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Fourteenth Street

Commercial kitchen incubator to open in East Pasco

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An incubator commercial kitchen is expected to begin operating in September at 15029 14th St., in Dade City.

The initiative is the result of a partnership between the Pasco Extension Office, which is part of the University of Florida Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences, Pasco County and the Pasco County Economic Development Council Inc., with assistance from Welbilt.

Welbilt, a global manufacturer of commercial restaurant equipment, has provided equipment for the kitchen. It contributed a six-burner range, a single-door refrigerator, a single-door freezer, an under-the-counter ice machine, shelving, and stainless steel work tables.

Welbilt Inc., has delivered the kitchen equipment for a commercial kitchen incubator at the One Stop Shop, in the UF/IFAS Cooperative Extension One Stop Shop Stallings Building at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. From left: Mick Hughes, Welbilt; Elizabeth Urquiola, UF/IFAS; Steve Flook, Welbilt; Dan Mitchell, Pasco EDC; and, Michael Anderson, Welbilt. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.)

“They have been working with us, very closely, as an excellent partner, and we do appreciate that donation of equipment from them,” Dr. Whitney C. Elmore, director of the Pasco County Extension Office, told members of the Pasco County Commission at a meeting last month.

“They’ve worked closely with us, with facilities from Pasco County, to retrofit an older commercial kitchen space in that building, which has been actually fantastic,” Elmore added.

The new kitchen “is going to open up a lot of opportunities for us and the community,” Elmore added. It will be operating out of the One Stop Shop, located within the Stallings Building in East Pasco.

Dan Mitchell, program manager for Pasco EDC’s SMARTstart Incubator Program, said the updated commercial kitchen will be used for community classes and by SMARTstart.

“It will be used for our members who might need to use it to launch their food businesses,” Mitchell said. “They’ll be able to do a little bit of production out of there, if they’re one of our incubator members, as well as collaborate with local growers, local chefs, other food entrepreneurs.

“So, it will really be a space that will hopefully foster some food innovation, some excitement around food business in Pasco County. There’s a lot of that bubbling under the surface,” he said.

For instance, the kitchen makes it possible for a family living in the area to lease a garden plot for free, grow some vegetables and make a product they could sell at a farmer’s market.

“Once a business needs to grow beyond a farmer’s market, we have all of our SMARTstart programs, like co-starters, our microloan program, and everything else to support entrepreneurs,” Mitchell said.

The Pasco EDC offers a host of programs aimed at helping businesses grow, at whatever stage they happen to be in, Mitchell noted. And, Pasco County has incentives aimed to attract high-wage jobs to the county.

The idea of creating the incubator kitchen resulted from talks involving a variety of stakeholders, including the Pasco EDC, the Extension Office and others, Mitchell said.

“What we noticed is there’s a lot interest in food businesses. There’s a lot of agriculture in Pasco County. There’s citrus, beef, kumquats, blueberries out East. Then out West we have some breweries and some seafood production. And, one of the things that we don’t have, however, is a good local distribution model, where food can get from these different producers to our local restaurants,” Mitchell said.

But, he added, “there’s not a good easy way for these people to connect.”

“It became apparent that it would be nice if we had some kind of food hub. So, the Pasco EDC decided to go ahead and host what’s called its Food Hub Task Force.”

The group meets monthly, with the aim of creating a model that will encourage food-related partnerships and generate jobs, he said.

The commercial kitchen opens the door to new possibilities, Mitchell said.

“If you produce the food in your own home, you’re not allowed to sell other than direct to consumer. If you produce in a commercial kitchen, you’re suddenly allowed to do a lot more,” he explained.

A ribbon cutting to celebrate the incubator kitchen is planned for Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m.

Another event has been planned, as well, to help explore the possibilities the new kitchen is creating. That event is set for Nov. 20 and has been dubbed, “Food is the Biggest Business.”

“We’re going to have four or five food entrepreneurs that are already successful. Maybe a successful restaurateur, maybe a food truck guy, maybe a celebrity chef. Those types of people,” Mitchell said.

“It will be open to anyone interested in those types of businesses, from any direction,” he said, and, it will give people a chance to know others who share an interest in the food industry — from a variety of perspectives.

From there, who knows?

“It really comes down to each individual entrepreneur and what their dreams are,” Mitchell said.

But, whatever path they choose to pursue, chances are Pasco EDC will be able to help them along the way, Mitchell said.

Published July 10, 2019

Keeping a piece of Dade City history alive

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When Jo and Bob Larkin bought the R.D. Sistrunk House at the corner of 14th Street and Church Avenue, they knew they were buying a property with a rich history — that required a lot of work.

Jo Larkin enjoys talking about the transformation of the home at 14th Street and Church Avenue, known historically as The Sistrunk House. It is featured as this year’s Dade City Garden Club ornament. (B.C. Manion)

“We renovated the house completely,” said Jo Larkin, who has a title company and previously owned an antiques shop.

Her husband, Bob, who is a builder, said it was the most extensive renovation project he’s ever tackled.

“It had plaster walls inside, and so we gutted all of the walls and ceilings.

“The only thing that was left from before we started remodeling was the frame walls, the siding and the flooring.

“We took out all of the electrical and all of the plumbing, anything in there except, for the structure,” Bob said.

The couple purchased the Sistrunk House in 2004 from Earl McKinney, a man they’d known all of their lives.

This sunny reading room is an enclosed porch that used to be a gazebo.

“Earl was not well,” Jo said. “One of the reasons that we got the house, truly, is because Earl had been over to see me, when I had the bed and breakfast (The Lark Inn, next door), and he couldn’t believe what Bob and I had done.

“He said, ‘I never had the money to do to this house, what I wanted to do.”

He asked Jo: ‘Do you think you and Bob would take this on?’

When Bob gutted the Sistrunk House, he found out where a lot of the original stuff had been located, Jo said. “He put it back originally, the way it was.”

There’s original glass in a window looking onto Church Avenue, and in the beveled glass front door. Much of the lighting is original, too.

This clock, on the mantel of the TV room, is one of many antique clocks in the house, and each of them works.

There’s only been four owners since the house was built in the early 1890s. First, there was Laura Inglis, of Iowa; then Dr. Sistrunk, a beloved Dade City physician, and his family. Earl McKinney bought it in the early ’70s, and then the Larkins.

During the restoration, a library was created by enclosing a porch; a reading room was made by enclosing a gazebo; and a carport was converted into a kitchen.

Upstairs, Bob created new spaces, too.

“You have to understand, there were no bathrooms or closets when we got this. So, what Bob did, was — he bumped out the walls, and he added a closet and he added a bathroom,” Jo said.

The list of work done during the renovation goes on and on.

This is a stained glass piece Bob had made for the 14th Street door transom to match the original stained glass in the front window on Church Avenue.

After giving the home new life, the couple loaded it up with interesting items.

“This is the fun part of doing houses,” Jo said. “You can tell I had an antique store.”

The dining room table was built using the legs from a square grand piano.

There’s a piece of furniture known as a “Larkin Side by Side,’ which was available from the Larkin Soap Company. The soap company gave out stamps with soap purchases, which customers saved to buy items from a catalog.

There are conversation pieces throughout the 4,000-square-foot home, which has 13 rooms, including three bedrooms and three baths.

Jo is thrilled that her home was selected to be featured as the Dade City Garden Club’s annual ornament.

This is what the home, owned by Bob and Jo Larkin, looks like now.

She buys the ornament every year. “In fact, all of my sisters, who have moved away, I buy for them and ship it to them because they all want it. Bob’s sister, too. It’s a great gift. It just reminds you of home, so many great things.

“I think it’s such a shame that Earl died and could not see what has happened with the home. That kind of thing would have just made his day.

“If anybody was in love with his home, it was Earl. He really was obsessed with it.

“He was a real character.

“He was interesting to talk to, but you never knew what Earl was going to say, and you never knew what was embellishment and what was the truth.”

The couple has the house on the market now, as they plan the next phase of their lives.

“It’ll take the right person. It’ll take someone who wants to be part of Dade City,” she said.

Dade City Garden Club annual ornament
The Dade City Garden Club’s annual ornament this year features The R.D. Sistrunk House, which is located at the corner of 14th Street and Church Avenue.

The two-story wood-frame house, at 37441 Church Ave., was the home of one of Dade City’s prominent pioneer doctors, Dr. Robert Don Sistrunk. Originally, it was a plain two-story square box, finished by Laura Inglis, from Iowa, in the early 1890s.

Doctor Sistrunk and his bride, Frances Bedgood, moved to the Church Street home in 1906. They remodeled it extensively in 1910, enlarging it, and adding porches and arts and crafts-style columns. They lived in the house the rest of their lives.

Earl McKinney bought the house in the early 1970s. He added porches, gazebos, and replaced the arts and crafts columns.

When McKinney’s health was deteriorating, he approached Bob and Jo Larkin about buying the house and restoring it. The Larkins bought the house in 2003 and began renovations in 2005.

The ornament commemorating the Sistrunk House is available for $22, by check only, from the Greater Dade City Chamber.

Published October 31, 2018

Community gardening coming to Dade City

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Two new community gardens will be coming soon to Dade City.

The University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Pasco County Extension Office will be establishing community gardens with the help of the City of Dade City, the Pasco County Commission and private donors.

Soon, gardeners will be using community gardening plots to grow vegetables in Dade City. (Courtesy of Eden Santiago-Gomez, Pasco Extension Office)

Members of the community will be able to grow their own produce in free garden plots, according to Whitney C. Elmore, Pasco County Extension director and urban horticulture agent.

The gardens will be located at Watson Park, which is at North and Main avenues, between 17th and 19th streets, and on the land surrounding the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St.

The Dade City Watson Park Community Garden is being made possible with support from Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, the Dade City Commission and UF/IFAS, Elmore said. This is a new land use agreement model piloted between the University of Florida and a municipality, she added.

The Stallings Building Urban Farm has been made possible through the recently passed Pasco County Urban Agriculture Ordinance, the cooperation of Pasco County Commission and the guidance of Assistant County Administrator Cathy Pearson, Elmore added.

Many private citizens and companies also donated items and equipment to make these new ventures possible, according to Eden Santiago-Gomez, community gardens program assistant at the extension office.

The Dade City Watson Park Community Garden will host more than 30 community plots of varying sizes, including wheelchair-accessible and senior-accessible raised beds. All plots and beds will be available to lease free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis to the surrounding community.

Nice, plump tomatoes may be among the vegetables grown soon in Dade City by gardeners using community garden plots. (Courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS)

Educator plots also will be available, so students on school field trips can engage and interact with all things gardening.

Lessons will be taught, on site, by the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension faculty and staff on topics such as gardening 101, good bugs/bad bugs, gardening for nutrition, composting, rain water harvesting, fertilizers, eating on a budget, and making your own healthy snacks, Elmore added.

Garden tours also will be available to the public in the future by Pasco Master Gardeners and Horticulture staff.

A planting party will be held to commemorate the first community garden in Dade City. The party will be on Jan. 12, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., at the Dade City Watson Park Community Garden. The public is invited to share the afternoon with Dade City officials, local leaders and members of the community.

The Stallings Building Urban Farm will feature more than 50 8-foot-by-8-foot community plots and six raised wheelchair-accessible beds, all available for the community to lease, free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. The rest of the area will be farmed by the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office’s Community Gardens Program. All food grown in that area of the Urban Farm will be donated to local food pantries initially. At some point, the hope is to offer a monthly farm stand or possibly Community Supported Agriculture to benefit the local community, Santiago-Gomez said.

Numerous gardening techniques will be utilized at this site (from traditional row cropping to permaculture design techniques) as educational demonstrations for county residents during various classes, to be offered in the near future.

Both gardens are located in the low-income communities of Dade City, and are aimed at helping local community members learn to grow their own food.

This will give local community members access to fresh fruits and vegetables, in what is currently a food desert. Additionally, money saved on grocery bills, by growing much of the produce needed for a family, can be redirected to other areas of everyday life, Elmore said.

Citizens can sign up now for a free garden plot at either of these locations and start gardening. Please contact Eden Santiago-Gomez at or (352) 518-0156 to reserve your free plot.

Here’s a slate of upcoming classes aimed at helping people who want to learn more about how to propagate from seeds, and other gardening topics.

Propagating from Seeds #101
Where: Clayton Hall at Pasco County Fairgrounds, 36702 State Road 52 in Dade City
When: Jan. 6, 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Learn some tricks of the trade to successfully germinate seeds and raise the seedlings to beautiful plants.
Registration is required. Call the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office at (352) 518-0156 for details.        

Composting Workshop
Where: Centennial Park Branch Library, 5740 Moog Road in Holiday
When: Jan. 11, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Cost: $35 fee, includes instruction and one composting bin
Details: Learn how to recycle nutrients into plants and add organic matter to your soil. The workshop covers the do’s and don’ts of composting for Florida flowers and vegetables. Each Pasco household is eligible to receive one compost bin when at least one household member registers and attends this workshop.
Call the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office at (352) 518-0156 for details.        

Vegetable Gardening Basics
Where: Stallings Building, 15029 14th St., in Dade City
When: Jan. 18, 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.
Cost: Free
Details: Learn how to to choose a location for a garden, what makes good soil, when to plant different vegetables, and how to control common vegetable garden pests.
Registration is required. Call the UF/IFAS Pasco County Extension Office at (352) 518-0156 for details.        

Published December 27, 2017

Activists bring new life to Moore-Mickens

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The Pasco County School District handed over the keys to the new tenants of the Moore-Mickens Education Center effective July 1.

The lease is for 30 years at $10 a year.

Volunteers and board members of the nonprofit Moore-Mickens Education Center and Vocational Center Inc., are working to reopen the historical school in Dade City. From left, Rev. Jesse McClendon Sr., Saundra Coward, Londa Edwards, Levater Holt, Marilyn Hunter and Margarita Romo. (Kathy Steele)

So, now the school’s future is in the hands of a coalition of community activists who founded the nonprofit Moore-Mickens Education Center and Vocational Center Inc.

Its legacy already is in place.

Moore-Mickens is rooted in Pasco’s history as the first public school for blacks. It began as Moore Academy and later operated under the Moore and Mickens’ names as elementary, middle and high schools, and finally, as the education center.

The school’s name honors the accomplishments of two Pasco educators, Rev. Junias D. Moore and Odell Kingston Mickens.

Though the nonprofit plans to be patient and move ahead one program at a time, there are ambitious plans in store for Moore-Mickens, which sprawls across a campus of 14 buildings at the end of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Dade City.

Empowering children is a priority.

The first goal is to open a volunteer prekindergarten school that will give children a foundation for educational success.

“I want to see kids open doors for themselves,” said Marilyn Hunter, president of the nonprofit.

Margarita Romo echoes those thoughts.

A monument sign for Moore-Mickens Education Center sits behind a fence at the entrance to the campus, off Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Dade City.

“It can be the lighthouse for people who need to believe in themselves, said Romo, founder of Farmworkers Self-Help.

There are challenges ahead.

The first step is to organize a volunteer cleanup to get buildings ready to open. Plans are to use the administrative building, the building that housed the Cyesis teen parent program, and a building where the Dade City City Commission once held meetings.

In April, vandals broke about 100 windows and several doors in several buildings. The school district boarded up the windows and doors.

Repair costs are left for the nonprofit.

Romo can tick off a laundry list of items the school needs.

A church donated about 100 chairs, but more are needed, she said. Tables, commercial kitchen equipment, books and lawn mowers for the sprawling campus make up a short list.

“It’s a hard task just getting started,” Romo said. “We’ll open a little bit at a time, so we don’t go in debt.”

A local Episcopal church is making a donation to aid the school.

Hunter said the nonprofit plans to apply for a state historical grant, but additional cash donations and in-kind support are needed.

Termites are an issue in at least one building.

“It’s been sitting for three years without any care at all,” she said.

Prior to its closing in 2015, Moore-Mickens offered classes for adults, teen parents and special-needs children.

In April, vandals busted out 100 windows and broke several doors at the Moore-Mickens Education Center in Dade City.

Hunter taught in Pasco schools, including adult education classes at Moore-Mickens. And, she is a high school graduate of the class of 1970, the last one before desegregation.

“I’m proud of that,” she said.

School officials threatened to close Moore-Mickens in 2014, but backed off when area residents rallied to keep it open. They cited costly repairs as the reason for finally closing the campus a year later.

Community activists immediately began lobbying to save the school. Many had ties as former students or teachers at the school.

Rev. Jesse McClendon Sr., took the lead early on. A core group of 15 or so came together, eventually founding the nonprofit.

Few would have given them much chance for success.

But, Moore-Mickens stirs passions among people who revere the school as a community treasure.

“My heart has always been here at this school and this community,” said Saundra Coward, the nonprofit’s vice president and a former student. “I have a hurt for east Pasco because there’s so much taken away from us. This center here is the heart of many of us. The closing of it was a hurting thing.”

The passion caught even McClendon by surprise.

He had expected the outcry from the black community, but everyone who had ties with Moore-Mickens wanted to save it, he said.

McClendon went to Moore Elementary, and later worked as plant manager at Moore-Mickens. His mother, Joanna McClendon, was a teacher.

Levater Holt is an officer with the nonprofit as well as former student and teacher at the school. “This school for me is where I came up,” she said. “We’re reaching out to the whole community.”

In addition to VPK classes, the nonprofit wants to offer General Equivalency Diploma instruction and vocational skills classes. Other social agencies also could become partners, including food banks, and other children’s programs. There could be a charter school, afterschool programs, and a community garden.

Hunter would like to see sports activities, possibly basketball and badminton, and maybe a splash pad.

Romo sees the Moore-Mickens campus as a hub for social agencies in the area. A “one-stop” community center already is planned for the former Stallings Building on 14th Street in Dade City.

In the future, there could be links between that site and Moore-Mickens, which Romo said has space to accommodate several programs.

Londa Edwards, Romo’s granddaughter, has a mentoring program in the Tommytown neighborhood. She would like to also bring it to Moore-Mickens.

Coward, and her sister, Dometa Mitchell, are founders of Hebron Refuge Outreach, which offers youth programs that could fit in at Moore-Mickens as well.

This is a grassroots effort, Romo said.

“It’s kind of exciting, because here is a community that gathered together to try to say ‘yes we can’.” And, now she added, “We’re going to make this happen.”

For information, call Hunter at (352) 807-5691 or email .

Published July 5, 2017

Extension Office could get makeover

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The Pasco County Fair Association is seeking a state grant to help pay for a $1.1 million upgrade of the Pasco County Extension Office.

The Extension Office — which is supported by state and county funding — now leases space from the fair association.

But, the facility needs improvements and more space to expand its services.

The state grant could address both needs.

The Pasco County Commission, on Jan. 24, gave the fair association the go-ahead to seek a state grant to help cover the costs.

Whitney Elmore, director of Pasco County Extension, says more meeting space is essential for the Extension Office to expand its services.
(Richard K. Riley)

The state grant requires a 40 percent match. So, the county has agreed to provide about $243,000, and the fair association would cover about $197,000, if the grant is approved.

The fair association would be in charge of completing the project, which will include securing contractors and obtaining county permits.

While the fair association and members of the community are on the same page now, that wasn’t the case during an October stakeholders meeting.

At that point, the county was considering options that included moving Extension to the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City, leaving it at the fairgrounds or finding another location.

Those supporting the fairgrounds’ location said Extension should stay because its activities are closely aligned to those of the Pasco County Fair. But, those supporting the Stallings Building said the community living near there need the additional programs that Extension could bring to the area.

“From that last meeting in October, we really learned a lot from the whole community,” Cathy Pearson, assistant county administrator for public services said, at a Jan. 19 follow-up stakeholder meeting.

“It opened our eyes to what that community really needs. There’s a need in both places,” Pearson said.

“So, we had the opportunity in the last 60 days to meet with the Pasco County Fair board, and really voice our concerns about the building, and stuff that needs to be improved here.

“We also talked about operations.

“You know what? They really listened. They really did,” Pearson said.

Margarita Romo is delighted that the county is looking into ways to offer programs at the Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. The neighborhood needs more services, Romo said. Cathy Pearson, an assistant county administrator is in the background.

If the grant is approved, Extension would move temporarily to the Stallings Building.

The county also will work with the community to develop a business initiative, Pearson said.

“What kind of community programs can we put in there?” she said. “We have until March 6 to work on our plan,” Pearson said.

If the state grant is approved, there would be more meeting space, more classroom space, a renovated kitchen, a new greenhouse, upgraded parking and other improvements, said Whitney C. Elmore, the Extension director.

She said she based her renovation plan on information she gleaned from other Extension directors around the state.

More meeting space is critical to enable Extension to expand its programs, Elmore said.

An updated kitchen also is needed to offer classes that are in demand, but can’t be provided because of inadequate facilities and equipment, she said.

Enhanced office space, a reception area and other improvements also would be completed in the proposed project. The overall space would increase from roughly 3,000 square feet now to more than 5,200 square feet, once the improvements are done.

The fair association should find out in May or June whether the grant has been approved.

If it doesn’t come through, the county and fair association will work together to see what can be done with the approximately $440,000 that’s available, Pearson said.

But, Pearson added: “We’re going to be optimistic, though, we know we’re going to get the grant. That’s what we’re going to think.”

Margarita Romo, who spoke passionately at the October meeting about providing more services to the community near the Stallings Building, said she’s thrilled about the direction the fair association and county are taking.

“I’m just very excited,” Romo said. “Everybody is going to have what they need.

“We want the master gardeners to be happy. We want them to come and help us to learn how to do things better than we did in the past.

“Most important is the children,” Romo said. “All of those children make up Dade City, too. It would be wonderful to be able to interact with each other, to see that the county cares about us, the Extension Office cares about us, that all of the master gardeners care about us.

“Then, we could begin to close that gap because you know we’ve all been so separated in different ways. And, it’s time to come together,” Romo said.

Published February 1, 2017

Public meeting set to discuss Extension Office location

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Community members will have another chance to share their views on the future location of the Pasco County Extension Office.

Extension now operates out of space owned by the Pasco County Fair Association, under an annual $17,000 lease, which is currently on a month-to-month basis.

But, the office is too small and outdated to meet Extension’s needs.

LeAnne John, president of the Pasco County Fair Association, asked for time to determine whether improvements can be made at the fairgrounds to keep Extension there. (File)

The county wants to improve conditions for Extension and has been weighing various options.

Views were divided over the best location, during an Oct. 12 stakeholders’ meeting.

Some speakers supported an upgrade to the office at its current fairgrounds location. They said it makes sense for Extension because of its close alignment to the Pasco County Fair.

Others urged the county to move Extension to the county-owned Stallings Building, at 15029 14th St., in Dade City. They said that area children and families would benefit from having Extension in that neighborhood.

Whitney C. Elmore, director of Pasco Extension, said details are still being ironed out, but she expects a plan to be presented to stakeholders at that meeting.

“We want to get their feelings, their input, on a variety of things, and talk to them about how we’re going to move forward to increase the visibility for Extension across Pasco County,” she said. The aim is to provide additional space, so Extension can expand the programs its offers.

A meeting has been set for Jan. 19, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 36702 State Road 52 in Dade City, at the fairgrounds.

Meanwhile, Pasco County, in conjunction with the Pasco County Fair, also has scheduled a public hearing to certify that the Pasco County Fair Association Building is designed for a public purpose.

The fair association is applying for a grant from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to renovate the fair association building. To be eligible for the grant money, the county must certify that the building provides a public service.

That public hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24 at 1:30 p.m., during the County Commission’s regular meeting at the Historic Pasco County Historic Courthouse, at 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City.

If a state grant is approved and remodeling funds are made available, Elmore said Extension would need to relocate while that work is done.

Regardless of what happens with Extension’s office space, Elmore said she will be working with community volunteer Sammy Ortiz to set up new Hispanic 4-H Club in Dade City.

The Extension director said one of the best things that came out of the Oct. 12 meeting is that she learned about Ortiz’s willingness to take on a leadership role.

Elmore also said that Cathy Pearson, an assistant county administrator who led the previous stakeholder’s meeting, will be leading the Jan. 19 meeting, too.

What: Community stakeholders meeting on Extension Office improvements
Where: 36702 State Road 52 in Dade City
When: Jan. 19, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Who: The community is invited to participate in the discussion.

 

Public hearing regarding Pasco County Fair Association Building
Where: Pasco County Historic Courthouse, 37918 Meridian Ave., Dade City
When: Jan. 24, 1:30 p.m.
Why: The fair association is applying for a state grant, and in order to qualify, the county must certify that the fair association’s building is used for a public purpose. The Pasco County Extension Office is at the Pasco County Fair Association’s fairgrounds.

Published January 18, 2017

New housing project unveiled in Dade City

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Local residents and community leaders gathered for a May 12 grand opening ceremony at Hilltop Landings apartments in Dade City, following 18 months of construction.

The $15 million project serves as a replacement for Dade Oaks, a 38-year-old apartment complex that was built at the bottom of a drainage basin, forcing residents to regularly deal with flooding.

Those residents get first dibs on Hilltop Landings, located about a mile away from Dade Oaks, at 15641 14th St.

Future residents and community leaders gather for the ribbon cutting of Hilltop Landings. (Photos courtesy of J.P. Hervis)
Future residents and community leaders gather for the ribbon cutting of Hilltop Landings.
(Kevin Weiss/Staff Photos)

Designed and constructed by Gorman & Company Inc., the new complex consists of 69 modern, energy-efficient units, serving the needs of low-income families in Pasco County.

Sitting on 13 acres, the development includes a playground, community center and community gardens, all of which are well-lit and monitored with security cameras.

Pasco County pledged $2 million for the project, with the remaining funds coming from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, the Florida Housing Finance Corporation, First Housing, Boston Capital and RBC Capital Markets.

“It’s been a long struggle. It does my heart really well to see what we’ve accomplished here,” Pasco County Housing Authority Chairman David Lambert said at the ceremony. “It’s a far cry from three years ago when we came out and we started working on this complex. It took a lot of people…and we set out on a mission to replace or rehab all of our housing stock.”

Lambert was particularly thankful for HUD’s involvement in helping to facilitate the new development, along with its overall partnership with the housing authority.

Hilltop Landings features 69 modern, energy-efficient units. The project had a $15 million price tag.
Hilltop Landings features 69 modern, energy-efficient units. The project had a $15 million price tag. (Courtesy of J.P. Hervis)

 

“They provide a lot of funding…for some of our most underserved areas,” Lambert said. “We try to transition our folks out of public housing. Home ownership is one of the great American dreams, and HUD is a great provider and a great beacon for us.”

Ellis Henry, director of the state HUD office in Jacksonville, referred to the Hilltop Landings apartments as a “unique” project.

“This is something that’s not going to happen very much with just HUD and the federal funds,” Henry said. “This is a collaboration of many stakeholders, many funding sources, and the state and other entities that provide resources, as well as money to make this happen. That’s the wave of the future, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”

Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader said Hilltop Landings “is just one piece of the puzzle” in continuing to grow the county, noting its ability to provide affordable housing to Dade Oaks residents, as well as other low-income families.

“Dade Oaks was in an area that had some challenging issues with flooding and other issues that makes this such an attractive opportunity and an attractive alternative to where (Dade Oaks residents) once were,” Schrader said. “We’re proud to be able to provide some SHP (Supportive Housing Program) money with the HUD money to construct this fine facility.”

A children’s playground is one of the key amenities to Hilltop Landings. There’s also community gardens and a community center.
A children’s playground is one of the key amenities to Hilltop Landings. There’s also community gardens and a community center.

Schrader was also quick to mention the increases in the county’s housing prices, saying, “we still need to be cognizant that housing prices are rising, and (it) is becoming more and more of a challenge for the workforce to have a place they can call home.”

Patricia Gray, a resident of Dade Oaks, will soon be moving into Hilltop Landings, and was delighted the new housing is finally ready.

“Me and all the other residents, we never thought this was going to be here,” she said, “but now we have it, and we don’t have to worry about the flooding. We’re going to be safer.”

Once all residents are moved out of Dade Oaks, those buildings will be demolished and the area will be used for stormwater retention.

Pasco County Public Transportation plans to include Hilltop Landings on its bus route.

Hilltop Landings sits on 13 acres. It has a number of amenities, including on-site management, on-site social services, washers and dryers, a playground, a community center, a community garden, and security cameras and lighting. It has one- to four-bedroom apartments and duplexes.

Published May 18, 2016