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Marriott Residence Inn

Wiregrass sports campus to open in July

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A hard hat tour and official logo unveil signaled construction is moving swiftly on the highly anticipated Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Several Pasco County officials and other local dignitaries gathered on Jan. 28 to get an up-close look at the forthcoming $44 million project.

Before revealing the new logo for the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County, Commission Chairman Mike Moore offered a few remarks about the project to those taking a hard hat tour of the site. Behind Moore are Adam Thomas, director of Experience Florida’s Sports Coast, left, and Richard Blalock, CEO of RADDSports. (Christine Holtzman)

The 98,000 square feet of indoor space will be used primarily for basketball, volleyball, cheerleading and more than a dozen other sports. And, there will be two adjacent outdoor multi-use fields for soccer, lacrosse and other events.

Marshall Quarles, project manager for contractor Ajax Building Corp., said the complex is “over 50%” complete, and still on track for a July opening.

The project manager also said bio-cushioned hardwood floors will be installed sometime in late April.

“We try to push that (hardwood install) as long as we can, because obviously we don’t want to have to go back and do any work on top of it,” Quarles explained.

With a timeline in place, sports events have already been booked for the remainder of the year.

Officials said as many as six events have been booked for late 2020, which will equate to 2,460 room nights.

The first is a Sept. 11 high school volleyball tournament that will draw teams from Hillsborough, Pasco and Orange counties, said Richard Blalock, president and CEO of RADD Sports, the private sports management company tasked with operating and managing the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus.

That initial volleyball tournament will serve as a soft opening of sorts for subsequent tournaments, Blalock said, “to make sure the nets come down, the scoreboards work, benches are in the right place, all that kind of stuff.”

While still months away from completion, Blalock already is getting inquiries from youth and amateur sports tournament directors looking to lock up their events at the facility in 2021 and beyond. Blalock has said he hopes to book more than 30 events in the facility’s first full year, then grow from there. “I’ve got organizations fighting over dates,” he said.

Marshall Quarles, project manager for Ajax Building Corporation, uses a map to explain the layout of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus, during a hard hat tour.

The multi-purpose sports complex, which features 37-foot-high ceilings, is large enough to hold either 16 volleyball games or eight basketball games at one time — the floors separated by a cheer/dance studio, fitness center and second-level mezzanine. The floor spaces also can be converted to accommodate less traditional sports such as pickleball (up to 16 courts) or futsal (up to eight courts), and more than a dozen other sports and activities.

Other notable amenities include an educational lab, full-service kitchen, a concessions area and snack bar. The indoor facility will have a capacity of 1,100, and the campus will have 700 available parking spaces, officials said.

Blalock pointed out multiple events could be going on simultaneously. For instance, one side of the gym could be used for a volleyball tournament, while the other side could be used for another sport or even a convention. “Our whole concept is to be as flexible as it can be. That’s why it’s designed the way it is,” said Blalock.

Blalock also revealed there’s been active discussions with soccer teams from the United Kingdom to utilize the Wesley Chapel-based campus as a year-round indoor/outdoor training residency. In addition to the outdoor fields, Blalock said the campus meets the regulations for indoor soccer. Meanwhile, soccer teams could room at an on-site 128-room Marriott Residence Inn that will be phased in at a later date through private funds.

“It appeals to them. They can come right here, stay, train, and everything’s in walking distance,” he said.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore underscored the expected impact the facility will have on the area’s economy and tourism industry, during the facility preview.

Said Moore, “As people visit our community for gymnastics, volleyball, cheerleading, basketball, wrestling and so many more sporting activities, they’re going to travel with their families, stay in Pasco County hotels, shop at Pasco County stores — to help businesses, small and large alike, grow.”

But, the campus figures to be more than simply boosting county tourism figures.

It also will serve as a community sports hub for local residents, including youth camps, recreational games and more.

The plan is for the facility to be open to the public Monday through Thursday, while Friday through Sunday is set aside for weekend tournaments.

Other uses include such events as graduations, trade shows, cultural and art fairs. Additionally, the facility will be deployed as a “shelter of last resort” in the case of a hurricane, as it will be equipped with a generator.

Moore called the campus “a public asset that will help continue to grow Pasco County’s tourism industry and open up jobs for our community, as well as providing athletic opportunities to local citizens and children alike.”

Published February 05, 2020

New sports complex expected to attract national events

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With concrete footers poured and steel beams heading vertical, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is a step closer to its much-anticipated opening.

The $44 million sports complex is targeted for a mid-July 2020 soft opening — more than two years after a celebrated groundbreaking ceremony that marked the beginning of construction at 3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel.

Once completed, the 98,000-square-foot indoor space will feature a multipurpose sports layout that accommodates up to eight basketball courts or 16 volleyball courts, plus a separate competitive cheer and dance studio, fitness and athletic training center, and other amenities.

Concrete footers and steel beams represent construction progress on the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. The 98,000-square-foot facility is anticipated to be a regional and national draw for youth and amateur sports. (Courtesy of RADD Sports)

Besides primarily basketball, volleyball and cheer offerings, the Pasco County-owned facility also will be able to accommodate martial arts, wrestling, gymnastics, curling, badminton, soccer, lacrosse and pickleball.  Secondary uses of the complex will include conventions, banquets, exhibits, concerts and so on.

Originally, the facility was expected to open later this year.

But, the project experienced some delays.

“That goes with a major development project like this,” said Richard Blalock, president and CEO of RADD Sports, the private sports management company tasked with operating and managing the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex.

Those delays included inclement weather, permitting issues and redesigns of the facility to make it hurricane-resistant, Blalock said.

“When you’ve got as many moving parts that’s involved in this project, it’s just a matter of getting all the contracts lined up, and the contractor online and bids opened,” he said.

The facility is being promoted as a regional and national attraction.

The indoor gym on weekdays will operate as a community-based sports center where local youth, adults and seniors will be able to practice and play.

Weekends, meanwhile, will be set aside to play host to national travel tournaments, competitions and other events to generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county.

The facility’s first weekend tournaments aren’t expected to be booked until around October 2020, Blalock said.

The target is scheduling roughly 25 to 30 weekend events during the first full year and then grow it from there, Blalock said.

He mentioned RADD Sports already has received numerous inquiries from youth and amateur sports organizations asking about the facility’s availability.

“We’ve got ‘em lined up now, wanting to sign,” Blalock said.

The complex also will host a series of weeklong sports camps each July or August, which Blalock said otherwise is a slow period in the travel sports marketplace.

Those camps would allow for local school sports teams to get advanced instruction and match up against teams from all over the country, Blalock said.

“They’re not going to have to travel very much and we’re bringing all the competition in, so it’ll be a good marriage,” he said.

Not unlike nearby AdventHealth Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex figures each year to draw hundreds, if not thousands, of youth and amateur travel sports teams and their families.

The $44 million Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is scheduled to open in mid-July next year.

Officials are excited about the prospects for Pasco County tourism.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore, who chairs the county’s tourist development council, suggests the facility will be “a huge boon for the local economy.”

Said Moore, “People travel from all over the nation to go these tournaments and these facilities. They all have to stay in hotels, they’re all eating in restaurants, they’re all buying the gas.”

Moore said projections show the facility will generate annual revenues of roughly $4 million to $4.5 million each of first five years or so in operation, not including additional hotel and retail tax revenues generated.

The commissioner emphasized that it’s key for those traveling visitors to stay overnight locally instead of heading to Hillsborough County. It’s something he’s assured will happen, pointing out the county already has 38 hotels “with more coming.”

Moore explained: “Previously, when there’s a lot of tournaments that came into the county, a lot of the families were staying in Hillsborough County, so a lot of the local businesses didn’t see that revenue. Well now, we can handle those families, we can handle these tournaments.”

To take it another step further, Moore said the county’s tourism department is developing a marketing campaign to encourage the myriad sports travel teams and visitors to explore the county’s other offerings, outside the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. The county’s tourism arm officially rebranded itself as “Florida’s Sports Coast” earlier this year.

Said Moore, “We want them to take the day and maybe go rent a boat and go kayaking or go fishing with one of our guides, or hit some of the islands. That’s another benefit for the families coming — great activities outside of the sports or watching their kids play.”

Outdoor offerings on tap, too
The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex will be more than just an indoor space.

The complex eventually will include seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground. There also will be an adjacent 128-room Marriott Residence Inn built with private funds by Mainsail Development Group.

Many of those features are expected to be finished in Phase II of the project, about a year or so later, officials say.

The entire complex is being built on 80 acres of land donated years ago by the Porter family, developers of Wiregrass Ranch.

Several proposals for some type of sports facility on the land fell apart over the years, including one for a baseball complex in 2015.

But, with the mix of indoor and outdoor components, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex provides “the biggest bang for our taxpayers’ buck,” Moore said.

“It’ll be a really big thing for the area,” the commissioner said. “When you think about the area, there’s really nothing like this around here at all. And, if you see how well similar facilities do, this is going to be strong.”

He added: “It’s nice to obviously see the progress that’s being made. It won’t be long. It’ll be done before we know it. It’ll sneak right up on us.”

Meanwhile, the complex adds to a growing list of premier sports offerings in the East Pasco area — with construction underway on a multi-million tennis center in Zephyrhills and preliminary plans for a multi-million outdoor aquatics center in Land O’ Lakes. Even Cypress Creek Middle High, in Wesley Chapel, with its a state-of-the-art rubberized running track and field space has been highly regarded for hosting events.

Blalock underscored what all that could mean for the county’s quest to position itself as a sports tourism destination: “For the most part, we’ll be able to run any type of Olympic event in a short radius, and it’s crazy. There’s nowhere I’m aware of in the southeast, or anywhere in the country really, that can really do that.”

He also posited this: “If everyone in the community pulls together and we work together, and all the facilities work together, it could really, truly become an amateur sports destination that equals nowhere else.”

Published September 25, 2019

Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex breaks ground

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Construction has begun on a long-awaited sports field house in Wesley Chapel that is expected to provide more athletic and economic opportunities in Pasco County.

The June 7 groundbreaking ceremony for the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex attracted a crowd of more than 100 people, including a Who’s Who of Pasco County dignitaries.

The $44 million sports complex is being built at  3211 Lajuana Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, just off State Road 54, near The Shops at Wiregrass.

A groundbreaking ceremony on June 7 celebrated the start of construction for the new Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex. (Kevin Weiss)

Members of the crowd came from all walks of life, including government officials, community leaders, business leaders, Wesley Chapel residents and representatives of sports organizations, local schools and universities.

They came to gather details about the 98,000-square-foot complex that will include eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a cheer and dance studio, a fitness center, and sports medicine and athletic training offerings.

The complex also will be able to host other sporting events and recreational activities such as martial arts, wrestling, gymnastics, curling, badminton, indoor soccer and lacrosse and pickleball.

In addition to the indoor gym, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground.

The Pasco County Commission approved the project as a public/private partnership in 2017.

RADD Sports, a private company, will operate and manage the sports complex.

The county will own the facility and share in anticipated profits.

The county also has a ground lease for an $18 million, 128-room Marriott Residence Inn that will be built with private funds at the complex. The hotel and its “suite-style” units will cater primarily to traveling sports teams and families as well as active business travelers looking to access the facility.

The Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is set to open by late 2019.

It will operate on Monday through Thursday as a community-based sports center for youth, adults and seniors.

The $44 million Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex is expected to open in late 2019. The 98,000-square-foot complex will have eight basketball courts, 16 volleyball courts, a cheer and dance studio, a fitness center, and sports medicine and athletic training offerings. Also, besides the indoor gym, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, walking trails, pavilions and a playground. (File)

Weekends will be set aside to host tournaments, competitions and other events that will generate hotel stays and tax revenues for the county.

Secondary uses of the complex include graduations, banquets, exhibits and concerts.

The facility is being built on land donated years ago by the Porter family – developers of Wiregrass Ranch.

Until recently, several proposals for such a facility on the land fell apart over the years, including one for a baseball complex in 2015 .

“This has been something that’s been on our minds for the past 15 years,” said Wiregrass Ranch developer J.D. Porter. “(We’re) trying to do something that’s very good for the community, bringing people into Pasco County.”

Pasco’s offerings continue to expand
The complex also adds to a growing list of premier, state-of-the art sports facilities in Wesley Chapel — and further markets the area as a sports tourism destination primarily for youth and amateur sports.

Other nearby offerings include Florida Hospital Center Ice in Wesley Chapel, which opened in early 2017 as the largest hockey complex in the southeastern United States; Saddlebrook Resort & Spa, an upscale resort renowned for world-class golf and tennis training; and, Wesley Chapel District Park, which sits on 144 acres and contains 10 full-sized athletic fields and lighted outdoor tennis courts and basketball courts. Efforts also began recently in a quest to build a premier aquatics facility in Land O’ Lakes.

“Pasco County is rapidly positioning (itself) to be a leader in the nation in hosting sports events, and training athletes,” said RADD Sports president and CEO Richard Blalock.

Blalock last year estimated annual economic impact would be about $6.5 million for the new facility. Over 10 years, about $8 million or more in sales and use taxes would be generated, not including tourism taxes from hotel stays.

“We’re excited of the fact that it’s going to put itself where we can attract not only for the locals, but also state, regional, national and international events,” he said.

“It’s not just the out-of-state visitors that’ll come,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore.

“It’s our visitors from Orlando, our visitors from Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Miami. They’ll come here, they’ll visit our small businesses, they’re going to stay at our hotels, they’re going to buy our gas, our food, (and) they’re going to help our economy.”

Moore said amateur sports tourism is one of fastest-growing market segments of the travel industry, adding “Pasco County’s about to become a major player in this $10 billion-a-year industry.”

“When we say this is huge — it’s huge,” Moore said.

According to VisitFlorida, the state’s leading tourism resource, approximately 106 million non-resident visitors came to the state last year. Of that total, 16 million were drawn to Florida by its sports economy, representing about 15 percent of the state’s tourism economy.

But it’s about more than just tourism dollars and economic impact, said Pasco County Tourism Director Adam Thomas, who spent over a decade as a professional minor league baseball pitcher.

Thomas, who has two young children, underscored the social and competitive benefits of the facility for youth — the ability to participate in local tournaments that’ll host quality in-state and out-of-state teams and athletes.

“They’re going to be exposed to a different level of playing, so we’re going to raise the bar a little bit for our student-athletes,” he said.

Reactions to the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Complex
“What a great opportunity we have to continue to grow the economic environment here (and) to attract people. For all those reasons everybody moves here…They’ll continue to come back because we have a great thing to offer here in Pasco County.” — J.D. Porter, Wiregrass Ranch developer

“This is going to change the game for our athletes in Pasco County, give them the opportunity to raise the level of play and, really have the opportunity for families and kids to get to college and playing those sports, so I think it’s a great opportunity,” —State Rep. Amber Mariano, R-Hudson

“This is huge. (People’s) ability to show up today just shows the importance of this project, not only to Pasco County tourism but the business community right here in Wesley Chapel,” — Adam Thomas, VisitPasco director

“I’m excited. I’ll continue to be excited. I can’t wait to see this thing moving. I’ll probably down here every day as this goes up because I live down the street,” — Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore

Published June 13, 2018

Wiregrass sports complex will be hurricane-ready

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Pasco County received a $2 million federal grant to make the future Wiregrass Sports Arena hurricane-resistant, according to a news release from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Pasco’s emergency management department applied for the grant, which will pay for 75 percent of the approximately $2.7 million total cost of hurricane preparedness.

“We’re very excited for this opportunity,” said Laura Black, assistant director of emergency management. “It’s one of our top projects.”

This is a rendering of how the Wiregrass Sports complex will look. The complex is expected to open in 2019. (File)

The federal agency awards these grants through its Hazard Mitigation Grant Program. The grants are provided to states, and tribal and local governments, to reduce the loss of life and property due to natural disasters, including hurricanes.

The 98,000-square-foot sports arena will be built and hardened to withstand up to 170-mph winds. That exceeds Florida’s standard requirement of 142 mph.

In addition, the floors will be elevated by 1-foot to reduce the risk of flooding. Also, a 1000-kilowatt generator will be installed to provide backup power.

All of this will be done from the ground up, during construction. Doing that will result in substantial savings, Black said, adding the cost could be as much as $8 million, if a retrofit was required afterward.

The Pasco County Commission approved the project as a public/private partnership in 2017.

RADD Sports, a private company, will operate and manage the sports complex. Pasco County will own the facility and share in anticipated profits.

The federal application included a cost analysis on economic losses, if the arena suffered hurricane damage and couldn’t operate for a period of time, Black said.

In addition to the indoor sports arena, the complex will have seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground. The county also has a ground lease for a Marriott Residence Inn that will be built with private funds at the complex.

Richard Blalock, president of RADD Sports, spoke last year at an economic briefing luncheon sponsored by the Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce (now known as North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce).

The facility will host sporting and recreational activities, including basketball, volleyball, cheerleading, dancing, wrestling, gymnastics, curling and badminton.

Blalock last year estimated annual economic impact would be about $6.5 million. Over 10 years, about $8 million or more in sales and use taxes would be generated, not including tourism taxes from hotel stays.

A construction date isn’t scheduled as yet, but the arena is expected to open by late summer or early fall of 2019.

Published April 25, 2018

Tourist tax increase to help finance Wiregrass sports complex

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Pasco County commissioners approved a 2 percent increase in the tourism tax and cleared the way to finance construction of the Wiregrass Sports Complex of Pasco County.

The added revenues will be used as collateral to secure a construction loan of up to $15 million for a 98,000-square-foot multi-purpose indoor sports venue.

The tax increase is on top of an existing 2 percent tax collected on hotel rentals, often described as the “heads in beds” tax. At a total of 4 percent, Pasco’s tourism tax rate will remain lower than most other counties in Tampa Bay.

This is what the Wiregrass Sports Complex site is expected to look like when the project is completed. (Courtesy of Peter C. Lent)

County commissioners also approved a series of resolutions setting up the framework for a private/public partnership between Pasco, which will own the complex, and RADD Sports, which will operate and manage the facility.

The county will receive lease payments and share in profits generated from the sports complex.

Besides the indoor facility, seven outdoor sports fields, an amphitheater with an event lawn, trails, pavilions and a playground are planned.

County commissioners also approved a ground lease for a 128-room Marriott Residence Inn to be built on about 2 acres within the complex. Mainsail Lodge and Development will build the hotel at an estimated cost of $18.5 million.

Funding for the sports complex also will come from about $11 million collected from previously pledged tourism dollars and sales tax revenues.

“I think it’s time we put this money in the bank to work,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “It’s long overdue that we took the leap and did something big with this money.”

Several years ago, the Porter family – developers of Wiregrass Ranch – donated more than 200 acres near The Shops at Wiregrass for the sports complex. But, proposals to build on the land fell apart, including one for an outdoor baseball complex.

“We know what happened in the past – nothing,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “This is a test in showing cohesiveness, that we’re all working together.”

During public comment, Hope Allen, president of The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce, and Steve Domonkos of the Wiregrass mall, spoke in favor of increasing the tourism tax.

“We’re really becoming a sports tournament destination,” said Domonkos. “That sets us apart from other parts of Florida. It benefits the community as a whole.”

The vote to increase the tourism tax passed unanimously, but it stirred debate among county commissioners.

“It’s important that we get our fair share,” said Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells Jr.

He sought money for boat ramps and for boosting the scalloping industry.

Mariano wanted money for beach re-nourishment, pointing out a need at Sun West Park. He also said the county’s tourism development council needed to give its opinion before county commissioners voted on the matter.

The council, which is an advisory board, had a meeting the day after the county commission voted. County commissioners declined to delay their votes.

Mariano later was the lone dissenter in voting against the agreement for RADD Sports to operate the sports complex. He objected to the loan arrangements, preferring that RADD Sports do its own financing.

“We shouldn’t be putting tourism money there,” Mariano said.

County officials noted that the tourism dollars are pledged as collateral. “If they (RADD Sports) perform well, you may not even have to dip into there,” said David Goldstein, chief assistant county attorney for Pasco.

The lease agreement requires RADD Sports to pay the county $60,000, or 11 percent of gross revenues. The funds can be used to repay the loan.

The county also will benefit from new tourism dollars. Officials with the county’s Economic Development Office estimate that 80 percent of hotel rentals will come from off-site hotels.

Construction or proposals for more hotels are expected to significantly increase the county’s hotel room inventory.

In addition, the county, RADD Sports and the Porter family reached agreement on road work and ball fields.

At least one field will be open to the public at least 90 percent of the time. The remaining fields will be accessible to residents of Wiregrass.

The Porters will speed up roadwork, including a link from the sports complex to State Road 54 to the north.

“We do believe it’s a win-win for the county,” Goldstein said.

Published August 23, 2017

Pasco County’s development ready to take off

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Dreams and visions for the redevelopment of Pasco County began more than two decades ago. Today, homes, shops, hotels, offices and medical campuses are coming out of the ground and redrawing the county’s future.

On March 1, developers of four of Pasco’s master-planned communities updated more than 100 people who came to the annual Meet the Developers breakfast. The Pasco Economic Development Council sponsored the event at the Marriott Residence Inn, off State Road 54.

In closing remarks, Bill Cronin, president of Pasco EDC said, “this is the right time, the right place for Pasco County…If nothing else, I hope you have that ‘oh, wow’ effect. That’s not the Pasco I knew.”

Bill Cronin, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council, left, introduces developers who spoke at a ‘Meet the Developers’ breakfast. They are: Matt Call, project director of Starkey Ranch/Wheelock Communities; Tom Panaseny, vice president/general manager of Bexley by Newland Communities; J.D. Porter, president of sales and development of Wiregrass Ranch Inc.; and, Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group LLC.
(Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

Speakers at the breakfast were Matt Call, project director at Starkey Ranch, which is being developed by Wheelock Communities; Tom Panaseny, vice president and general manager for Bexley by Newland Communities; J.D. Porter, president of sales and development of Wiregrass Ranch Inc.; and, Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro Development Group Inc.

“We’re all selling this dream and vision of where Pasco can go,” Call said.

Three years ago, Starkey Ranch, about four miles west of the Suncoast Parkway, off State Road 54, was largely still on the drawing board.

Today, Starkey Ranch anticipates having more than 300 new homes under contract in a year, Call said. So far, there have been more than 150 closings, he added.

The average price of homes being sold there is in the low to mid-$400,000s. The most expensive home — at about 4,800 square feet – sold within the past two weeks for about $874,000.

“Most are not first-time homebuyers,” Call said. “Most are moving-up buyers.”

Upcoming projects included widening Gunn Highway and extending the road into Starkey Ranch.

About one-third of a 20-mile trail system is built and will eventually connect with Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve and the Suncoast Trail.

A business park, fronting State Road 54, is in the works. A town square is planned for 2018.

While Newland Communities is new to Pasco, its track record in Tampa Bay includes master-planned communities in Hillsborough County, including FishHawk Ranch in Riverview and Westchase in Town ‘n Country.

Panaseny described Newland as the largest private developer of planned communities in the country, with projects in 19 states, stretching from coast to coast.

The homebuilder’s first Pasco community is Bexley Ranch, in an area encompassing about 1,700 acres. It is located also on State Road 54, east of Suncoast Parkway.

The Bexley family is developing another 5,000 adjacent acres still under their control.

The Newland project is zoned for more than 1,700 homes; about 95,000 square feet of retail; and, more than 560,000 square feet of office, though that could increase to as much as 1 million square feet.

About five miles of a planned 13-mile trail system is built.

An elementary school now under construction is scheduled to open in August.

About 400 lots are available, with 400 additional lots expected to be ready by the end of the year. Twelve model homes are open for viewing.

Bexley also is planned for offices, shops and a hotel, as well as apartments and single-family homes.

A groundbreaking is anticipated in March for more than 300 apartments.

Access to Bexley currently is through the Ballantrae community to the east. But, within 60 to 90 days, Panaseny said Bexley Village Drive should open, with access directly off State Road 54.

The average home price is about $350,000.

“It’s been a strong market,” Panaseny said.

Upcoming projects include a medical facility, a Race Trac gas station and convenience store, and a 7-acre shopping center.

“We’d love to have a grocery store anchor the center, or possibly restaurants,” Panaseny said.

A Marriott hotel is expected to break ground in July.

There also is about 32 acres available for offices. “We very much want to bring Class A office space here,” he said.

Wiregrass Ranch is rebranding itself, with a new logo and a re-energized focus as new developments in the master-planned community emerge.

Wiregrass is the fastest growing community in the Tampa Bay area, said Porter, of  Wiregrass Ranch Inc.

The property is zoned for 10,500 homes; 2.7 million square feet of retail; 2.6 million square feet of office; and 600 hotel beds. A middle school and a high school have been built. Additional retail and office space are planned.

Next to The Shops at Wiregrass, plans are underway for an expansion that will include high-end shops and boutiques, a cine bistro, a grocery store and apartments.

Raymond James Financial campus is expected to start construction later this year on a campus that could have about 1 million square feet of office space and an 1,800-space parking garage.

Medical facilities are filling up the surrounding area. They include Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, Florida Medical Clinic and North Tampa Behavioral Health.

Beach House is an upscale assisted living facility under construction.

“You’re going to continue to see good, smart growth because it’s an environment people want to be in,” said Porter.

Metro Development Group is building a master-planned community at Epperson Ranch, which is part of a state-approved pilot program to create a Connected City corridor built with technology innovations. At build out, Metro is projecting about 37,000 homes; 12 million square-feet of office, retail and technology manufacturing; 100 miles of traffic lanes for self-driving vehicles; and two Crystal Lagoons.

The first lagoon at Epperson Ranch is a 7-acre, manmade pool of crystal blue water under construction at Epperson Ranch, off State Road 52 at Overpass Road. To the north, a second community, known as Mirada, is also planned with a larger Crystal Lagoon.

Metro controls about 35 percent of land within Connected City, which sets aside about 7,800 acres in northeastern Pasco. Metro and other developers are expected to build master-planned communities embedded with cutting-edge technology, and focused on creating technology driven jobs and new businesses.

A groundbreaking for the Crystal Lagoon at Epperson happened in February. The lagoon is expected to be complete by the end of 2017. In the first weeks, 15 homes have sold, and there is a waiting list of more than 1,000 people who want to buy, said Kartik Goyani, vice president of operations for Metro.

Published March 8, 2017

Tiny dog’s barking saves family from fire

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Peanut, a tiny black Chihuahua, saved the lives of three generations of a Lutz family on June 3, when his insistent barking awakened family members at 3 a.m., alerting them to a fire in the rear of their home.

Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation. (Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)
Fire ravaged the DeRolf’s family home in Lutz. Persistent barking by the family’s dog, Peanut, alerted the family to the fire. Peanut perished from smoke inhalation.
(Suzanne Beauchaine/Staff Photo)

Peanut’s barking from her crate awakened Jeff DeRolf and his 26-year-old daughter, Maria, who together started down the stairs to see why the dog was barking.

“When I was about halfway down the stairs, I heard my mother scream at the top of her lungs,” said Maria. “Our French doors leading to our back patio were engulfed in flames.”

Those screams woke up the rest of the family — Maria’s 22-year-old brother, Jeff, her 7-year-old daughter, Michelle, and a friend of Jeff’s who was spending the night. They all were able to get to the front of the house and get out safely.

Sadly, Peanut did not survive.

“My dad and brother started back into the house to get Peanut, but by then the smoke was thick and was pouring out of the house,” Maria said. “My brother actually had to hold my dad back to stop him from going back in.”

Peanut, just 6 pounds and still a puppy at a year-and-a-half, was technically her daughter’s dog, Maria said. “But, everyone loved Peanut. Her barking saved all of our lives — she is our hero.”

Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut. (Photos courtesy of the DeRolf family)
Seven-year-old Michelle DeRolf holds Peanut.
(Photos courtesy of the DeRolf family)

The family escaped from the house with just the clothes on their backs.

“We were able to retrieve my grandfather’s ashes and a few pieces of clothing, but that was all,” Maria said.

That means everything else was gone — every treasure that a family of five has amassed after 30 years of living in one place.

Jeff and Carmen DeRolf moved into their two-story home at 17838 Morninghigh Drive in the Barrington subdivision before they had their children.

“This is the house that we lived in for our whole lives. It’s where we took our first steps, as well as the next generation’s,” said Maria.

A Go Fund Me Account under the DeRolf name has been established for the family to help with expenses not covered by insurance. As of June 13, more than $4,700 had been raised.

“The amount of love and support coming our way is amazing. Thank you to everyone who has donated. Whether it be money or physical items, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts,” Maria said.

The DeRolf family wants people to know the house had working smoke detectors.

The DeRolf family has lived in Lutz for over 30 years. Front row: Margarita Ruiz and Michelle DeRolf. Other members of the DeRolf family, in the back row, from left, are son Jeff Jr., mother Carmen, daughter Mariah, father Jeff and daughter Maria.
The DeRolf family has lived in Lutz for over 30 years. Front row: Margarita Ruiz and Michelle DeRolf. Other members of the DeRolf family, in the back row, from left, are son Jeff Jr., mother Carmen, daughter Mariah, father Jeff and daughter Maria.

“The fire started in the back of the house and the smoke detectors were more towards the front, so the dog woke us up before the smoke detectors went off,” Maria explained.

The family’s homeowner’s insurance is paying for temporary housing at the Marriott Residence Inn in Telecom Park until a rental home can be leased.

Maria said the home is a total loss, and insurance company says it will be at least a year until their home is rebuilt.

Maria said the cause of the fire has not been found, and the fire marshal has begun an investigation.

In addition to suffering the loss of his home, Jeff DeRolf is currently undergoing chemotherapy at Moffitt Cancer Center for Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Maria said her father’s cancer was first diagnosed in 2008, and occurred again just six months ago.

The family gathered the day after the fire to bury Peanut — the little dog that saved them all — in their backyard, next to Duke, a German Shepard they had before Peanut.

“When the firefighters retrieved Peanut’s body, her body was not burned, and we know she died of smoke inhalation,” said Maria. “We were thankful for that.”

Here are ways you can help
Monetary donations
GoFundMe.com, Search DeRolf Family Fire Recovery

Clothing for Michelle
Girls size 8
Shoes size 2-3
Maniscalco Elementary School Uniforms
Collared shirts in white, blue, grey and maroon
Jeans, pants and skirts in white, blue, grey and maroon

Questions?
Contact Maria DeRolf at .

Those wishing to contribute clothing or other items are welcome to bring them to The Laker/Lutz News office, at 3632 Land O’Lakes Blvd., Suite 102, in Land O’ Lakes. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, call (813) 909-2800.

Published June 15, 2016