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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Chipotle

Pasco keeps growing, despite COVID-19

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Business in Pasco County is coming back to life as residents, weary of a pandemic-enforced lockdown, venture back to the world of shopping and dining.

There are hopeful signs for commercial rebirth.

Continued residential growth in Bexley by Newland Communities generates foot traffic for nearby shops, restaurants, grocery stores and other small businesses. (B.C. Manion)

Neon “open” signs are visible in storefronts.

Banners planted at the roadside’s edge wave at passing motorists.

Parking lots at malls and shopping centers are filling up again.

But, it’s not just the established businesses that are reviving Pasco’s economy. Business owners and developers continue to invest in new retail especially along one of the county’s busiest east/west corridors – State Road 54 and State Road 56.

On State Road 54, west of U.S. 41, The Preserve Marketplace and two retail centers at Starkey Ranch are adding shops, restaurants, health care services, and offices.

At Bexley Ranch, in Land O’ Lakes, land is being cleared and leveled on Lot A for the Bexley South Office Park, off Bexley Village Drive, near Springhill Suites.

A Crunch Fitness is scheduled to open Aug. 25, off State Road 54 in Trinity.

This sign signals future plans for a car wash, just south of the new Aldi that opened at Cypress Creek Town Center. (B.C. Manion)

Meanwhile, on the State Road 54/56 corridor east of U.S. 41, there are new developments, too.

Near the juncture of State Road 56 and Interstate 75, a banner announces that Tidal Wave Auto Spa is coming to an outparcel at Tampa Premium Outlets.

In the same general area, Main Event, a 50,000-square-foot entertainment venue, celebrated its grand opening less than two weeks ago.

And, another Crunch Fitness is planning to open in October in the old Winn-Dixie location, off Collier Parkway and State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes.

The Collier Parkway location is a great choice for a fitness gym because it’s along a high traffic corridor, said Geoff Dyer, president of Crunch Fitness. “It’s in the heart of the (Land O’ Lakes) neighborhood,” he said.

Crunch Fitness is planning to open a gym in October in the former Winn-Dixie grocery store, at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway. An employee manned a display outside the site to take membership applications. Another Crunch Fitness is opening Aug. 25, off State Road 54, in Trinity. (Kathy Steele)

During the COVID-19 shutdown, work continued on the Trinity and Land O’ Lakes locations, Dyer said, adding, “for all intents and purposes, we haven’t seen any slow-down in our developments.”

He noted that Crunch Fitness gyms shut down for about two months at the start of the pandemic, but now the gyms are open and adhering to safety guidelines of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Membership has returned to about 95% of what it was pre-shutdown,” Dyer said.

While activity, in general, appears to be picking up and new construction continues to kick up dirt — a cloud hovers over business decisions due to the uncertain nature of COVID-19.

Ralph Santell and his family moved to Starkey Ranch and began plans to open Santelli Pizza & Pasta nearly three years ago. They saw the growth happening in Pasco.

His storefront is at Starkey Ranch Town Square, a plaza located at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. A few tenants in the center, including J. Joseph Salon, are open.

Santelli Pizza & Pasta will open around September at Starkey Ranch Town Square, at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. (Kathy Steele)

Santell plans to open by September, possibly with outdoor dining and takeout. He said he’ll decide closer to opening whether he’ll initially offer indoor dining.

“That (COVID-19) has been an extra challenge that influences things on a daily basis,” Santell said. “It’s been hard to navigate the whole COVID-19 situation. We take it one day at a time.”

Santell also owns a restaurant in the Westchase subdivision in Hillsborough County. That restaurant closed, then reopened, but is now closed again — except for takeout.

Another Starkey Ranch retail center at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue – Starkey Ranch Business Park – also has a roster of tenants slated to open, including The Wicked Pour, Tropical Smoothie Café and Hungry Greek.

The pandemic slowed opening plans, but construction on the retail park is nearly finished.

“All of these are coming along,” said Matt Call, project director for Starkey Ranch. “With COVID-19, things take a bit longer.”

Additional outparcels at both retail centers are available for development — though it could take longer to get projects going, Call added.

Typically, residential construction is a key to spurring on new retail, Call said.

He said Starkey Ranch and Bexley by Newland are the top residential sellers in the Tampa Bay area. Together, they add about 800 residential units annually to Pasco, he said.

Work is underway on the Bainbridge Sunlake, an upscale apartment development, being built at Mentmore Boulevard and State Road 54, next to The Shoppes at Sunlake Centre. (B.C. Manion)

Pasco also is on an apartment building spree with about nine complexes planned or under construction.

Near the Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center, Brightwork Crossing apartment complex is attracting new renters to the commercial epicenter of the Wesley Chapel area.

Two Altis apartment complexes, one by Wiregrass Ranch on State Road 56 and a second on South Branch Boulevard at Starkey Ranch, are adding to Pasco tenant population.

Bainbridge Sunlake is an upscale apartment complex being built at State Road 54, and Mentmore Boulevard, next to The Shoppes at Sunlake Centre.

A new standalone Starbucks is coming soon to the Sunlake shopping center, as well.

Retail developments, including The Preserve Marketplace, are adding new tenants, including the recently opened anchor store – Greenwise. Majik Touch Cleaners is open, too.

Other tenants with plans to open include Chipotle, Heartland Dental and CVS Pharmacy.

“It’s going to be a cool little plaza when it’s done,” Call said. “I think Pasco is going to continue to grow. There’s no doubt in my mind.”

What’s happening along State Road 54
Here are some of the office, retail or residential developments that have opened or are in progress along State Road 54.

Construction on a dental office is nearing completion at Starkey Ranch Town Square, at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. (Kathy Steele)

The Preserve Marketplace (State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway)

  • Greenwise Market, owned by Publix, is a specialty grocery store offering an array of organic and natural food products.
  • TouchPoint Medical manufactures medical dispensing equipment, including high-tech carts.
  • Organic Nails offers nail art and design services.
  • Heartland Dental provides administrative support and career development services among a network of dental partnerships
  • CVS Pharmacy is a national chain of drugstores.
  • Majik Touch Cleaners provides laundry and dry-cleaning services in Pasco and the Tampa Bay area.
  • Sport Clips provides haircuts for men and boys.
  • Panera Bread is a national chain that serves sandwiches, salads and pastries.
  • Chipotle Mexican Grill is a national chain restaurant serving made-to-order burritos, tacos, wraps and salads.
The Wicked Pour and Hungry Greek will open soon at Starkey Ranch Business Park, at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue. (Kathy Steele)

Starkey Ranch Business Park (State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue)

  • The Wicked Pour is a craft beer, wine and taproom with board games, giant Jenga and cornhole.
  • Hungry Greek is a casual restaurant chain offering fast Greek food.
  • Urgent Vet offers after-hours care for pet illnesses and emergencies.
  • Abela Story, a women’s boutique, offers trendy styles for all tastes, and accessories.
  • Encore Nail Salon provides nail art and design, and other services.
  • Chase Bank is a full-service bank.
  • YogaSix is a hot yoga-style studio.
E sushi and Grill, a Japanese restaurant, is expected to open soon at Starkey Ranch Town Square, at State Road 54 and Gunn Highway. (Kathy Steele)

Starkey Ranch Town Square (State Road 54 and Gunn Highway)

  • Santelli Pizza & Pasta is a family-owned Italian restaurant with pizzas and pasta dishes.
  • E sushi & Grill is a Japanese restaurant.
  • J. Joseph Salon is a luxury hair salon.
  • Great Clips is a discount, walk-in hair salon.
  • Quality Plus Cleaners provides laundry and dry-cleaning services.
  • The UPS Store offers mailing, printing and mailbox services.
  • A dental office, which has not yet been identified, is on the outparcel across from Santelli Pizza.

Published July 29, 2020

Development is ramping up in Zephyrhills

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Except for some weeks throughout March and April, the COVID-19 hasn’t halted much new development within the City of Zephyrhills.

That’s the word from Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg, who outlined a number of citywide projects during an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting on June 23.

Perhaps the most notable setback, Vande Berg said, involved a slight delay in court installations at the forthcoming Sarah Vande Berg Tennis and Wellbeing Center, due to some extra safety and travel precautions taken from Miami-based construction crews.

However, the nearly $5 million project on Simons Road is proceeding well, with a grand opening scheduled for mid-to-late August.

Zephyrhills Planning Director Todd Vande Berg was the featured guest speaker at an East Pasco Networking Group virtual meeting on June 23. (File)

Aside from that, the planning director said, “I haven’t heard of a lot of slowdown, at least in our community.”

Underscoring the point is the myriad projects and initiatives Zephyrhills has in the pipeline — mainly in regards to new residential construction.

Larger single-family developments underway include The District at Abbott’s Square, Zephyr Lakes, Hidden River, Links at Calusa Springs, plus various expansions to the Silver Oaks and Silverado communities, respectively.

In other words, the city’s real estate market is “very hot right now,” Vande Berg said.

He explained, “I don’t know where all these people are coming from, but these housing subdivisions are selling homes for over $300,000 with HOAs and CDDs. I wasn’t sure how that’d work in Zephyrhills, but you drive up to Silverado and before the lot infrastructure is completed, you’re seeing a ‘Sold’ sign, so it is amazing.

“Even through this COVID-19 environment the residential housing…has really stayed very strong, which helps the city from a budget and revenue standpoint.”

Vande Berg added another 550-plus residential development is being planned around the new tennis center and should be underway a year or so from now.

The Lennar project will feature one-story villas, two-story townhomes and three different lot sizes. “It’s going to be a unique project,” Vande Berg said, adding, “we’re just beginning the due process on that.”

The planning director touched on a number of commercial developments, too.

Much is contingent on the addition of two signalized intersections on U.S. 301, Pretty Pond Road and Medical Arts Courts.

Funding for the $2.3 million project is in the state budget for this fiscal year. The aim of the traffic signal project — already out to bid — is to speed up potential commercial development in the northeast and northwest corners of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond, and to improve access to the Merchants Square and Townview Square shopping centers.

The project will “spur a lot of development” along the intersection, Vande Berg said.

Additionally, a slew of light industrial businesses have recently set up shop at Park Place Center — an industrial park situated on Chancey Road south of Skydive City. That development is funded by a group of local investors.

“There’s a lot of activity going on in there,” Vande Berg said. “If you get a chance, go back there and drive around in that industrial park and you’ll see everything that’s going on in there.

Zephyrhills will join more than 100 other cities and water treatment facilities across the country in a federal lawsuit that is going after various companies that manufactured firefighting foam containing chemicals found to contaminate water wells. (File)

“We’re always excited when we have new, quality industrial manufacturing coming in, that creates jobs, they don’t require a lot of city services, and they generate a lot of ad valorem revenue for the city, so it’s always very positive, and you see that happening, to help diversify our community economy, and just good business overall,” Vande Berg said.

Another visible construction project underway is the rebuild of Jerry’s Crystal Bar on Gall Boulevard. The bar had been a community landmark downtown for over 60 years, until a fire destroyed the building last May.

The project will fall under the requirements of the city’s form-based code for the U.S. 301/Gall Boulevard corridor area, whereby the facade is aligned right up to the street with a wide sidewalk and all parking is situated behind the bar.

The planning director described the new building as “a big improvement” from beforehand, adding future projects within the corridor will be required to meet form-based code — a tool used to regulate new development in a manner compatible with the community’s vision.

For example, Vande Berg noted a builder is looking to erect townhomes on Seventh Street, so those structures likewise would be situated right up to the street with backlot parking.

Vande Berg observed of the zoning regulations: “You’ve probably seen that in other communities where it’s been pretty successful, so we’re doing the same thing here.”

Another anticipated project moving along is a new 14,000-square-foot Veterans Affairs clinic, at 378727 Eiland Blvd. Construction broke ground last June, but work halted after last-minute changes to modify the facility’s design and layout.

Those site plan changes were recently approved by the city’s review committee, Vande Berg said, “so they should be getting along with that pretty soon, we anticipate.”

In the arena of new eateries, Zephyrhills is set to land Chipotle and Chick-fil-A franchises in the near future.

Chipotle has been approved by the city for a small commercial outparcel in the Zephyr Commons Shopping Center and construction should begin soon, Vande Berg said.

Chick-fil-A, meanwhile, will be located at the northeast corner of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond Road. The franchise is likely waiting until the new traffic light project is a go before construction gets underway, Vande Berg said.

Some other updates and happenings for Zephyrhills the planning director shared:

  • An extension of Kossik Road is complete, to service the Abbott Park residential development.
  • The city is working with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) on continuing State Road 56 east of U.S. 301 with four-lane alignment alternatives, as well as one-way pairs on Gall Boulevard.
  • The city received a $15,000 grant from Duke Energy toward the long-range Zephyrhills Industrial Corridor master plan.
  • The city has applied for a $15,000 grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO) to revamp the housing element of its comprehensive plan.

Published July 08, 2020

Zephyrhills is gearing up for big changes in 2020

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As a new decade approaches, the City of Zephyrhills plans to open a much-anticipated tennis facility, plans to extend its airport runway, will be engaged in infrastructure improvements and could possibly end a 60-year tradition of operating its own fire department.

Here’s a closer look for what’s on the horizon for 2020 and beyond:

Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center
The $4.9 million Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness Center is expected to be open in late summer, about a year after its July 2019 groundbreaking.

The much-ballyhooed facility, at 6585 Simons Road in Zephyrhills, will feature:

  • Eleven outdoor tennis courts (eight clay, two hard surface, one exhibition), eight pickleball courts and four padel courts
  • An adjoining 7,400-square-foot indoor wellness center, with a fitness and rehabilitation studio, salt/sauna room, cryotherapy, pro shop, café, kid’s area and more.

Zephyrhills City Manager Billy Poe recently told The Laker/Lutz News that the city also has requested an additional $1.5 million in state appropriations for a second phase of the project, which would encompass a 30,000-square-foot multipurpose indoor facility for tennis, soccer, athletic training, banquets, receptions and so on.

Zephyrhills Fire Department consolidation?
The Zephyrhills Fire Department could be absorbed by Pasco County Fire Rescue sometime in 2020, after nearly 60 years of operation and tradition.

The county is drafting up a tentative agreement that will be presented and reviewed by Zephyrhills officials sometime in early 2020, Poe said.

The move is due in part to funding and staffing issues that have plagued the city’s fire department, the city manager said.

Should the merger occur, Pasco County Fire Rescue would operate the city’s two fire stations and would absorb the city’s fire department personnel at their proper pay step.

The county also would ensure and maintain additional staffing needs at both stations and place an ambulance within the city limits.

Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 1-19 is getting a $5.9 million extension. (File)

Airport runway extension
Work is progressing to extend Zephyrhills Municipal Airport’s runway 1-19, a measure to accommodate larger passenger and corporate jets, and spur aviation and industrial development.

The city received $5.9 million in state appropriations to extend the runway by 1,200 linear feet — which will bring it to about 6,200 feet.

Engineers and officials are analyzing the design of the project, keeping in mind any potential  impacts it could have on Skydive City’s landing zone, Poe said.

The airport also is set to receive an upgraded fuel farm, as well as airfield beacons and lighting improvements, he said.

Relocation of U.S. 301/Pretty Pond Road traffic signal
Development plans at and near the corners of U.S. 301 and Pretty Pond Road have prompted the relocation of the traffic signal that currently is located at Merchants Square and Townview shopping centers, to a new location at Pretty Pond Road.

The city is working with the Florida Department of Transportation on the design, and has requested $2.3 million in state funds  for the project. If funding comes through, construction likely would begin in August or September. Completion is targeted for early 2021, the city manager said. Relocating the signal would improve traffic flow, he said.

Meanwhile, the city has budgeted $600,000 for road resurfacings in 2020, the most significant being 12th Street in front of Zephyrhills High School.

New developments on tap
Zephyrhills expects to see a surge in population growth over the new decade, as residents move in to make their homes in residential projects that are now at the permitting stage, are already coming out of the ground, or have received entitlements for future development.

Larger single-family developments include The District at Abbott’s Square, Zephyr Lakes, Hidden River, as well as expansions to the Silver Oaks and Silverado communities. Meanwhile, Wire Ranch Apartments and Pretty Pond/Wire Road Apartments are some of the larger multifamily units in the works.

Commercial development is expected to follow.

Chipotle and a Chick-Fil-A are expected to open in Zephyrhills, and there are rumors the city could become home to some other chain restaurants and businesses.

Published January 01, 2020