The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Circle K

Ballantrae Village is adding more shops

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Taco Bell is the newest tenant at the Shoppes of Ballantrae Village.

The Mexican fast-food restaurant joins DQ Grill & Chill and Circle K in a retail shopping plaza that is almost fully constructed, off State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes.

Within 30 days, Dunkin’ Donuts is expected to open in a spot between Taco Bell and DQ Grill & Chill.

Taco Bell is open for business at the Shoppes of Ballantrae Village. The fast-food restaurant joins Circle K and DQ Grill & Chill. (Kathy Steele)

In March, more shops, a spa, a dental office and a Japanese restaurant will open, said David McComas, chief executive officer of European Equities Corporation. His firm is handling tenant negotiations for the plaza.

The list of tenants includes Domino’s Pizza, T-Mobile and Hungry Greek.

Dentist Lisa Brooks also will occupy one suite, and Casablanca Spa will be in another.

“It will be nice. It will create some balance,” McComas said. “I think it will have a lot of curb appeal. Everything is coming out tastefully.”

The current list of shops and restaurants aren’t all that will open.

Three additional parcels are currently under negotiations, McComas said. And, another outparcel on the opposite side of Aprile Drive, across from Taco Bell, likely will have a day care center, he said.

One access point into the plaza is at Aprile Drive, a new road that intersects with State Road 54, by the Taco Bell on the eastern boundary. Entry also onto Aprile Drive and the plaza can be made at the entrance into Ballantrae subdivision, farther west at Ballantrae Boulevard, by Circle K.

The area is bustling with new development, spurred in part by about 50,000 vehicles that drive along the state road daily. And, new residential is bringing more customers to the area.

The Ballantrae community is built on about 436 acres, has six villages and about 970 homes.

To the south of Ballantrae, Long Lake Ranch homes are under construction. Northward, Bexley Ranch and Asturia are adding new subdivisions, with single family homes and apartments.

And, Mystic Pointe is a new apartment complex under construction at Meadowbrook Drive.

Published January 10, 2018

DQ Grill & Chill comes to Ballantrae Village Shoppes

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DQ Grill & Chill is nearly ready for its debut at Ballantrae Village Shoppes. By mid-March, franchise owner Carlos Saenz plans to host a grand opening.

Meanwhile, Saenz has had to watch hopeful customers slowly steer their vehicles into the drive-through lane on a daily basis.

It’s disappointing not to at least have a Blizzard or an ice cream cone to hand out, said Saenz.

But, he isn’t surprised at the response from people eager to try a new restaurant.

Franchise owner Carlos Saenz plans to open his DQ Grill & Chill at Ballantrae Village Shoppes by mid-March.
(Kathy Steele)

DQ Grill & Chill is located at 17826 Aprile Drive, off Ballantrae Boulevard and State Road 54.

More than 50,000 vehicles travel up and down the state road. Ballantrae Village Shoppes sits at the entrance to the master-planned community of Ballantrae, north of U.S. 41.

Further north, Bexley Ranch and Asturia are among new subdivisions populating the state highway. To the south, Long Lake Ranch homes are for sale. More retail and commercial are popping up where cows once grazed.

At Ballantrae Village, Circle K is nearly built. In addition to Dairy Queen, the approximately 17,000-square-foot shopping plaza will have T-Mobile, Taco Bell and Dunkin’ Donuts. Other parcels are available.

The activity up and down State Road 54 is a prime reason that Saenz, and his wife Pam, took a deep dive into a new venture – as fast-food restaurant owners.

“We think we’re in a great spot,” said Saenz. “Three years ago, this area was probably a five or six (on a scale of 10). I think we’re at a nine or 10, with the amount of homes and traffic.”

The Saenz’s live in the Oakstead subdivision with their 14-year-old daughter, Madison. Pam Saenz is a Pasco County teacher.

Carlos Saenz is stepping away from a long career in the insurance industry to open his first Dairy Queen. A second franchise in Hudson is possible.

When Saenz researched restaurant franchises, he zeroed in on Dairy Queen for a personal reason. He grew up in Puerto Rico, but as a middle school student moved to Kissimmee, Florida.

His first fast-food meal was at a Dairy Queen on U.S. 192. “It’s still there,” Saenz said.

He feels many others also feel nostalgic about a restaurant that began in 1940. Back then, it sold burgers, hot dogs, fries, Peanut Buster parfaits, Dilly bars and ice cream cones.

Dairy Queen celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2015. The company boasts of more than 1,560 DQ Grill & Chill restaurants in 46 states.

Saenz said Dairy Queen, in recent years, has kept its traditional menu items, but also modernized to keep up with the times. The DQ Grill & Chill concept started nearly two decades ago.

The old favorites are still there, but chicken strip baskets and sandwiches and honey-flavored barbecue have been added. DQ rotates some items in and out, including a recent Kansas-style pork sandwich on pretzel bread and a Philly cheesesteak.

Customers are now described as “fans.”

Dairy Queen supports community-based charitable events. Saenz said the company supports a national campaign to collect donations for the Miracle Children’s Network. However, money collected locally stays in the community, he said.

He anticipates sponsoring special “spirit night” events for area schools, with a portion of proceeds benefiting each school.

A grassy area near the outdoor patio could be gated off as a kind of dog park. Saenz said he expects foot traffic from nearby Ballantrae homes, and people will want to bring their pets.

“We’re going to be partners with the community and engaging with schools,” Saenz said.

Published March 1, 2017

Pasco’s global markets expand

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When people talk about the global economy, they’re not just talking about deals that take place overseas.

Florida already plays a sizable role in international trade, and Pasco County companies are showing an increasing interest in attracting global customers.

About 100 people turned out to learn more at “Growing Global,” a half-day international exporting conference hosted by the Pasco Economic Development Council on Feb. 10.

More than 100 people attended Growing Global, a half-day international exporting conference, hosted by the Pasco Economic Development Council. (Photos courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)
More than 100 people attended Growing Global, a half-day international exporting conference, hosted by the Pasco Economic Development Council.
(Photos courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

The conference, held at the Residence Inn in Land O’ Lakes, featured speakers from international countries and business experts who provided information aimed at helping companies understand the markets, and also to help smooth the way for those interested in exporting goods and services.

Pasco County is increasingly part of the global market, said Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC. “It (international trade) is not reserved to those big cities, like Orlando and Miami.”

The conference attracted business owners, Pasco County officials and representatives of the Small Business Development Center at the University of South Florida, Enterprise Florida, Tampa Bay Export Assistance Center and Pinellas County Economic Development.

Representatives from Canada, France, Germany and Mexico were there, too. They made sales pitches extolling reasons to do business with their respective countries.

They also shared data on imports and exports that already generate billions of dollars in global trade.

Louise Leger, acting consul general of Canada, reported that total trade between Canada and Florida is about $8 billion annually.

Max Stewart, regional manager of Enterprise Florida, encouraged business owners to take advantage of upcoming trade missions to Costa Rica and Mexico City.
Max Stewart, regional manager of Enterprise Florida, encouraged business owners to take advantage of upcoming trade missions to Costa Rica and Mexico City.

Canada is the No. 1 source of tourism to Florida, Leger said.

About one in nine Canadians visit annually and spend a total of about $4 billion.

Canada employs about 27,000 Floridians in 300 companies located in the state, including Circle K and TD Bank.

With the exchange rate currently favoring the stronger U.S. dollar, Leger said now is a good time to invest in Canada. “We are there to help you be successful, whether it is here or in Canada,” Leger said. The consulate is located in Miami.

Max Stewart, regional manager of Enterprise Florida, touted the state agency’s upcoming trade missions to Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Mexico City.

“This is the time to be thinking internationally,” he said. “The U.S. is really, really strong in this market.”

Trade missions can open doors to foreign markets more quickly, Cronin said. “It allows our companies to get a lot more exposure than they would otherwise get,” he said.

While the focus often is on products, Cronin added that services also are a growing segment of global trade.

Not everything sold overseas has to be something that gets “thrown in a box. A lot of people don’t recognize that,” Cronin said.

A brief panel discussion highlighted some challenges of doing business overseas including paperwork, obtaining work permits and cultural sensitivities.

The panel showcased local businesses: Earthworks Environmental, in Safety Harbor; York Bridge Concepts, in Lutz; and TwinStar Optics, in Port Richey.

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, welcomed participants to a conference highlighting opportunities for local companies to enter the global market.
Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, welcomed participants to a conference highlighting opportunities for local companies to enter the global market.

“You need to have a strategy,” said Jonathan Brewer, owner of Earthworks Environmental, which specializes in soil cleanups. “It’s not going to happen overnight.”

Peter Thomas of TwinOptics makes opticals for laser-based weapons that require government approvals. “We worry about it being a weapon against the United States. A lot of time, we wait on (federal) government to get back to us.”

James York, of York Bridge Concepts, said companies that want to trade globally should “bring something unique to the table and, at some point, they (trade partners) are going to say ‘Hey, we need that’.”

York Bridge Concepts specializes in timber-built bridges for golf courses, trails and residential developments. The company began more than 30 years ago in Tampa, but moved to Lutz in 2008.

“We work in a global environment,” said Gil York, the company’s director of international development and public relations. “It’s irrelevant where you are located. It’s how you market your business.”

Published February 17, 2016

Retail is coming to Ballantrae Village

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New retail is headed to State Road 54 in Land O’ Lakes, as Dunphy Properties prepares to start construction on the first shops at Ballantrae Village.

A groundbreaking is expected in January for a Circle K, a Dairy Queen, a Dunkin’ Donuts and a Taco Bell on outparcels on the northeast corner of State Road 54 and Ballantrae Boulevard, according to a news release from Dunphy Properties.

Construction begins in January on the first retail at Ballantrae Village on outparcels, next to the Ballantrae Boulevard/State Road 54 entrance to the master-planned community. KATHY STEELE/PHOTO
Construction begins in January on the first retail at Ballantrae Village on outparcels, next to the Ballantrae Boulevard/State Road 54 entrance to the master-planned community.
KATHY STEELE/PHOTO

An additional four parcels are on the market, and a 13,200-square-foot building also is planned. Tenants have not been signed as yet.

New access is planned to get into and out of the shopping plaza.

Plans for retail at the master-planned community of Ballantrae Village has been slow in developing largely due to the economic downturn in 2007 and a slow recovery. But growth is gathering steam, especially along State Road 54.

“Retail development follows residential growth,” Jim Dunphy said in an email to The Laker/Lutz News. “The economy has picked up enough that we’re seeing explosive residential growth in the (State Road) 54 corridor. In addition, the long awaited widening of (State Road) 54 is underway further fueling interest in the area.”

Dunphy Properties is developing the commercial plaza on about 17 acres owned by the Aprile brothers. The plaza will be on the north side of State Road 54 and east of Ballantrae Boulevard.

The Circle K will be on the west end of the site, with Dairy Queen on the east end.

Bexley Ranch property is under construction to the north of Ballantrae Village.

According to the Ballantrae website, the community has more than 960 homes and more than 3,000 residents.

“Ballantine Village Shoppes is in the center of the growth,” Dunphy states in his email. “Many of the existing residents have done without retail, restaurant and service amenities for a long time. We are now positioned, with the additional residents and promised growth, to provide these shops and services. We are excited to be bringing this project together.”

Published October 28, 2015

Businesses fight ‘cotton-pickin government’

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When he was running for office, Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore heard a recurring theme: Do something about the blight.

The county, like many other Tampa Bay communities, suffered from the recession, and voters told Moore they wanted something done about neglected buildings.

But a proposed ordinance that would set minimum standards for maintaining commercial buildings is stirring controversy in at least one community – Land O’ Lakes.

Mike Moore
Mike Moore

About 50 Land O’ Lakes’ business owners and residents met on Aug. 19 with Moore and Assistant County Attorney Kristi Sims to air out their concerns about what they see as government overreach.

“This just feels like more cotton-pickin government, and I’m tired of that,” said Russell Adams, owner of Russell Adams Realty Inc.

The ordinance came up during a recent workshop where Pasco County commissioners met publicly to discuss the 2016 fiscal year budget. A public hearing and a vote by commissioners on the ordinance will be scheduled in the future.

The ordinance is similar to one adopted in Hillsborough County nearly six years ago, and mirrors codes currently applied to residences. It also reflects the best-practice standards recommended by the International Property Maintenance Code.

County code currently defines a blighted structure and criteria for ordering an owner to tear it down unless repairs are done. Or, the county can tear down structures and place liens on properties.

What’s new about the proposed ordinance is that it introduces citations and fines for failure to maintain commercial structures to public safety standards. Examples include weather-tight windows and exterior doors, properly anchored awnings, and peeling or flaking paint. After 30 days, buildings with boarded up windows or doors must be repaired, or fines will be levied.

“Ninety percent of the proposed ordinance is safety-related,” said Sims. “Ten percent is aesthetics-related.”

Current code allows a maximum of $500 per violation plus costs. Jail time, not to exceed 60 days, also can be imposed, or both a fine and jail can be levied.

The process can be lengthy and includes warning notices prior to issuing citations. There also is an appeals process.

According to Moore, the ordinance is intended to fill in gaps in the county’s code enforcement toolbox.

Moore is pushing for additional money in the 2016 budget to hire more code enforcement officers. An initial suggestion of four new hires is now down to two, but an expanded staff would begin to address code enforcement issues along major corridors such as U.S. 41, U.S. 19 and possibly U.S. 301.

Fines imposed on property owners on these state-maintained roadways, however, would go to the state, not the county.

Pasco County Sheriff Chris Nocco, who came to the meeting to give a crime update, said the ordinance could be an additional tool for his deputies in clearing abandoned buildings, which attract criminal activity. He cited U.S. 19 as an example.

“We’re constantly going back,” he said. “You arrest them, and somebody takes their spot. We need this tool to get the blighted areas in U.S. 19. It’s not a (U.S.) 41 issue. It’s a county ordinance.”

Moore also reassured those at the meeting that the measure would be countywide and not solely focused on Land O’ Lakes.

“Everybody’s business looks great to me,” he said.

Moore said area Realtors were among those who asked for assistance in ridding blight on the county’s major corridors including U.S. 41.

“I have people in the real estate business who have trouble selling their properties,” he said. “They think this (ordinance) will help.”

He also cited a petition maintained by the Land O’ Lakes Beautification Effort, which on Facebook gathered nearly 600 signatures. The petition, addressed to Moore and Pasco County Code Enforcement, seeks tree plantings and a cleanup of blight from the intersection of U.S. 41 and State Road 54 up to the community of Connerton.

The list on the group’s Facebook page includes Land O’ Lakes’ residents as well as a few from Lutz. Some on the list are “anonymous.”

The petition rankled many at the meeting. They said it was not representative of Land O’ Lakes residents or business owners. When asked, no one at the meeting raised a hand to show they had signed the petition.

People at the meeting were local residents and many were long-time business owners, said Casie Holloway of the family-owned Holloway’s Farm Supply. She organized the meeting.

“We are a tight community,” she said. “Many of us have been here forever. This road is steeped in history.”

Preserving history, and also holding on to their businesses, was a major concern. Many expressed fear that if a fire or hurricane destroyed their businesses, the county would hinder rebuilding, and impose current building codes.

That would either be too costly or impossible to meet, they said.

Maryann Bishop of Bishop Construction said she dealt with rebuilding issues after a fire “and went through this with the county for three years.”

Others also expressed dismay with similar county experiences.

Sims and Moore explained that those were building code issues unrelated to the proposed new code enforcement rules. But no one seemed swayed.

Some said they saw signs of rebirth along U.S. 41, citing the recent purchase of Land O’ Lakes Plaza by Circle K. The fuel and convenience store chain plans to build a new store.

“Land O’ Lakes Boulevard is coming back,” said Harry Wright, owner of Hungry Harry’s Family Bar-B-Que. The meeting took place under a tent on his property.

He said other developers in coming months could begin buying up vacant properties for redevelopment.

“Ya’ll (should) maybe look at taking it a little slower…I think we could naturally work out of it,” Wright said.

Published August 26, 2015

Circle K buys the Land O’ Lakes Plaza

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Circle K is the new owner of the Land O’ Lakes Plaza, a nearly 50-year-old shopping center along the busy commercial corridor of U.S. 41, at Hale Road.

The plaza, built in 1966, is considered to be Land O’ Lakes’ first shopping center. Today, the approximately 2.4-acre plaza is occupied mostly by mom-and-pop enterprises including a barbershop, a liquor store, a café, a nail salon and an antique shop.

Circle K plans to tear down the Land O’ Lakes Plaza to build a new 5,000-square-foot convenience store with gas pumps and a car wash. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Circle K plans to tear down the Land O’ Lakes Plaza to build a new 5,000-square-foot convenience store with gas pumps and a car wash.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

The $1.55 million sale between the plaza’s owner, A & M Somerset Inc., and Circle K closed about two weeks ago, according to Georgia Watson, a broker with Grimaldi Commercial Realty Corp. She represented A & M Somerset in the transaction.

“It was purchased as an investment,” Watson said. “It was purchased strictly to redo the property. The whole shopping center will be demolished.”

Circle K has filed a conceptual plan with Pasco County’s planning department for a 5,000-square-foot Circle K store with gasoline pumps and a car wash. Currently there is an older Circle K and Shell gas station at U.S. 41 and Hale, immediately north of the plaza.

County records show Circle K General Inc., bought that adjacent corner site in 1987. The property was sold in 2004 to RI CS2 LLC, but continued to operate as a Circle K store and gas station. Development plans filed with the county do not show what will happen to the existing Circle K.

Circle K representatives could not be reached for comment.

The trend in recent years is for brands, such as WaWa, Thorntons and Circle K, to build modern, more trendy gas and convenience stores, Watson said.

WaWa representatives had looked at the site, she said, but didn’t pursue a contract. “This (Circle K) seems to be the best fit.”

The new development is a welcome addition, Watson said.

“Land O’ Lakes has kind of been behind Wesley Chapel, Lutz and Odessa. They are growing much faster than we are,” she said. “It’s nice to see some good activity going on.”

Published May 20, 2015

 

Lutz 7-Eleven sells to Brandon investor

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Drivers on State Road 54 going by 7-Eleven on Livingston Road may have noticed the 7-Eleven signs are gone.

The corporate parent of the convenience store chain, 7-Eleven Inc. — through its Southland Corp. affiliate — sold the 27-year-old store late last month to Sailfish Real Estate LLC of Brandon. The owner of that company, William McKnight, owns several convenience stores around the region, primarily using Circle K branding.

McKnight owns the much larger Automated Petroleum and Energy Co., which purchases and leases convenience store locations all over the state. The company requires entrepreneurs looking to lease to attend a mandatory 12-day training class, according to the company’s website.

It’s not clear how McKnight will handle the new location, except that it will no longer be a 7-Eleven. McKnight has yet to return a request for comment from late Wednesday morning.

The sale by 7-Eleven was part of a national effort to cut ties with 75 7-Eleven stores.

“There are many nice sites in this package that simply do not fit 7-Eleven’s current business model,” company vice president Robbie Radant said in a release last May. “All of these stores have solid merchandise sales, and should provide good opportunities for the right buyers.”

The store and land sold for $750,000, compared to the $225,000 Southland paid for vacant land back in 1986. Back then, State Road 54 was just two lanes, and far less competition was nearby. Now, however, a RaceTrac is located on just the other side of Livingston.

Thanksgiving traveling like it’s 2009

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It’s just five years ago, but 2009 is not too hard to remember. The Black Eyed Peas had a hit in “Boom Boom Pow.” At movie theaters, “Avatar” was breaking every record imaginable. And at the gas pump, drivers were paying less than $2.70 at the pump.

Hit songs and blockbuster movies from five years ago will likely stay there, but cheap gas? It’s back, as the national average for a galling of regular unleaded gas was $2.82 heading into the busy Thanksgiving week.

“Travelers are thankful to have more money  in their pockets due to falling gas prices,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “The good news is gas should continue falling through the rest of the year. Cheaper gasoline has helped boost disposable income and consumer spending, which encourages more people to travel.”

The state average in Florida Sunday matched the national average at $2.82, down 6 cents from a week ago, and off 64 cents a gallon from the $3.46 prices the state saw just over Thanksgiving weekend a year ago. State prices also are down 27 cents from a month ago.

The best prices in Land O’ Lakes over the weekend were found as usual at two stations on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and State Road 52 — Both the RaceTrac and Hess station there reported $2.65 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. The most expensive gas, on the other hand, was $2.83 reported at the Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards.

Lutz drivers also found $2.65 gas at the Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads. The most expensive in that area was $2.89 at the Shell station on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke.

Six different gas stations in Wesley Chapel advertised prices of $2.69 over the weekend, competing for the cheapest gas there, while the most expensive was reported to be $2.79 at the Shell station on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard near State Road 56, as well as the BP station on Willow Oaks Drive and State Road 56.

In Zephyrhills, gas prices ranged from $2.69 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as the Murphy USA on Gall Boulevard, to $2.76 at the Sunoco on County Road 54 and Wire Road. Dade City’s cheapest gas was $2.63 at both the Clark on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, and D&D on U.S. 98 and U.S. 301.

 

Low gas prices might push Thanksgiving travel

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and dropping gas prices at the pump could convince many families to take to the road.

Gas in Florida dropped another nickel over the past week, bringing the average cost for a gallon of regular unleaded to $2.91, while the national average falls to $2.93. It’s the 42nd consecutive day gas prices have dropped nationally, and the 37th in Florida.

“Cheap gas prices couldn’t come at a better time as millions of Americans make travel plans for the holiday season,” AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said, in a release. “Prices are the lowest in four years, which should influence more people to take a trip, drive farther, or drive instead of fly.”

The average gas price is now below $3 a gallon in 26 states, including Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. South Carolina has the cheapest gas in the country at $2.68, with Tennessee not far behind at $2.70. Florida has the 20th cheapest.

The U.S. shale boom continues to have a major impact on the market, with domestic oil production the highest on record, dating back to 1983. The price for a barrel of oil fell below $79 for the first time since June 2012, settling at $78.65 on Friday, a drop of $1.89 from the previous week.

Land O’ Lakes has the cheapest gas in the area, with $2.75 reported at both the Citgo and RaceTrac stations in the State Road 52 area, according to GasBuddy. Zephyrhills was not far behind with $2.77 at a Shell station on Paul S. Buchman Highway and Central Avenue.

The Circle K on Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads checked in at $2.78 in Lutz, while the cheapest gas in both Wesley Chapel and Dade City was coming in at $2.79.

Two shell stations on Van Dyke Road in the Lutz area had the area’s most expensive gas at $2.99, while the Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards reported $2.93, in the Land O’ Lakes area. Wesley Chapel’s most expensive was $2.89 at a Shell station on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and State Road 56, not far from its cheapest gas at Sam’s Club, which was a dime lower.

 

No bottom yet in sight for falling gas prices

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Cheaper gas is probably something everyone can get used to. But how long will gas hover around the $2.75 mark or lower? Only time will tell.

The national average for regular unleaded gasoline fell to its lowest point since December 2010, dropping below $3 per gallon. Right now, more than 60 percent of American gas stations are selling gas below that mark, according to AAA, and 23 states have averages also below that mark.

In fact, Florida — where the gas average price is $2.96 — is ranked 20th in the nation, and is part of a region of the country where gas is at its lowest.

“Gas prices are still falling,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “There is still room for the price at the pump to drop in the short term. We could see prices side another 5 to 15 cents by the end of the year.”

Gas prices dropped 33 cents in October, the steepest single-month decline since 2008. A lot of that can be attributed to the cheapening of crude oil, according to the AAA, which accounts for a vast majority of gasoline’s cost. West Texas Intermediate, for example, has dropped more than $25 per barrel since this year’s peak price of $107.73 on June 20. The current price for WTI closed at $80.54 on Friday, down slightly from the previous week’s close of $81.27.

“Abundant oil supplies, winter-blend fuels and low demand continue to place downward pressure on gas prices,” Carrasco said. “Crude oil prices seem to be leveling out, which may put the brakes on significant drops in gasoline prices. But we haven’t hit the bottom yet.”

The price for gas in Florida dropped 8 cents from the previous week to $2.96. It’s down 37 cents from a month ago, and 29 cents from a year ago.

Taking a look at where gras prices are locally, the cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes is at the RaceTrac on State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard, where prices were reported Sunday at $2.76, according to GasBuddy. The priciest is at the Shell located on State Road 54 and State Road 56, where prices were set at $2.97 over the weekend.

In Lutz, prices ranged from $2.84 at the Circle K at Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $2.99 at two Shell stations on Dale Mabry Highway.

Motorists were finding the best gas prices in Wesley Chapel at the Sam’s Club at State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, where prices were set at $2.82. The most expensive there was at Shell just nearby at $2.93.

In Zephyrhills, the cheapest gas was reported at the Shell station at Paul S. Buchman Highway and Central Avenue at $2.84. The high was found at $2.95 at the Citgo, located at Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road.

Finally, drivers in Dade City looking for the best prices should look up either the Clark station on U.S. 301 and Long Avenue, or D&D at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, where prices were set at $2.83. The most expensive in that area was found at the BP station on U.S. 98, where gas was priced at $2.99.