new facility to Central Pasco.

“It seems like yesterday that we were just breaking ground at the expansion of the Wesley Chapel Florida Hospital facility,” Moore said. “Here we grow again.”

He called Florida Hospital an extraordinary community partner for residents of Pasco County, a true leader in health and wellness, and a great job creator for the county.

Dignitaries prepare to throw a shovel of dirt to signify the beginning of construction for a new freestanding emergency room for Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, expected to open in Land O’ Lakes in January 2018.

“We’re happy that you decided on Central Pasco at this location,” Moore said. “These off-site emergency rooms, they’re the future. We’re seeing them pop up around the nation.”

The location of the facility allows quality medical care to be within better reach of residents, Moore added.

“I’m excited about the freestanding ERs. It’s something that’s been working throughout the country,” Reardon said.

The new facility gives first responders another avenue of help for patients requiring emergency care.

He also noted the county’s growing needs, as its population increases in general, and there are more Baby Boomers, in particular.

The freestanding emergency room is being constructed by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, which is off of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, north of State Road 56.

That hospital, which opened in October 2012, recently completed a massive expansion which involved 111, 993 square feet of new construction and 10,834 square feet of renovation.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel is part of the Adventist Health System, a not-for-profit health network comprised of 26 hospitals throughout the state.

To find out more about the hospital, visit FHWesleyChapel.org.

Published April 12, 2017

Task force on traffic issues starts up again

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A 17-member volunteer task force will pick up where two previous task forces left off — drilling down into the details of tackling traffic issues along State Road 54/State Road 56.

Much of the discussion is expected to center on traffic issues at State Road 54 and Little Road, and at State Road 54 and U.S. 41.

Little Road is seen as more typical of congested intersections in the county.

The intersection of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 is the county’s busiest with more than 100,000 vehicles a day. It will be a focus of a task force seeking solutions to ease congestion and improve safety along the State Road 54 and State Road 56 corridor.
(File)

The U.S. 41 intersection, however, stands out because more than 100,000 vehicles pass through daily.

“It’s the most congested one in the whole county that we have,” said Ali Atefi, transportation engineer with Pasco County’s Metropolitan Planning Organization.

This is the second of a three-part study to find traffic solutions to ease congestion, improve safety and increase mobility along a corridor that has been a magnet for new residential and commercial development.

The entire study area includes the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, from Bruce B. Downs Boulevard on the east and U.S. 19 on the west.

Three meetings will be held in 2017, with the first on April 20 at Rasmussen College. Additional meetings will be scheduled in 2018 to fully complete the study’s second phase.

As part of these efforts, the Florida Department of Transportation is expected to fund a detailed analysis and evaluation of the State Road 54 and U.S. 41 intersection, likely in 2018.

It is the only segment with funding, but Atefi said additional money is being sought for other road segments, including Little Road.

Many members of this task force participated in the West Task Force and East Task Force that kicked off meetings in late 2015. They met separately to consider different segments of the roadway.

In April 2016, the task forces made almost identical recommendations after considering 19 alternatives.

At the April 20 meeting, Atefi said, “We’ll give them feedback on where we are now. And, we want to reconcile all of the alternatives and have one list moving forward.”

Initial solutions included redesigning roads at ground level, building flyovers, using frontage roads and by-passes, and a no-build option.

Three or four alternatives will be chosen from a recommended list of six major highway and transit alternatives, five complementary alternatives, and a no-build option.

Representatives from Pasco County Planning and Development, the county’s MPO, FDOT, and consultants from AECOM will be on hand to take comments and answer questions.

What: Vision 54/56 Phase 2 Task Force meeting
Where: Rasmussen College, 18600 Fernview St., Land O’ Lakes
When: April 20 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Free, open to the public

Published April 12, 2017

Shoe Carnival steps into Land O’ Lakes

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Shoe Carnival will host a grand opening in the Village Lakes Shopping Center on April 1, real estate officials with the shoe company have announced.

That’s no April Fool’s Day joke.

The store is planning a soft opening a few days before, on March 27.

The new shoe shop will be located in a suite next door to Ross Dress for Less.

Shoe Carnival is planning a grand opening in a storefront next to Ross Dress for Less, at the Village Lakes Shopping Center in Land O’ Lakes.
(Kathy Steele)

Construction workers are busy getting the approximately 7,800-square-foot store ready for its debut.

Village Lakes Shopping Center opened in the 1980s.

Former occupants in the center included Walmart and Sweetbay Supermarket, which formerly was Kash n Karry.

Center tenants now include Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls, You Fit Health Club, Dollar Tree and Beef O’ Brady’s.

The national chain shoe store conducts research to determine locations, largely zeroing in on “underserved” markets, said Jeff Fink, vice president of Shoe Carnival’s real estate department.

“We liked the shopping center, and we liked the community,” Fink said.

Other Shoe Carnival stores in the region operate in Tampa, Bradenton, Brandon, Largo, St. Petersburg and Spring Hill.

Published March 29, 2017