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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

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Ramped-up activity expected soon on Moffitt’s Pasco campus 

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The official groundbreaking for Speros FL — Moffitt Cancer Center’s Pasco campus — happened a few weeks ago and construction activities are expected to ramp up soon.

“We’re starting to put some shovels in the ground,” said John Allgeier, senior director of the Pasco real estate development for the Moffitt Cancer Center expansion project.

“It’s exciting to see it start going,” added Allgeier, during remarks at the Feb. 7 North Tampa Bay Chamber breakfast meeting.

The first phase of the 775-acre campus will begin in the northwest corner of its property, near the Suncoast Parkway and Ridge Road.

“That’s where we’ll start our buildings,” Allgeier said. “We’re only going to build on probably 480 (acres) to 500 acres of the land.”

This rendering provides a visual of what Moffitt Cancer’s Speros FL campus is expected to look like, as the development takes shape. (Courtesy of Moffitt Cancer Center)

“The wetlands, they’re amenities, really,” he added, noting the idea is to provide views of nature for patients who are getting infusions, for instance, rather than have them stare at blank walls.

The Moffitt site is entitled for up to 24 million square feet of development, but Moffitt’s current master plan calls for about 13.5 million square feet of mixed uses, Allgeier said.

At full build out, the campus is expected to have about 140 buildings, which will be constructed according to design guidelines. At this point, no buildings over six stories are planned.

The campus will be divided into what Allgeier describes as “six neighborhoods,” with different types of uses in each one.

The vision is to create a community that will become a hub for international research, education and cutting-edge treatment.

There’s already a partnership between Moffitt and Pasco County Schools, involving the new 6-12 Angeline Academy of Innovation magnet school, 1 mile east of the Suncoast Parkway. The school is set to open in August, beginning with students in grades six through 10.

Ultimately, the mission of Speros FL, which when translated means ‘hope,’ is to find a cure for cancer, Allgeier said.

“It’s really beyond research and clinical. It’s really about collaboration. It’s about what partners can we bring in? What entrepreneurs? What innovators can we bring in to partner with us, to hopefully cure cancer and do other things in health care,” he said.

John Allgeier, a senior director of real estate development for Moffitt Cancer Center, spoke recently at the North Tampa Bay Chamber breakfast meeting about the new Moffitt campus planned in Pasco County.

“We obviously have a lot of pharma partners. We do cell therapy, cell manufacturing,” he said. Data centers, manufacturing and warehousing are other expected uses.

“All of these things support us, and then can collaborate with us,” he said.

Construction has begun on the road into Speros FL, and construction is expected to begin on the buildings in the middle of this year. Crews will be building roads, between 600,000 square feet to 700,000 square feet of buildings and parking garages — all at the same time, he said.

Initial plans call for a research building of about 300,000 square feet, with a wet lab.

There’s also an outpatient center of about 80,000 square feet and a proton therapy center of about 20,000 square feet.

Proton therapy, he said, “is kind of like radiation on steroids. It’s the newest thing,” Allgeier said.

Moffitt plans to bring in an office developer at the north end of its property to create a “dry lab” for researchers. “Dry lab” refers to where researchers work using computers and crunching data.

Plans also call for bringing many of Moffitt’s administrative employees, who are now working at scattered leased spaces in Tampa, to the Pasco campus.

Allgeier estimated that about 35% of Moffitt’s current employees already live in Pasco.

For many others, the commute won’t be much different than the one they already make to Moffitt’s location at the University of South Florida, he said.

Of course, that won’t be true for everyone, he said. “Some live in Ruskin, they’re going to be a little bit upset.”

Planning for what happens on the Speros campus has been in the works for about two years, Allgeier said.

Finding the property took about a decade, he said.

Selecting this particular site began around 2016, when Moffitt was working with the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., he said.

In addition to working with Pasco EDC, Moffitt worked with Pasco County, the state of Florida and Metro Development, the developers of Angeline, a new city that’s rising around the Moffitt site.

Moffitt closed on its property in 2019.

“Now, here we are. We’re getting a lot of interest,” Allgeier said.

Besides playing a pivotal role in cancer research, Moffitt is expected to create a sizable economic impact, from its workforce and from the other companies that are attracted to the Pasco campus.

Allgeier said he expects there will be a couple of thousand people working on the Speros FL campus, when it opens, which is expected in late 2025 or early 2026.

He also expects Moffitt — which has several locations — to continue to grow.

Moffitt currently has 8,500 employees, Allgeier said. Its workforce is likely to double by 2030, based on its current growth estimates, he said.

Pasco approves conduit loan
The Pasco County Commission has approved a request by Moffitt Cancer Center for a conduit bond, which allows Moffitt to borrow funds at a tax-exempt rate.
Moffitt plans to use the conduit bond to borrow up to $400 million to develop its Pasco Campus.
The county is not responsible for the debt. Moffitt’s allocation of state cigarette tax will be used to pay the debt, according to Robert Goehig, the county’s budget director.
The IRS requires a public hearing to be conducted on the request and requires that the county board finds that the project is in the public’s best interests.
No one spoke during the public comment portion of the public hearing on Feb. 7 and the county board unanimously approved Moffitt’s request.

Published February 22, 2023

Candidates vie in Zephyrhills’ elections

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Voters in Zephyrhills will choose a new mayor and will decide who should fill City Council Seat 2 in an April 11 election.

Three candidates are vying to be the city’s next mayor and incumbent W. Alan Knight is facing a challenge from Steve Spina, for Seat 2 council seat.

Zephyrhills residents will decide whether to retain incumbent City Council Seat 2 member Alan Knight or replace him with Steve Spina in the April 11 municipal election. Residents also will choose the 21st mayor in city history. (Mike Camunas)

Spina is the former city manager for the City of Zephyrhills. He retired from that role in 2019.

Knight is a longtime Zephyrhills resident and educator working mainly in Pasco county schools as a teacher, coach and administrator for 35 years. He is seeking re-election to city council following his first term on the board.

Residents also will decide who will replace Mayor Gene Whitfield, who announced in December that he would not seek a fourth term.

Candidates to become mayor are Nick Deford, Melonie Bahr Monson and Martin Harm.

Deford is the lead pastor at Zephyrhills First Church of the Nazarene and has been a resident of Zephyrhills for eight years. His ministry has worked with nonprofit organizations such as the Zephyrhills/Wesley Chapel Ministerial Association and the Samaritan Project, and is active with Meals on Wheels of Pasco.

Monson is a Zephyrhills native who stepped away from her role as the CEO of The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce after eight years in September. She now works for her family business, Bahr’s Propane Gas and AC.

Harm is the treasurer for Main Street Zephyrhills and a national account manager for Sonitrol, an electronic commercial security system company.

The mayor position is largely ceremonial, with no voting power. The city council chooses a board president — in this case, Jodi Wilkeson — to run meetings. Lance Smith is the council’s vice president, while members Ken Burgess, Charles Proctor and Knight round out the council.

There also are eight proposed amendments to the city charter on the ballot. Most are minor changes to election procedures and financial reporting requirements, with the main one changing the term length of mayor and council members from three years to four years.

Published February 22, 2023

W. Alan Knight
Dr. Steve Spina
Melonie Monson
Martin Harm
Nick Deford

More code enforcement officers needed, official says

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He hasn’t been on the Pasco County Commission long, but there’s one thing that Commissioner Gary Bradford has already noticed.

Pasco County Commissioner Gary Bradford says the need for more code enforcement officers is high, as codes are being enforced. (Mike Camunas)

The county needs more code enforcement officers, at least in Bradford’s opinion.

“We have rules in place and we’re not enforcing them,” Bradford said.

When rules aren’t enforced, Bradford said, “they’re just words on a piece of paper, (words) on a computer screen.”

Bradford, who is in his early days in office, acknowledged that he isn’t an expert yet on the county’s budget process.

Still, he added: “I don’t know if there’s a way that we could start looking at adding additional code enforcement officers now, but I think if any area of the county government needs help, it’s code enforcement.”

“You just can’t go to somebody who comes to work and say, ‘Here’s 10 things to do today. And by the way, tomorrow here’s 15 and then 20.’ There’s a point where the balls will get dropped, not by our code enforcement officers — but just by the volume of more responsibilities.

“We need to do something about that, sooner rather than later,” Bradford said, during the county board’s Feb. 7 meeting.

During the same meeting, commissioners:

  • Approved a mixed-use master-planned project on a 17-acre site, south of Shettle Road and east of U.S. 41, in Land O’ Lakes. Development plans call for 40,000 square feet of office, 25,000 square feet of commercial/retail and 341 apartments.
  • Approved the second one-year renewal of the agreement for general state lobbying services with Shawn Foster, LLC d/b/a Sunrise Consulting Group (Sunrise Group), effective Dec. 30, 2022  through Dec. 29, 2023, and additional purchasing authority in the Not to Exceed (NTE) amount of $60,000 for the extension comprised of $45,000 for fiscal year 2023; and $15,000 for fiscal year 2024, resulting in a cumulative NTE amount of $180,000 for the term of the contract. The additional amount requested includes $15,000 for unauthorized expenditures from Oct.1, 2022 through Dec. 31, 2022.
  • Appointed Dr. Lori Romano to the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Board, as recommended by the Pasco-Hernando Workforce Board Executive Committee.
  • Approved a contract to allow the Senior Services Division to receive funds in the amount of $121,238 to provide meals to eligible elderly individuals. The state of Florida provides funding to expand long-term care alternatives, enabling elders to maintain an acceptable quality of life in their own homes and avoid or delay nursing home placement. Senior Services receives the funds, channeled  through the Area Agency on Aging of Pasco Pinellas, Inc., to provide elders with congregate and home-delivered meals.

Published February 22, 2023

It was their ‘Night to Shine’

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They wore dresses and tuxes. 

They walked the red carpet.

They laughed, they smiled and they cheered.

Then, they danced the night away.

Lily Madden, left, and Alastair Spivey raise their arms in recognition and joy of being announced while walking the red carpet at the ‘Night to Shine’ Prom on Feb. 10, at Cypress Creek Middle in Wesley Chapel. Every special needs attendee was able to stroll down the red carpet into the three-hour dance event being held in Pasco County for the first time. (Mike Camunas)

Hundreds attended “Night to Shine,” a prom for people with special needs, held on Feb. 10 at Cypress Creek Middle School in Wesley Chapel.

The idea was to give prom-goers a chance to have a night to remember, at the event being held for the first time in Pasco County.

Grace Community Church, based in Wesley Chapel, hosted the event, with Pastor Jeff Olsen acting as master of ceremonies.

“Night to Shine,” initiated by The Tim Tebow Foundation in 2014, is held simultaneously at venues across the country.

The foundation and local sponsors provide food and entertainment, and as the event approaches its end, a special video message from Tebow and his wife is played for the crowd.

Guests sign up to attend the prom, but there is one caveat: they don’t have a date. Instead, volunteers sign up to be a guest’s “buddy” for the night. Each prom guest spends the evening dancing, dining and enjoying the evening with their “date.”

At the Feb. 10 event in Wesley Chapel, guests attired in formalwear arrived in limos and other fancy rides provided by Lexus of Wesley Chapel.

They were announced to the crowd, as they walked the red carpet into the gym.

Upbeat music played at the three-hour event, which unlike other proms — had no official king and queen.

Instead, a crown or tiara was placed on every guest’s head, and then most of them — even those in wheelchairs — went right back to making dance moves.

Published February 22, 2023

Amaya Westray dances, and jumps, with joy during the ‘Night to Shine’ Prom, an event to give those with special needs a special night. Hundreds of people with special needs donned formal wear, walked the red carpet and then danced the night away on Feb. 10 in the gym at Cypress Creek Middle School, in Wesley Chapel.
Madison Boatright, left, is having a blast while dancing on Feb. 10, with her ‘Night to Shine’ buddy, Haley Krupnick, at the Cypress Creek Middle School gym. Boatright, Krupnick and hundreds of others attended the prom specifically for those with special needs. Although at the school, Grace Community Church of Wesley Chapel hosted the event.
Robby Sanderson shows off his dance moves, as he takes center stage at the ‘Night to Shine’ Prom on Feb. 10.
The joy was obvious, as prom-goers who have special needs, and their buddies, danced the night way at the Cypress Creek Middle School gym.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jake McDaniel, left, gets honky tonk while dancing with his buddy, Serena Neumann.
Keely Hamilton, left, escorts John Agao down the red carpet into ‘Night to Shine,’ a prom for people with special needs.
Robert Bagdonas, left, and Mary Roush smile big as they’re announced on the red carpet.
Melissa Janicke waves with the pose of a prom queen while strolling the red carpet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Karol Fogel and Raymond Oldham show off some dance moves at ‘Night to Shine.’
Sarah Miller, right, dances in line in front of the stage at the ‘Night to Shine’ Prom.
Demi Asensio, left, holds hands with Audrey Chin, to calm her nerves as she walks the red carpet at ‘Night to Shine.’
Morgan Roy, left, dances to her heart’s content during ‘Night to Shine,’ as her buddy, Jill Berendes, happily joins in.

Vote-by-mail ballots going out

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Vote-by-mail ballots for elections in the cities of Zephyrhills, Port Richey and New Port Richey will be mailed out on March 2 to voters with requests on file, according to a news release from the office of Brian Corley, Pasco County’s supervisor of elections.

Election Day in those municipalities is April 11.

Vote-by-mail requests previously remained in effect through two General Election cycles, but a change in state law in 2021 limited a request’s longevity to one election cycle.

Therefore, every vote-by-mail request expired on Jan. 1.

The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot for the Municipal Election is April 1.

Voted ballots must be returned to the elections’ office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

Please allow enough time for first-class delivery by the U.S. Postal Service, or you can bring your  ballot to any of the three Supervisor of Elections’ Offices in Pasco County.

Voted ballots also are accepted at city halls but may not be turned in at the polls on Election Day, the news release says. 

When making a request, voters will be required to provide specific information to order their mail ballot, including either their Florida driver license number, Florida identification card number, or the last four digits of their social security number.

The information provided is used to verify the voter’s identity. Requests can be made online at PascoVotes.gov or by calling 800-851-8754.

Voters who wish to vote in person before Election Day may vote at the New Port Richey, Port Richey and Zephyrhills city halls beginning March 6.

Voters are encouraged to ensure their voter registration is up to date, and if voting by mail, that a current signature is on file.   

Municipal elections are for voters residing within the city limits only. 

Sample ballots will be available online at PascoVotes.gov approximately 30 days prior to Election Day.

Election Day voter turnout and election results will be posted online at PascoVotes.gov after the polls close at 7 p.m.

Published February 22, 2023

Saddlebrook Resort redevelopment request delayed

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The Pasco County Commission is set to take up a request involving the redevelopment of Saddlebrook Resort at its April 4 meeting.

After several hours of testimony on Feb. 7, the board decided to delay the request until then, to provide more time to get questions answered and to give opposing parties a chance to seek resolution.

The issue involves a request by Miami-based Mast Capital to redevelop Saddlebrook, which opened in Wesley Chapel in 1981.

At its prime, Saddlebrook was known internationally for excellence in its golf facilities, with its two Arnold Palmer-designed courses and for its tennis facilities and programs.

Future plans for Saddlebrook Resort remain a topic of debate. (File)

Elite athletes flocked there to use the resort’s facilities, and its golf and tennis academies helped to prepare future champions.

But there’s consensus now that improvements are needed at the 40-year-plus facility to restore its former glory.

Contentious debate continues, however, over whether Mast Capital’s vision is the best way to move forward.

“I get the sense that we’re all at an impasse — the board members, Mast and their project, and the residents,” Commissioner Seth Weightman said.

He called for a continuance.

“I’d like to spend some more time, meet with the applicant — get some assurances and an understanding on what we’re looking like going forward, what the final plan is,” Weightman said.

Commissioner Ron Oakley said he hopes the delay will give opponents a chance to come closer to resolution.

“Somewhere in the middle is the right fix, for the residents and for Mast,” Oakley said, adding if they can find common ground in the middle, both sides can win.

During the Feb. 7 public hearing, the county board considered Mast Capital’s request to transmit its proposed land use change to the state Department of Economic Opportunity and other state agencies for review.

That’s just one step in the process, which also requires Mast Capital to obtain county board approvals of a proposed land use change and a revised Saddlebrook master plan.

Attorney Barbara Wilhite represents Mast Capital, which purchased Saddlebrook about 10 months ago, from Tom Dempsey, the original owner.

Wilhite explained Mast Capital’s proposed changes.

In broad strokes, the redevelopment plan has four parts: two areas are within Saddlebrook’s gated community and two outside, next to State Road 54.

The redevelopment calls for 105,000 square feet of commercial and retail entitlements — a 5,000-square-foot increase over its current entitlement. It also calls for an additional 55 beds for the existing golf and tennis academy; a 12,000-square-foot clubhouse; 155 townhomes; and 465 apartments.

Development along State Road 54 would include a mixture of commercial and residential uses in a walkable area featuring neighborhood parks, patio seating, a wide boulevard and other amenities, according to the proposal.

Plans also call for dual left-hand turning lanes leading out of the resort’s main entrance. Plus, an additional right-in/right-out access would serve the new development along State Road 54.

Jordan Kornberg, managing director and head of acquisitions for Mast Capital, explained the company’s vision for Saddlebrook, which is located off State Road 54, east of Interstate 75.

“We want it to be a world-class resort again. We want to prop up the golf academy, the tennis academy and really all of the existing components of that business are our focus.

“This will create jobs, significant economic benefit to the county and enhance the existing residents and the community,” he said.

Since acquiring Saddlebrook, Mast Capital has invested $5 million in capital improvements and expects to spend $5 million more this year, Kornberg said.

Bryce Swanson, a golf course architect for Rees Jones Inc., described plans for replacing the resort’s two 18-hole Arnold Palmer golf courses with three nine-hole courses.

Commission Chairman Jack Mariano, noting he’s recently played golf at Saddlebrook, spoke against the idea of reconfiguring the courses.

“Why can’t we just work to improve what’s there?” Mariano asked.

“The greens are in fantastic shape. The best I’ve seen them, maybe ever. That course is well-designed. It drains well, if it’s maintained,” Mariano said.

Swanson disagreed: “The golf course is in dire need of repair.

“The drainage system doesn’t work. The irrigation system is on Band-aids. Things need to be repaired,” he said.

One course can’t be used during the rainy season because the drainage is so poor, he said.

Swanson said his company told Mast Capital that putting things back to the way they were would be “more of a short-term fix.”

Saddlebrook resident Patrick Hogan said he and his wife purchased their home — with its views of holes 12, 13 and 14 — with the expectation it would stay that way.

“In our mind, we didn’t just buy a home with a golf course view. We bought a home with a Palmer golf course view. Rees Jones is very reputable, but they are not Arnold Palmer and we will no longer have Arnold Palmer courses.”

Hogan questioned how the resort could attract tournaments without an 18-hole course.

Kornberg said the new design has flexibility: two nine-hole courses could be combined for an 18-hole course.

Numerous residents urged the county board to reject the request.

Joann Barbetta, who lives on Fox Hunt Drive, and her husband, Larry, organized the Save Our Saddlebrook Coalition.

Joann Barbetta told the county board: “Ten years ago, we came to Saddlebrook, when our daughter had dreams of training at a tennis academy.

“The tennis drew us in, but the wonderful people, the natural beauty and the abundant wildlife made us stay.

“You can see that Saddlebrook is simply spectacular,” she said, referring to video shots of the resort’s natural areas. “The expansive and dense collection of trees, the winding roads, the spacious driving range were all carefully laid out.

“The homes are spaced far apart, with a lot of privacy and large open spaces. The peacefulness and serenity of that, cannot be overstated,” she said.

Larry Barbetta added: “We love our community. We are here to make sure that anything that’s done in the development and redevelopment of our community is consistent with the values, heritage and builds on the legacy of Saddlebrook.”

A number of other speakers raised concerns about traffic; insufficient fire, police and emergency services; a threat to their quality of life; and, a potential drop in property values.

But Barry Shein, treasurer on Saddlebrook’s condo association’s board, said the coalition of opponents do not represent everyone with property at the resort.

He said his group has been working with Mast Capital and is confident its representatives “are people of integrity.

“I believe they will do what they say they are going to do,” he said.

Shein also noted the Mast Capital proposed development will help generate money needed to make improvements to upgrade the property.

The condo board’s attorney, according to Shein, has been involved in drafting the deed restriction “to make sure, in perpetuity, the golf course would remain a golf course.”

Published February 22, 2023

Pasco Pepin school expected to be built by 2024

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Pasco County Schools has moved a step closer in its partnership with Pepin Academies, to establish Pepin Academy at Kirkland Ranch, a new charter school for third- through 12th-graders.

The school will be on the campus of Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, at 9100 Curley Road in Wesley Chapel.

It will be built to accommodate 400 student stations, and beyond standard classrooms, it will have an administrative suite, media center, student dining/multipurpose room, music room, art room, and other elective classrooms/labs, according to information in the Pasco County School Board’s Feb. 7 agenda packet.

The project also may include infrastructure for a future gym if the gym cannot be accommodated within the current construction budget.

Other parts of the plan include exterior covered play areas, playgrounds and a playfield. 

Also, there will be an on‐site parent pickup and drop‐off driveways, the agenda materials say.

The school board and Pepin Academies are listed as owners in the agreement approved with Hepner Architects, as part of the school board’s consent agenda.

Pepin Academies selected Hepner for the project, which has a construction budget of $14 million. Construction is expected to be completed by summer of 2024.

The agreement includes providing basic services: architectural design, civil engineering, landscape/irrigation design, structural engineering, other engineering, and a criteria‐based fire sprinkler design.

The architect proposed a fixed fee in the amount of $908,000, for basic services, which includes  $75,800 for civil engineering basic services.

The school board’s action follows the approval of a contract in November — between Pepin and the school board — which sealed the deal on the unique partnership.

The school construction must meet all state requirements, and Pepin and the school board have agreed to fund the construction of the school using impact fees.

When it approved the partnership, the school board also approved a memorandum of understanding, as well as a step-in agreement for the district to take over the school, should the charter school cease operations.

Pepin Academies are full-time exceptional student education day schools that offer a standard diploma option for students with learning and learning-related disabilities in grades three through 12, according to Pepin’s website.

Pepin Academies operates a Pasco campus in New Port Richey, one in Tampa and one in Riverview. It provides individualized instruction, focused on providing academic and social achievement, its website says.

The new charter school will be the third school on the Kirkland Ranch campus. Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, a magnet school for grades nine through 12, is already operating, and Kirkland Ranch K-8 is set to open in August 2024.

Published February 22, 2023

St. Leo approves town center to announce its identity

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It’s possible, in a blink of an eye, to drive through the town of St. Leo without even knowing it.

Town leaders are looking to change that.

They are planning to create a town center that will provide a shopping, entertainment, event and community district, on a site at the corner of State Road 52 and Lemon Street.

St. Leo’s Town Commission, led by Mayor Vincent D’Ambrosio, voted 5-0 on Feb. 14 to approve the building of a town center at the corner of State Road 52 and Lemon Road. (Mike Camunas)

Town leaders hope the new town center will help make St. Leo more of a destination rather than just a drive-thru town.

“This is about having a space that will give an identity to this town,” said St. Leo Mayor Vincent D’Ambrosio, who assumed that role in May 2022. “We just don’t have that now. This will change that and still honor everything this town is about.”

The St. Leo Town Commission voted 5-0 on Feb. 14 to move forward with building the town center in Pasco County’s oldest incorporated municipality.

During a community workshop, residents who attended, as well as the town commission — D’Ambrosio; Donna DeWitt, O.S.B.; James Hallett, O.S.B; Curtis Dwyer; and William Hamilton — were presented a Planned Unit Development from Twelfth Street Studio and Aurora Civil Engineering.

The architecture and design firm and engineering firm, respectively, laid out a very comprehensive concept plan that would feature shops and vendors, an entertainment area, an event area, recreational space and more.

The Town of St. Leo approved a plan to build a multi-faceted town center at the corner of State Road 52 and Lemon Road, less than a mile from the university that also bears its name. The town center, shown in this rendering, will feature restaurants and vendors, event and entertainment space, gardens and more, as a destination for not only residents, but tourists as well. (Courtesy of Town of St. Leo)

The town center would go on some unused land, but also take over property used by On Q Smokehouse Grill and A Cup of Organic, two businesses not only in support of the town center, but the first two confirmed tenants as vendors.

The next step is rezoning the town center property to be a Planned Unit Development.

Town Administrator and Clerk Andrea Calvert told the crowd of more than 120, including Pasco County Commissioner Ron Oakley, that the town center will be “a very big revenue generator.”

She also noted it is being funded by the recently extended Penny For Pasco tax, which passed in the local elections.

Calvert told The Laker/Lutz News there isn’t a town center project cost yet, but the town’s officials “can work on what needs to be included in the initial phase and what that cost will be, as well as pursuing grants and other funding opportunities.”

St. Leo Town Planner Tom Asburn agreed, saying the town center will give “St. Leo a new identity, while enhancing development, but also keeping the rural character we all love very much.”

The St. Leo Town Center will have a sloped sitting area facing a stage for entertainment. (Courtesy of Town of St. Leo)

The town center will include a history center and several gardens, each dedicated to a different part of St. Leo, such as the Abbey and the town’s founders.

Several details are still being worked out, such as an underground stormwater system for food and beverage vendors, overflow parking and enough sidewalks so Saint Leo University students can walk the less than a mile to the town center location.

The consulting two firms and St. Leo also are working with the Florida Department of Transportation to refigure the intersection of State Road 52, College Avenue and Pompanic Street. The plan is to reconstruct a now-complicated intersection into a more traffic-friendly roundabout.

The meeting was held in a boardroom at Saint Leo University’s Student Community Center to accommodate the crowd.

Despite the large attendance, there was very little, if any, opposition to the project.

In addition to town residents, several students were at the meeting, including some  representing Saint Leo University student government.

They spoke of “nothing being here (in St. Leo) but the university” and wanting the town to “be a town” and “be more than just a university and something to go visit and enjoy.”

Longtime area resident Betty Burke noted: “There is no meeting place for the community. As long as we can consider making it eco-friendly, like solar-powered, then it would be a great place where the people of St. Leo can meet.”

Others agreed, while saying it would give the town an identity, just like the commission wants.

“This is exciting,” resident Greg Smith said. “This will be the image of the town because a lot of people don’t know we even exist. This should be supported fully for the future of the town.”

Commissioners threw their support behind the plan to make St. Leo a place to stop and visit.

“We really did our homework here,” D’Ambrosio told the crowd. “We know that we can maintain the history and feel of St. Leo while still showing the greatness that we know we’re capable of. With a town center, we won’t be a drive-thru town anymore, but a destination that people will want to stop at. 

“And now, with this step, the journey to that begins.”

Published February 22, 2023

New State Road 52 alignment opens in East Pasco

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A new alignment of State Road 52 has opened in East Pasco, from Uradco Place to U.S. 301.

Elected leaders and government officials gathered for a ribbon-cutting on Feb. 17 to signal the opening of the new State Road 52 alignment in East Pasco. (Courtesy of Andy Taylor/Pasco County)

Officials from state and local governments, including David Gwynn, secretary of Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District 7, gathered for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Feb. 17.

Traffic was switched to the new alignment on State Road 52, from Uradco Place, east of Interstate 75 to U.S. 301, before noon on Feb. 17.

The current traffic configuration consists of one lane in each direction (westbound and eastbound) divided by a median from the beginning project limits at Uradco Place to Prospect Road. Traffic just east of Prospect Road continues in the two-lane, two-way configuration along Clinton Avenue through the end limits just west of Fort King Road. Traffic signals are operational at Mirada Boulevard, Curley Road and Prospect Road, according to FDOT.

Clinton Avenue between Pasadena Avenue and U.S. 301 is now part of the new State Road 52. Construction will continue all along the new corridor into summer 2023 to open additional lanes and complete the project later in the year. Drivers should stay within the posted speed limit and remain alert that the area is still a construction zone.

The former alignment of State Road 52 from west of Mirada Boulevard to U.S. 301 is now designated as Pasco County Road 52. To access old State Road 52 (now County Road 52), use Mirada Boulevard, Curley Road or Prospect Road.

The short section of the old alignment near the west end between Emmaus Cemetery Road and Piney Grove Baptist Church is open to local traffic only; you can access that area from new State Road 52 by using Mirada Boulevard between County Road 52 (old State Road 52) and the new alignment of State Road 52.

Published February 22, 2023

Valentine’s Day tradition continues

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Couples gathered on Valentine’s Day for a group wedding ceremony in the courtyard of the Historic Pasco County Courthouse. The event has become an annual tradition and has been going on for 15 years. (Courtesy of the Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller’s Office)

Pasco County Clerk & Comptroller Nikki Alvarez-Sowles presided over a group wedding ceremony in a Valentine’s Day ceremony that has become an annual tradition.

This year, 18 couples exchanged their “I Do’s” — including 16 who were tying the knot for the first time and two who were renewing their vows, according to information from the clerk’s office.

The brief ceremony took place in the courtyard at the Historic Pasco County Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., in Dade City.

The tradition began in 2009, with a total of 261 couples, so far, taking advantage of the romantic day to profess their love and dedicate their lives to each other.

Guests were welcome and refreshments were provided.

The couples received a gift bag, a marriage packet, and a complimentary consultation and preparation of simple wills from McClain & Alfonso P.A.