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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

P.F. Chang's

New shops coming to Wiregrass

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The Shops at Wiregrass is freshening up its retail lineup, and looking ahead to a spring 2018 opening for an adjoining retail center.

For now, the new shopping center is identified as the “connector site.”

New shops, restaurants, a grocery store and movie theater are planned.

Shoppers will have walkways to allow easy access into and out of both sites.

“We want to blend and separate it, but create its own identity at the same time,” said Greg Lenners, general manager at the Wiregrass shops.

Greg Lenners is general manager of The Shops at Wiregrass.
Greg Lenners is general manager of The Shops at Wiregrass.

Developers are awaiting a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, but Lenners said the anticipated opening will be in the spring of 2018.

He spoke to about 30 people at a luncheon on June 23 sponsored by The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce.

The chamber has economic development briefings, with invited guest speakers on the last Thursday of each month.

Forest City Enterprises, the developers of The Shops at Wiregrass, and NRP Group are partnering on the expansion adjacent to The Shops at Wiregrass.

About 250 upscale apartments are planned, as well as about 120,000 square feet of retail, Lenners said.

A 30,000-square-foot grocery and a 35,000-square-foot movie house will be built. “The idea is a dinner-type theater,” said Lenners.

Shops and restaurants could fill in the remaining 55,000 square feet of commercial space.

Lenners also gave a rundown on recent store openings at Wiregrass.

VOM FASS Oils Vinegars Spirits, which opened last week, is the newest retailer and joins other new additions: Rocket Fizz, Lola Perfume, Soleciety Sneaker Boutique and 3D Musketeers.

VisionWorks is slated for a fall opening. Vitamin Shoppe could open by the end of August. And, Irish 31 Pub & Eatery, Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt and Avalon Spa also are expected to open in coming months.

But, Lenners shot down rumors of a Cheesecake Factory.

At least in the near future.

Chains such as Cheesecake or P.F. Chang’s count on large lunch crowds, and the area falls a little short on that, Lenners said.

“You have a commuter demographic here so our lunch traffic goes down,” he said. “We’ll get there.”

As an example, Lenners said about 1,200 houses are under construction near The Shops at Wiregrass. Communities such as Estancia and The Ridge are adding to the local population and signaling continued growth in the area.

“We’re literally right on the 50-yard line,” Lenners said.

Published June 29, 2016

 

Pasco looks to TIA for tourism boost

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Traffic is increasing at Tampa International Airport, and that has piqued the interest of Pasco County officials.

More than 18 million passengers passed through Tampa International Airport in 2015, nearly 7 percent more than the year before.

Tampa International Airport is in the midst of a three-phase $2.5 billion project to make the airport a ‘people mover’ for the 21st century. In the first phase, the airport will expand the main terminal by 55,000 square feet, build a new rental car center, and add 65 shops and restaurants including Hard Rock Café and P.F. Chang’s. (Images courtesy of Tampa International Airport)
Tampa International Airport is in the midst of a three-phase $2.5 billion project to make the airport a ‘people mover’ for the 21st century. In the first phase, the airport will expand the main terminal by 55,000 square feet, build a new rental car center, and add 65 shops and restaurants including Hard Rock Café and P.F. Chang’s.
(Images courtesy of Tampa International Airport)

Of those travelers, about 8 percent, or 1.6 million, were from Pasco County.

Pasco County commissioners are interested in finding out how to tap into the stream of visitors who arrive in Tampa Bay every year.

On March 8, commissioners heard an update from Joe Lopano, TIA’s chief executive officer, on the master plan to upgrade and expand TIA.

The first phase of a three-phase plan is slated for completion in fall of 2017.

That phase, estimated at $980 million, includes a new rental car center, a new 1.4-mile automated people mover that will connect the rental car facility to the main terminal, and construction of a runway bridge over the George J. Bean Parkway. In addition, the main terminal is being expanded by 55,000 square feet, and 65 shops and restaurants, including Hard Rock Café and P.F. Chang’s, will be upgraded or added to the airport’s amenities.

The total cost of TIA’s upgrades are estimated at about $2.5 billion, with a completion date of 2028.

Ducky’s is among the newest restaurants to be added to Tampa International Airport’s lineup of eating establishments.
Ducky’s is among the newest restaurants to be added to Tampa International Airport’s lineup of eating establishments.

Phase one is on budget and on schedule, Lopano said.

Construction isn’t all that is driving TIA’s makeover.

A more personal touch also is highlighting the airport’s progress, and its amenities.

About 160 volunteers – some retired airline employees – serve as airport ambassadors who greet and assist passengers.

Pasco officials want to educate those volunteers on what the county can offer tourists. Lopano and Pasco County Tourist Manager Ed Caum briefly discussed a bus tour of Pasco to give the airport ambassadors a first-hand view of Pasco’s current and future destinations.

Tampa International Airport is the first airport in the country that will have a Hard Rock Café on-site.
Tampa International Airport is the first airport in the country that will have a Hard Rock Café on-site.

Among the tour stops could be SunWest Park, the Florida Hospital Center Ice complex under construction at Interstate 75 and State Road 56, Tampa Premium Outlets and The Shops at Wiregrass.

The county’s tourism website also touts restaurants and historical sites throughout the county, as well as the 10 birding stops on the Great Florida Birding Trail, Treehoppers Aerial Adventure Park and the Anclote Key State Park.

Advertising at the airport tends to be expensive and out of the county’s reach, Caum said. But, he plans to explore potential for sharing costs with other partners.

Pasco is coming off a record year for tourism, posting $968,263 in Tourist Tax collections between October 2014 and the end of September 2015. That was a 17 percent increase over the previous year.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, more than 500,000 visitors to Pasco spent about $466 million. Local sales taxes from those visitors totaled more than $14.9 million. And, tourism created nearly 6,000 full-time employees, with an annual payroll in Pasco of $106.2 million.

The increase in passengers at TIA is in part due to more international flights.

The master plan for Tampa International Airport includes construction of a 1.4-mile automated people mover to transport passengers between the main terminal and a new rental car center.
The master plan for Tampa International Airport includes construction of a 1.4-mile automated people mover to transport passengers between the main terminal and a new rental car center.

In 2015, Lufthansa German Airlines began flights from Frankfurt to Tampa. Other international destinations are London, Zurich, and Panama City, Panama. Airport officials also are hoping to add commercial flights to Cuba.

“We are an international region,” said Lopano.

And, an economic engine for the region.

The airport employees about 7,500 people, supports another 81,000 jobs indirectly and generates about $7.8 billion in annual economic activity.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells said he appreciated the collaborative way in which TIA officials and the region’s counties are working together on growth and economic issues.

That hasn’t always been the case, he said.

“We’ve never really been together as a region,” Wells said, but he added, “I can see it now.”

Published March 16, 2016