The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Local News

Improvements continue on State Road 54 in East Pasco

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A project to widen a stretch of State Road 54 in East Pasco, and to improve the road’s intersection with Eiland Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road, is making progress.

The improvement calls for two left-turn lanes on State Road 54 onto Eiland Boulevard and two through lanes heading east.

A right-turn lane, also heading eastbound, will be incorporated on the state road, turning onto Morris Bridge Road.

State Road 54 is being widened, and intersection improvements are being made at the road’s intersection with Eiland Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road. The improvements aim to ease the flow of traffic on the busy road. (Brian Fernandes)

Heading west, State Road 54 will have one left-turn lane going onto Morris Bridge Road, a right-turn lane onto Eiland Boulevard, and two through lanes.

Also, at the intersection, a bicycle lane will run along the state road’s north and south ends, respectively.

In addition, a shared-use path will be implemented on the south end, with a sidewalk running along the north end.

Eiland Boulevard turns into Morris Bridge Road once is passes the intersection  with State Road 54, and heads south.

Motorists heading north on Morris Bridge Road will have two left-turn lanes onto State Road 54.

There also will be two through lanes, including one that can be used to go straight or turn right.

Eiland Boulevard heading south will have the same setup, except that it will have a right-turn lane in addition to two through lanes.

There will be a shared-use path on the west side of Eiland Boulevard and Morris Bridge Road, and a sidewalk on the east side.

There haven’t been any lane closures yet, but in the future this could occur for three to four weeks, according to Brendan Fitterer of Pasco County.

This comes as efforts continue to widen State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

The 4.5-mile widening begins east of Curley Road and ends east of Morris Bridge Road. It involves widening the road from two lanes to four lanes, with a divided median.

The project is being done in phases, with the lanes at the north end — heading west — being completed first. Then the lanes on the south end — heading east — will be done, and then the divided median.

When the two westbound lanes have been paved and striped, opposing traffic will occupy these lanes, while the eastbound lanes are built, said David Botello of the Florida Department of Transportation.

This will occur over the span of six months, he said. Ninety-five percent of the utility pipe installation has been completed.

Botello added that: “We have over half of the new drainage installed and are working on constructing the new westbound lanes on the north side of the corridor, while traffic is temporarily shifted to the south in several locations throughout the project.”

The project also incorporates a sidewalk on the north side of the road and a multi-purpose trail on the south side.

Lane closures have occurred, but future closures have not been announced yet.

The intersection with Eiland Boulevard/Morris Bridge Road is a $3.8 million-project and is expected to be completed in June 2021.

The state road’s widening is a $42.5 million-project, with completion set for mid-2021.

Published November 13, 2019

Zen Den strives to increase inclusion

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Anna Melgaard couldn’t help but smile as she watched her son, Wayde, play in the Zen Den at Maniscalco K-8 School, a room designed for children who have sensory issues.

The first-grader has autism and found a place to have fun, while other students were out in the cafeteria celebrating the Lutz school’s Fall Ball event.

“The Zen Den is catered towards kids who have sensory issues,” said Daniella McClutchy, president of the school’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA).

The Zen Den creates a serene atmosphere at Maniscalco K-8 School, for students who have sensory sensitivities. It was unveiled on Oct. 25, during the school’s Fall Ball. (Brian Fernandes)

Based in a music room, the environment is a place of solace for special needs students who may be overwhelmed with too much noise.

The PTSA board realized it was hard for these students to be included in certain school events, McClutchy said. So, the board decided to take action — creating the Zen Den.

The term “Zen” refers to a form of meditation that aims to bring about a state of calmness.

The play space is intended to do just that.

It has an array of colors – from pillows of various shapes, chairs, blankets, bean bags and a matted floor.

It also has Legos, coloring sheets and headphones to block out the noise.

McClutchy noted that Maniscalco embraces diverse students, regardless of their limitations.

The Halloween-themed Fall Ball was the first time the Zen Den play space was implemented at the school.

At the Fall Ball, faculty members and parents accompanied students dressed in costumes to the school’s cafeteria, where there was dancing in the open space.

Some students needed a break from the large crowd and the lively tunes playing, so they headed to the Zen Den.

Tammy Reale, Maniscalco’s principal, said: “Some of them get very overwhelmed with noise, so that gives them the opportunity to step away, take a moment and then come back and be able to have fun with their peers.”

The school serves over 140 students with varying exceptionalities – those with physical, mental and emotional disabilities, Reale said.

Several classrooms cater to these students, including some students with autism spectrum disorder, which refers to a broad range of conditions that can cause significant social, communications and behavioral challenges.

The classrooms also incorporate a “safe place” or a “chill corner” for students to take a break and regroup before joining their fellow classmates.

Some of the faculty at the school have children there who have special needs.

Reale said that this is a “win-win” situation, because the teachers know how to educate and empathize with other parents with unique kids.

Melgaard is a math and science teacher at Maniscalco. She sees the challenges her 6-year-old son faces at school and at home.

“Just things that you wouldn’t normally think about, he struggles with all the time – making friends, talking to people, doing work, sitting in a seat,” she explained.

Melgaard said she was surprised when she heard that the PTSA board was going to introduce the Zen Den.

“It makes you feel like your child matters, because they’re doing things to show that they know that there’s kids that need more,” she said.

Other students without sensory issues also came into the Zen Den to have some fun, too.

It was a chance for Wayde to interact with other kids, and for those kids to better understand Wayde and others in his situation, Melgaard said.

There are plans to include the Zen Den in future school functions going forward, McClutchy noted.

“It’s something I’m so proud of, and it makes all the hard work worth it. It’s helping so many people on such a deeper level,” she said.

Published November 13, 2019

Expansion addresses need to serve critically ill patients

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AdventHealth Connerton has been addressing the needs for critically ill patients for a decade — but it also has had to turn patients away because its beds were full.

An expansion expected to open later this month, will increase the hospital’s ability to serve patients and families in need.

AdventHealth officials had a ribbon cutting ceremony last week to celebrate the completion of a new wing at the hospital, at 9441 Health Center Drive in Connerton.

Debi Martoccio, chief operating officer of AdventHealth Connerton, addresses a crowd during the ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the completion of a 30-bed expansion at the specialty hospital. (B.C.Manion)

The $20.6 million expansion adds 30 beds, bringing the hospital’s total to 77.

It also increases the hospital’s ability to provide care for patients needing care for multisystem organ failure, complex wounds, sepsis, head trauma and other conditions.

“We cater to medically complex, critically ill patients, who need an extended hospital stay,” said Debi Martoccio, chief operating officer of AdventHealth Connerton.

“This is a very exciting chapter in our history,” she said.

“What this expansion will allow us to do is to care for more of these medically complex patients.

The new wing at AdventHealth Connerton has large patient rooms, with modern technology and a sofa that slides open to give visitors a place to rest.

“At this time, with our limited beds, we’ve been at capacity since about 2012. We were having to turn medically complex patients away. There was a moratorium on the expansion of this kind of hospital,” Martoccio said.

But, the moratorium was lifted and the hospital was able to get a license to expand its number of beds, she said.

“Right now, we’re admitting about 650 patients a year. So we’re hoping to take that into the 700s,” Martoccio said.

Denyse Bales-Chubb, CEO of AdventHealth Tampa, told the crowd, “Today represents an important piece of the AdventHealth growth strategy over the next several years. Increasing access points and creating more capacity in our existing facilities is a realization of our promise to the community.

“This positions us well to take care of even more patients and families when they need us the most,” Bales-Chubb said.

“Patients who come to a long-term care facility have very serious medical needs. The team of caretakers here are family.

“It is a special brand of care that delivers our mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. That’s the kind of care that I want for my family, and for yours,” Bales-Chubb said.

The specialty hospital is one of only a few long-term acute care facilities in Florida with an operating room and intensive care unit, according to hospital officials.

The ribbon cutting at AdventHealth Connerton last week marked the completion of a $20 million expansion.

After the ribbon cutting, tours were offered so visitors could see the new wing before it begins offering care.

Patient rooms are equipped with modern technology and designed with patient comfort in mind. For instance, there are large windows, and a sofa in each private room easily converts to a bed, so visitors can rest there.

The 22,000-square-foot addition includes 20 progressive care unit beds and 10 critical care unit beds. It also includes a large board room, three nursing stations, a revamped chapel, a multipurpose room for staff education, a family consultation room, nurses’ stations and an employee breakroom.

The lobby even has a coffee bar for visitors, said Martoccio, adding she thinks that will be well received.

The decorating theme throughout the wing highlights trees, and that plays homage to the prominent role that timber and sawmills played in Pasco County’s history, Martoccio said.

Published November 13, 2019

Bringing holiday cheer to those in need

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A ceremony was held at Keystone Community Church last week to bless the tent where people will be dropping off donations for the holidays.

The 9 a.m. event, on Nov. 7, was one of six tent blessings taking place simultaneously across Tampa Bay.

About three dozen people gathered at a tent blessing at Keystone Community Church in Lutz last week, to mark the kickoff of the effort to collect donations to help those in need. (B.C. Manion)

About three dozen people gathered at the Lutz event, which kicked off the joint effort of Keystone Community Church and First United Methodist Church to help bring joy to families in need, as part of Metropolitan Ministries’ annual holiday assistance program.

Pastor Kevin Grills, pastor at First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes, presided over the tent blessing.

“The tent is up, so we are asking God’s blessing upon this community and what he would do through us as vehicles in bringing some of the bounty that he has blessed us with back into a community that needs it,” Grills said.

Kirsten Barton, director of corporate partnerships for Metropolitan Ministries, told those gathered that the holiday assistance program began when Rev. Morris E. Hintzman joined Metropolitan Ministries.

Families who received help throughout the year, asked if it would be possible to get a turkey for a traditional holiday meal and some toys for their children, Barton said. Metropolitan’s staff and the generosity of the community responded by providing turkey and toys for hundreds of families.

“Thirty-seven years later, we continue to do what we did back in 1982,” she said, and the ministry doesn’t just help people at the holidays, but provides year-round assistance to families in need.

“This year, with the help of our amazing partners, we will alleviate suffering and promote dignity for 18,000 families in Hillsborough, 5,000 families in Pinellas and 7,000 families here, in Pasco County,” she said.

Angela Hobson, chair of the tent effort at Keystone Community Church, talked about the history of her church’s involvement.

Pastor Kevin Grills, of First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes, led a tent blessing at Keystone Community Church last week. It was one of six tent blessing events being held simultaneously across Tampa Bay.

“My first drive up to see this site that we were moving into is something I will never forget,” she said. “As I turned the corner onto (State Road) 54 and began to see the wide open lot that the church was sitting on, I clearly heard in my spirit: ‘Metropolitan Ministries tent,’” she said.

“I had no idea what I was doing, I just knew I had to move forward being obedient to that voice.

“We moved into the building in September and opened our first collection tent in November.

“The lesson I would learn from that one act of obedience has stayed with me and, over the years, it has grown my willingness to listen to God’s leading and to do what he says.

“Our obedience to him always, always, turns into a blessing for someone else.”

Debbie Gehlen, co-chair of the tent, said it hasn’t always been smooth sailing.

In December of 2016, for instance, the church’s trailer — which was about three-fourths full — was stolen.

When news spread about the theft, the community responded, she said.

“People collected in the community and showed up with checks.

“St. Timothy’s Catholic Church showed up with 600 bags of toys, and they were all marked with gender and age. We received a lot of baby equipment.

“We received an anonymous check one day, for the trailer,” she said.

“We were very upset at the time, but we were really happy with the outcome. It was truly a blessing in disguise,” Gehlen said.

Barton said Metropolitan Ministries is excited to continue its partnership with Keystone Community Church as a collection site, and to “enhance our reach in the area by partnering with First United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes, as a distribution point for the Holiday of Hope.”

Jill Swann, a member of First United Methodist of Land O’ Lakes, said, “when this opportunity for distribution came up, we were excited and we are ready to go. Distribution will be for the Pasco clients before Thanksgiving and before Christmas, and we hope to serve 500 families at each holiday.”

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore was at the tent blessing, as was Commissioner Jack Mariano.

Moore read a resolution approved by commissioners on Nov. 5, recognizing the efforts by the Keystone Community Church, the United Methodist Church of Land O’ Lakes and Metropolitan Ministries.

Others in the crowd included Summer Robertson, representing U.S. Rep. Gus Bilirakis’ office, and Sandy Graves, who is involved in a number of Land O’ Lakes and Central Pasco organizations.

Pastor Grills asked those gathered to form a big circle, hold hands and observe 2 minutes of silence to pray to God.

The pastor offered this prayer: “God of mercy, would you fill this space with your spirit, and create an atmosphere of help and healing. Bless those who come asking for help that they wish they did not need. Stir in our hearts and the hearts of those with plenty to give, a desire to do all that we can to ease the burden of others during this holiday season and throughout the year. Bless the gifts of time and work, food and toys and other supplies.

“In this time together, help us to focus not on ourselves, but on the mission you have for this ministry, to alleviate suffering, to promote dignity and to instill self-sufficiency.”

Want to help?
Tent hours at Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54

  • Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Sunday, noon to 3 p.m.

Most needed items: Frozen turkeys and hams, cereal, yams, stuffing, gift cards, teen girl and boy gifts for Christmas (ages 13 to 17), and infant educational toys and gifts.

Volunteering opportunities in Pasco County:

  • Metropolitan Ministries Pasco, 3214 U.S. 19 N., Holiday
  • Keystone Community Church, 21010 State Road 54, Lutz
  • Calvary Assembly of God, 13544 U.S. Bypass, Dade City

To sign up to volunteer at all locations, visit Metromin.org/holiday-central/volunteer.

For information on group volunteering in Pasco County, contact Stacy Wyman at .

Published November 13, 2019

Swamp Fest enjoys nice weather, good crowds

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It wasn’t just fun and games at the 11th annual Swamp Fest in Land O’ Lakes.

There was music, food, rides and entertainment, too.

Jamie Farrell, of Port Richey, drove over to Land O’ Lakes to attend Swamp Fest and enjoy the festivities. Here, Jamie’s 2-year-old son, Mason, surfs down the slide atop of his dad, as his sister, Sarah Shipman, 12, follows close behind on the burlap mat. Mom, Christina Shipman, waited at the finish line. (Fred Bellet)

“It was incredible weather. We had good crowds,” said Doug Hutchinson, festival coordinator.

“Friday night and Saturday night were incredibly busy, and Sunday was very busy,” he said.

The crowds were so large, the main parking area was filled at Land O’ Lakes Heritage Park, and overflow used the parking at Sanders Memorial Elementary STEAM Magnet School.

At times, people who wanted to park had to wait for others to leave the festival, Hutchinson said.

“That’s a great problem to have,” he added.

The event raises money for area schools, nonprofits and community organizations, and is hosted by the Land O’ Lakes High School Booster Club.

On the morning of Nov. 2, before Swamp Fest festivities began, there was a special event to honor Vietnam Veterans.

Sandy Graves organized the event, which Hutchinson said, was “incredibly well-attended.”

Land O’ Lakes High School senior and Art Club member, Heather Li, 17, painted her own face before painting the faces of children at the Swamp Fest.

After it was over, he said Graves told him: “You know what, we’ve got to do this again next year.”

“I said, ‘I’m all for it. It went great.’”

The booster club’s proceeds go for such things as new weights in the weight room, a new sign for the high school off U.S. 41 and other items that are not part of the regular school budget, Hutchinson said.

“The coaches always fill our ears with what we could spend it on, as you can imagine.”

Hutchinson was thrilled with the outcome for this year’s event.

“It wound up being one of the best Swamp Fests that we’ve had, so we’re pretty excited about it,” he said.

Published November 13, 2019

Three-year-old Willow Roundtree giggles as Land O’ Lakes High School Art Club member Cade DeMoree’s brush causes a tickle when she began painting the little girl’s face. Willow’s mom, Julianna Roundtree, steadies Willow’s head. Mom and daughter are visiting grandma, Natalie Gomillion, of Land O’ Lakes.
Seven-year-old Midori Galven, of Land O’ Lakes, tries hooking a fish as a blue water fountain stirs up the water. Midori hooked a shark and won a prize, as her grandfather, Jerry Gordie of Land O’ Lakes, looked on.
There were plenty of choices for food at this year’s Swamp Fest.

Jewish scholar talk: Early rabbis, ancient synagogues

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How did the Jewish faith go from all but destroyed in its structures by the Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago, to the modern world religion as we know it today?

To Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer, that’s the “billion dollar question.”

The internationally recognized Jewish studies scholar visited Saint Leo University on Nov. 5 to present a free lecture titled “Rabbis and the Ancient Synagogue.”

Langer also was on hand to receive the university’s Center for Catholic-Jewish Studies’ Eternal Light Award — recognizing her efforts to promote respectful interreligious dialogue.

Jewish scholar and Rabbi Dr. Ruth Langer was a featured speaker at Saint Leo University, where she gave a free lecture titled ‘Rabbis and the Ancient Synagogue.’ (Courtesy of Jo-Ann Johnston, Saint Leo University)

Langer is an ordained rabbi and professor of Jewish studies at Boston College.

She also is associate director of Boston College’s Center for Christian-Jewish Learning and  author of several books and scholarly articles.

Her talk at Saint Leo spanned from synagogues in late first century Judea to modern times.

Synagogues in Jesus’ time were much smaller in nature, maybe accommodating up to 20 to 30 people at a time, she said.

She acknowledged “there’s very little we can say about what exactly was happening in the (ancient) synagogue based on what archaeological remains show,” but noted New Testament stories mention reading scripture and preaching or teaching based on said scripture.

Langer went on to point out the New Testament makes no mention of a rabbi or “real authority figure” and “no indisputable evidence there was indeed some kind of verbal worship of God” inside these ancient synagogues in the early first century.

Simply, it is believed these ancient synagogues originally functioned more as a Jewish community center and a house of study, rather than a house of worship.

So, how did synagogues develop into a place of prayer that follows rabbinic leadership as its clergy common today?

According to Langer, the rabbinic-synagogue tradition formed slowly following the exile and destruction of the Temple of Jerusalem in the Jewish-Roman in 70 C.E.,  which led to the end of the Jewish monarchy.

The Temple of Jerusalem in ruins, Jews no longer had a place to sacrifice animals as their official form of worshipping God.

“Today’s scholars are pretty well agreed that losing the only place where Jews could fulfill God’s expectation of worship generated a major trauma. Jews were in shock,” Langer noted of this event.

Because of that, Langer explained worship evolved from sacrifice to become “purely verbal,” and “met the needs of the world that no longer had the Jerusalem temple.”

Further, the responsibility for this new form of worship “transformed from belonging to a hereditary priesthood, to resting on the entire community,” she said.

With that, Langer said it was a relatively small group of rabbis who rose up and won out in this endeavor, throughout the Land of Israel and Babylonia initially.

“They (rabbis) fairly quickly found out what temple rituals could be continued elsewhere and how to compensate for those central ones that could not,” Langer said.

To spread influence, Langer explained these early rabbis used persuasion tactics and developed arguments “to convince both rabbis themselves and non-rabbis that there are advantages to participating in public prayer in the synagogue.”

That, she said, included various forms of exhortations in rabbinic text on the significance of community gathering in a synagogue for prayer, such as:

  • “One must pray in a place specifically designated for prayer.”
  • “When one prays within its home, it’s as if one prays encircled within an iron wall.”

(Presumably, praying in the home prevented prayer from reaching God, Langer said.)

  • “Prayer in the synagogue is especially effective, because it’s like an ideal sacrifice in the temple.” (Prayer in a synagogue compensates for the loss of the Temple of Jerusalem, Langer said.)
  • “Prayer offered in the synagogue is guaranteed to work, and failure to participate has dire consequences.”
  • “If one enters synagogue with a buddy to pray, but does not wait for buddy when leaving, then one’s own prayers are ruined.”

But, the shift to get Jews to comply to such edicts didn’t happen overnight.

Langer noted some Jews previously had gotten used to ancient synagogues as not for prayer, but “for all sorts of profane purposes,” such as using the space for funerals, for making rope or fishnets and so on.

Langer said the rabbis’ efforts to get non-rabbis on board to conform to their liturgy and rituals “was a long and bumpy process” that took centuries. In fact, she said it wasn’t until late third century “there were some, but perhaps not all synagogues that housed rabbinic ritual life.” And, it wasn’t even until the end of the first millennial, or another 700 years or so, that the symbiotic rabbi-synagogue union became normalized, she said.

Published November 13, 2019

Two Good Soles drive smashes record

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Pasco County government and its constitutional offices collected more than 3,000 pairs of shoes for local students — smashing a previous record for the annual Two Good Soles Shoes and Socks Drive.

The drive, now in its fourth year, yielded 3,057 pairs of shoes and 13,285 pairs of socks. The items will be donated to students in Pasco County Schools.

Cathy Pearson, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public services, set a goal of 2,000 pairs of shoes for this year’s challenge. (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Last year, donations totaled 2,264 pairs of shoes and 6,609 pairs of socks.

Besides vastly exceeding last year’s totals, the collection also shattered the goal of 2,000 shoes set by Cathy Pearson, Pasco County’s assistant county administrator for public services.

Pasco County and Constitutional Office staff gathered at Wendell Krinn Technical High School in New Port Richey on Oct. 29 to officially donate the footwear and tally the results.

Pasco County’s Internal Services Branch won the trophy for the most donations from county branches. The Pasco Property Appraiser’s Office won for most donations collected by a constitutional office, just surpassing the Tax Collector’s Office.

The Public Services Branch placed first in the decorated collection box competition with the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department’s “Playground Box.”

Pearson recapped this year’s efforts for the Pasco County Commission at its Nov. 5 meeting.

She was delighted by the level of giving.

“We have just made some students very, very proud and very happy. That couldn’t have happened without the great community that we have,” Pearson said.

Commission Chairman Ron Oakley was impressed, too.

“If you figure $40 for a pair of shoes, there’s over $120,000 worth of shoes there — just amazing,” he said.

Pearson added: “It’s all for a great cause, it’s all for the kids. I couldn’t be more proud and humble, to be part of this community. Thank you all and we’re looking forward to the fifth annual next October.”

Published November 13, 2019

Hillsborough’s economy showing new signs of growth

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Adam Myers, senior business development manager for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, paid a visit to Pasco County a few weeks ago, to share what’s happening on the economic front in Hillsborough County.

Myers outlined some of the major new developments happening in Tampa and Hillsborough County during a membership luncheon meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce.

He assured those gathered that economic development is not something that happens in a vacuum.

Adam Myers is the senior business development manager for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council. He gave an update on business activity in Hillsborough County, during a recent luncheon meeting of the North Tampa Bay Chamber. (B.C. Manion)

“While we are Hillsborough County-focused, we work with our partners in Pasco County Economic Development and Pinellas County Economic Development, Polk County, Sarasota, Manatee, all of the way up to Hernando County.

“When something great happens in Pasco County, that’s going to benefit Hillsborough County,” said Myers, senior business development manager for the Tampa/Hillsborough economic development agency.

“When something awesome is happening in Hillsborough County and Pinellas County, that’s benefiting Pasco County, as well.

“It’s important to recognize that economic development is really a team sport,” Myers said.

That being said, his talk focused primarily on some of the big things happening in Tampa and Hillsborough County.

For instance, Water Street Tampa, a $3 billion investment in downtown Tampa, is getting underway, he said.

“Now, the buildings are under construction,” Myers said. “The first building is almost done, with USF’s (University of South Florida’s) new medical school. That is bringing a lot of momentum and excitement, and activity and interest in the downtown area.

“Now, they’re seeing the cranes. Now, they’re seeing the walls going up, the buildings going up, the J.W. Marriott going up, everything that’s happening in Phase One of Water Street. OK, now I can almost touch it. It’s tangible,” he said.

Another major project, Midtown Tampa, is planned near Interstate 275 and North Dale Mabry Highway. That’s a $500 million mixed-use project of retail, residential and office, he said.

Riverwalk Place, a 50-story tower is going up in downtown Tampa. The $350 million project is the tallest building on the West Coast of Florida, Myers said.

It began as a mixed-use project, but the condo sales went so well, it was essentially converted to a residential project with retail at the bottom, he said.

Another project, called Heights Union, includes new office space being built at the southwest corner of Palm Avenue and North Tampa Street. Meanwhile, Highwoods Properties is building a new mixed-use project in Westshore.

Myers also noted that Tampa is being recognized by outside evaluators, as a good place to work and live.

Earlier this year, for instance, Zillow ranked Tampa as the No. 1 market for first-time homebuyers.

It’s also a great place to start a business, Myers said.

“Entrepreneurism in Tampa is at an all-time high, and there are more and more resources that are out there that are starting up to help our entrepreneurism ecosystem grow,” he said.

He also shared some of the economic development agency’s statistics.

“Between Oct. 1, 2016 and July 31, 2018: We worked with over 48 companies to make the decision to choose Hillsborough (County),” Myers said. That created nearly 6,200 jobs.

Those jobs, in turn, created nearly 2,300 indirect jobs and 4,060 induced jobs.

Published November 06, 2019

New Aldi stores springing up in Pasco

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The Aldi retail chain is opening three stores to meet new demands of Pasco County’s burgeoning growth.

Construction is underway simultaneously on new Aldi stores in Odessa, Lutz-Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills.

The grocery chain already has stores in Holiday and Port Richey.

Three new Aldi stores will be opening in Pasco County to keep up with the area’s growing demands. (Courtesy of Aldi)

Matt Thon, vice president for the Aldi’s Haines City division, said the grocery chain looks at many factors, when choosing store locations.

“We want the best sites that are closest to our shoppers and can support a high daily traffic volume,” Thon said.

There’s no doubt about high traffic volume near the Odessa and Lutz-Wesley Chapel locations.

The Odessa store is at the intersection of State Road 54 and Trinity Boulevard, west of the Suncoast Parkway. The Lutz-Wesley Chapel store is near where State Road 54 transitions into State Road 56, near Interstate 75.

The State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor has been bursting with growth in recent years, with new residential and commercial developments.

Aldi’s history dates back to its first store opening in 1961. Since then, it has branched out to have a total of 1,900 locations in 36 states across the country, the retail grocer’s website says.

The grocer also expects to open nearly 2,500 new stores nationwide by 2022, according to the website.

Aldi operates as a grocery store with a variety of foods, including meats and fresh produce. The majority of products are exclusive brands, only found in Aldi stores.

Like other Aldi locations, the Pasco stores will be roughly 12,000 square feet. They also will have an interior layout that’s similar to other stores in the chain.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said he’s happy to see the new Aldi coming to his district, which will be built almost directly in front of a Costco store.

Moore said he’s been hearing a desire by his constituents for an Aldi store for quite some time.

“It’s great to have options for people. The more options the better. They’re in a good location. That’s for sure,” Moore said.

Having more locations is good for both the company and consumers, Thon said.

He said the bottom line is this: “We want to be conveniently located for our shoppers in Pasco County.”

Published November 06, 2019

Under Construction 11/06/2019

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(Brian Fernandes)

New banking option in Trinity
A new Republic Bank branch is emerging in Trinity. The 3,042-square-foot building is located at 10601 State Road 54 and will have two drive-through lanes. Details on the completion date and opening have not be released.

 

 

 

A restaurant and more retail for Cypress Creek
The Cypress Creek Town Center will have a new building at 25988 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz. The 15,287-square-foot structure will be designed for retail and restaurant space. An opening date has not been released.

 

 

 

Urgent care center coming to Lutz
A new medical facility is being added to the Lutz area. Doctors Urgent Care is located at 18981 N. Dale Mabry Highway and will stand at 3,250 square feet. The building’s interior will have a  lab, six patient rooms, a surgery room, an X-ray room and a wellness center. Construction is set to end in December, with a possible January opening.

 

 

Coffee shop, nail salon coming soon
A retail plaza will open at 25595 Sierra Town Centre Blvd, in Lutz. The approximately 4,000-square-foot building is already set to hold a nail salon and a Raining Berries coffee shop, with additional space. Construction could  be wrapped up by early 2020.

 

 

 

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