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Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel

D.R. Horton To Build Up To 1,000 Homes In Avalon Park Wesley Chapel

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Westgate Village is the name of the newest village coming to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, with up to 1,000 homes to be built by D.R. Horton, the country’s largest homebuilder.

In late July, Avalon Park Group/sitEX announced that it had closed on a 285-acre parcel adjacent to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel for its third phase, and that D.R. Horton will be the builder in  Westgate Village.

Camden kitchen

“Our foundation is a single, guiding principle: a value-first dedication to the individual needs of each and every one of our nation’s homebuyers,” says Donald R. Horton, founder and chairman of the homebuilder.

D.R. Horton plans to break ground on Westgate Village during the first quarter of 2021, with plans to build townhomes and single-family homes, which will be built in two series — Express Series and Preferred Series.

Homes in the Express Series will be built on 40-foot to 50-foot homesites, and range in size from 1,239 square feet to 2,601 square feet. Floor plans will offer three to five bedrooms, two to three baths and one- or two-car garages, depending on a family’s needs.

The Preferred Series will include higher-end features and finishes. Homes will be built on 50-foot homesites and range from 1,844 square feet to 3,561 square feet.  Floor plans will vary between three to five bedrooms, two to three-and-a-half baths and one- or two-car garages.

Coral master bedroom

Townhomes will include three bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths, and a one-car garage with a two-car driveway. Two floor plans will be available at 1,673 square feet and 1,758 square feet.

“I am looking forward to watching our dreams for this community continue to come to life with this newest addition,” says said Beat Kahli, president and CEO of Avalon Park Group/sitEX. “Working with D.R. Horton has been such a smooth process so far, and we cannot wait for the end result!”

The Westgate Village community will embrace its own set of amenities for its residents, including a resort-style pool, open-air clubhouse with an outdoor kitchen, playground, open sports field, and picnic area with pavilions.

All D.R. Horton homes will come equipped with a smart home automation system called Home is Connected, America’s Smart Home®. Both townhomes and single-family homes will be built with concrete block on the first and second floors — a superior construction process. D.R. Horton is the only production builder that utilizes concrete block on two floors in its homes.

Call C

Schools, Amenities and Downtown
Opening for the 2020-2021 school year is a new charter school at the community entrance, Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, with 650 students in kindergarten through sixth grade. The school offers a core curriculum of English/language arts, mathematics, social science, science and electives, such as performing and fine arts, and world languages.

Few communities offer the recreational activities found at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, thoughtfully created for residents of all ages. New in 2019 was an expansive second amenity center with a zero-entry pool, splash pad, spa and picnic area. Avalon Park families also enjoy a wide array of other amenities, including another swimming pool, tot lot, basketball courts, pocket parks with mini-libraries, dog park, and trails and walkways that will interconnect with its planned downtown.

Coral

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel soon will offer residents places to shop and work when its downtown center is completed. Infrastructure construction has begun on the first phase, which will include two office buildings, two mixed-use retail/residential buildings and a community park.

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel is east Pasco County’s premier master-planned community to live, learn, work and play. The plan includes 4,800 residential homes and over a half-million square feet of commercial and civic uses, where residents will be in walking and bike-riding distance to schools, shops, restaurants, workplaces and recreational amenities.  Already, 1,500 people call Avalon Park Wesley Chapel home, and over 800 homes have been sold since it opened in 2012. The community will continue to grow over the next several years and, at build out, will be home to 10,000 residents.

For more information about these homes and the Avalon Park Wesley Chapel community, please visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com.

About D.R. Horton
As America’s Builder, D.R. Horton focuses on the satisfaction of the families that makes its houses into homes. Horton builds houses for every stage in life and provides personalized services tailored to each individual need. D.R. Horton proudly operates in 43 of homebuilding’s top 50 markets in the U.S., in which it ranks among the top five in 31 of these markets. For more on D.R. Horton, please visit DRHorton.com.

About Avalon Park Group

Avalon Park Group is a uniquely diversified family of companies engaged in businesses ranging from master-planned community development, to homebuilding, mining and property management, in Florida, Texas and Switzerland. With more than $1 billion in total assets, Avalon Park Group combines its exceptional reputation, sound business experience and significant financial resources to invest in extraordinary opportunities. At Avalon Park Group, our mission is to change the way the world lives, learns, works and plays through creating healthy sustainable communities and every aspect thereof. For more information on Avalon Park Group, visit AvalonParkGroup.com, or call (407) 658-6565.

Published August 26, 2020

Multifamily townhomes Glen and Vale

COVID-19 complicates school start

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Students in Pasco and Hillsborough counties are set to begin a new school year on Aug. 24, but not all of the students will be headed to campus.

In Pasco County, students have three options for learning — amidst the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Some students are expected to arrive at Pasco campuses on Aug. 24, while others opt for two versions of online learning. In the mySchool Online version, students are connected virtually to their assigned schools. With Pasco eSchool, they have more flexibility in the schedule and pace of learning.

In Hillsborough County, classes begin on Aug. 24, with all students beginning the school year through online learning only, until campuses open for students on Aug. 31. Like Pasco, Hillsborough is offering three learning options — face-to-face instruction and two virtual approaches.

Pasco and Hillsborough county students are set to return to school on Aug. 24, either in-person or virtually. (B.C. Manion)

Of course, there’s nearly a week before school begins, so it’s not inconceivable that these plans could change again.

As of press deadline for The Laker/Lutz News, there were two legal actions pending over whether school districts must comply with Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s Emergency Order that requires a face-to-face learning option on public school campuses.

The school year is already starting later than initially planned, with both Hillsborough and Pasco starting on Aug. 24, rather than Aug. 10.

The Hillsborough County School Board then voted to begin the district’s school year with four weeks of online-only instruction.

That decision came after a panel of medical experts advised against reopening schools until the COVID-19 positivity rate declined to about 5%.

Corcoran, however, rebuffed Hillsborough’s temporary online-only plan.

Corcoran said Hillsborough’s new plan was inconsistent with the reopening plan the district previously had submitted to the state that had been approved.

Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis then took a trip to Tallahassee, to seek middle ground.

That didn’t work.

After Davis returned, the district announced that “state leaders rejected two different phased-in models our district proposed that would have delayed our brick-and-mortar opening while ensuring our most vulnerable student populations were served in a face-to-face capacity.”

So, Hillsborough’s school year will begin with one week of online, with brick-and-mortar campuses opening on Aug. 31, for students choosing that option.

Meanwhile, in Pasco County, the school district plans to follow its Aug. 24 opening plan.

However, the United School Employees of Pasco has filed a lawsuit, seeking return to online learning only, until the COVID numbers come down, per the guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Pasco County Schools Superintendent Kurt Browning and the Pasco School Board have stood behind the district’s reopening plan. Not following that plan, they have said, would jeopardize state funding.

The Florida Education Association’s motion for injunctive relief from Corcoran’s Emergency Order has been scheduled for mediation Aug. 18, and if necessary, for court hearings on Aug. 19 and Aug. 20.

The decisions being made at the state and school board levels have caused parents and teachers to make a variety of personal decisions.

Ben Langston, of Long Lake Ranch in Lutz, said he and his wife, Rene, decided to enroll their children, Connor and Avery, in a private school.

The Langstons had been planning to send the children to Oakstead Elementary, but switched those plans because of the uncertainty with what will happen with public schools.

They want Connor and Avery to have an in-school experience, rather than online, because they believe it offers a superior form of learning.

Cindy Smith, an art teacher at Land O’ Lakes High School, on the other hand, has made a different decision: She’s retiring after 31 years in Pasco County Schools.

“It was very difficult. It took me months to decide it,” said Smith, who taught Art 1 through Advanced Placement.

“I didn’t feel like it was wise to go to school and expose myself to the possibilities of COVID, at my age,” Smith said.

She doesn’t think that virtual teaching is effective for secondary art classes, although she said it would be a safer option until COVID-19 cases decline.

The teacher said she’ll miss teaching and her students.

“I’m sad about it. I’m sad for my friends. I’m sad for my students. How horrifying to think any one of them could die because of one person, or a few persons’ decisions,” Smith said.

She added: “I’m concerned that parents may not be taking this seriously enough.

“I don’t think they understand the hazards and the dangers and the concerns that we, as teachers, have. We love our students, we love our jobs, but to put us in a danger, death-threatening kind of situation is unreasonable,” Smith said.

Despite the focus on COVID-19, there also are other developments associated with beginning the 2020-2021 school year, and that includes the opening of Cypress Creek Middle School.

The new school, on Old Pasco Road, will serve students in grades six through eight.

Students who have been housed in a portion of Cypress Creek High School now will be moving to Cypress Creek Middle.

Other students previously assigned to John Long Middle, will join them, providing long-needed relief from crowding at John Long Middle.

Students from Wiregrass Ranch High also have been reassigned to Cypress Creek High, but the full effect of that boundary change won’t be immediately felt because the school district grandfathered the junior and senior class at Wiregrass Ranch.

Two new public charter schools also are opening this year, in Wesley Chapel — Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel and Innovation Preparatory Academy in the Connected City area of Wesley Chapel.

Published August 19, 2020

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel gears up for its first year

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Classes won’t start until Aug. 24, but the staff at Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel has been setting the stage to create a place where education is engaging.

Pinecrest Academy, a new public charter school, is opening on Aug. 24, in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. (B.C. Manion)

Drop in to the new charter school, at 33347 State Road 54, and you’ll be greeted by a sign at the front desk that reads: “I’m not here to be average, I’m here to be awesome.”

If you sit in the waiting area, you’ll see another sign, this one in the words of Dr. Seuss: “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose.”

The new school, near the entrance to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, is opening for students in kindergarten through sixth grade. Plans call for the school to serve through eighth grade.

Principal Aimee Mielke gave a reporter from The Laker/Lutz News a sneak peek of the school recently, discussing the charter school’s features and curriculum.

Classes don’t start until next week, but the pent-up excitement about opening the new school is almost palpable.

The classrooms are designed for face-to-face instruction, but built-in cameras and microphones enable teachers to provide real-time, distance learning to students who are studying at home.

“Students are receiving live instruction,” Mielke said. “It is like you’re in school.”

“Students will actually log on in the morning. They take the entire day with their teachers, in a live format,” she said. “They do it using a secure single sign-on, that we have specific to our school, called Collegia.”

Throughout the two-story building, there are accent walls in shade of blue and green that add a pop of color, as you pass down the corridor.

In the art room, steel buckets appear to be pouring out colors — represented by colorful fabrics. A sign in that second-story room sets out the expectations:

  • A is to Aim to do your best.
  • R is to Respect yourself, your peers, the art studio.
  • T is to Trust in yourself and your ability to learn.
Pinecrest Academy Principal Aimee Mielke demonstrates how this piece of technology works, while also offering a warm welcome to new students and families who will be joining her school on Aug. 24, when the new charter public school opens. Everyone on campus will be required to wear a mask to prevent potential spread of COVID-19.

In a kindergarten classroom on the first floor, a display board awaits the “amazing work” coming soon.

The new Wesley Chapel charter school is part of the Pinecrest Academy Inc. network, which has developed a reputation for excellence, Mielke said. All of the Pinecrest schools are A-rated schools.

The school will have “extreme high expectations for instructional practices,” the principal said, and will offer students more than typical opportunities to broaden their learning.

For instance, both Spanish and STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) will be part of the curriculum delivered to every student, she said.

The maximum enrollment this year is 649, and some openings remain. The school’s maximum capacity is over 1,200, giving it plenty of room to grow.

The extra space is coming in handy this year, in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The school will be using its cafeteria, but it is also able to convert some empty classrooms into additional lunchrooms.

That way, Mielke said, “students can still enjoy the ability to sit with friends, and teachers still have the ability to eat with their teams.

“Obviously, the most important thing is safety. That’s the bottom line. But, I really wanted also to protect our teachers’ time, as well.

“With everything going on, it adds that much stress, so whatever I can do to kind of decrease that, I’m trying to do,” she said.

Opening a new school during the midst of a pandemic has its challenges, Mielke said.

This sign is one of a trio of signs in the art classroom. It signals the teacher’s belief that students should trust in themselves and their ability to learn.

“Everybody is going to be nervous, so it’s really about addressing that, as an administrator. “Understanding the social-emotional part of that,” she said.

However, she added: “We have many, many, many things that we’re putting in place from, obviously, masks, to arrows in the hallway, to stickers that say to stand 6 feet apart.”

Another challenge is the ongoing roadwork on State Road 54. An expansion project of the road was expected to be finished before the school opened, but that hasn’t happened.

Mielke said she had a meeting scheduled last week with a supervisor of the Florida Department of Transportation, to discuss the issue.

When school opens, she expects an officer to be directing school traffic to the appropriate entrance off of State Road 54, into the school campus.

Because of COVID-19, the school wasn’t able to have the kindergarten camp it had planned, or the school tours. And, it had to postpone the celebratory ribbon cutting.

But, Mielke said that she and her staff are eager to open the school, and welcome students.

“Our job is to be flexible,” she said.

“You’re going to try to make your families as happy, as comfortable, as you can,” she said.

“We’re excited.”

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, K-6
33347 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel
Principal: Aimee Mielke, (813) 355-0002

Other area charter schools*

Hillsborough County
Learning Gate, K-8
16215 Hanna Road, Lutz
Principal: Michelle Mason, (813) 948-4190

Lutz Preparatory, K-8
17951 N. U.S. 41, Lutz
Principal: Bonnie Guertin, (813) 428-7011

Sunlake Academy of Math and Science, K-8
18681 N. Dale Mabry Highway, Lutz
Principal: Dr. Judith Moore, (813) 616-5099

Pasco County
Academy at the Farm, K-8
9500 Alex Lange Way, Dade City
Principal: Ray Polk, (352) 588-0508

Countrywide Montessori Charter School, 1-8
5852 Ehren Cutoff, Land O’ Lakes
Principal: Michael Picone, (813) 996-0991

Imagine Charter School of Land O’ Lakes, K-9
2940 Sunlake Blvd., Land O’ Lakes
Principal: Aimee Williams, (813) 428-7444

*Within The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

Sources: Hillsborough and Pasco public schools

Published August 19, 2020

In Just Six Weeks, A Brand New School Opens

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Few planned communities can boast of a public library AND a tuition-free charter school at the main entrances to their development. But, these bragging rights go to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, the only development in Pasco County to offer both.

First to open is Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, when students will pour through its doors on Aug. 10, the first day of the 2020-2021 school year in Pasco County. And then, a few months later, the New River Library will be re-opening in a completely remodeled building just a few blocks west of the school.

There will be over 600 students in kindergarten through sixth grade at the new charter school — the first Pinecrest Academy in Tampa Bay. With 16 schools nationwide, Pinecrest Academy offers advanced programs for its students, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, and a dual English/Spanish language program.

At Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, students in all grades also will be immersed in new technologies, including robotics, and will work in fully functioning STEM labs — something most schools do not offer.

“All Pinecrest schools have an emphasis on high-quality instruction. We’ll continuously be monitoring the data so we know what each student needs, and have many different programs available to focus on the needs of the individual student,” says Principal Aimee Mielke.

There are still openings for students, and Mielke encourages interested families to explore the school’s website and complete its application as soon as possible. Information and the application form can be accessed at PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

Mielke has hired most of the school’s 27 teachers, including classroom, art, music, Spanish, and physical education, as well as an instructional coach and office staff.

“We have a nice combination of experienced teachers from both public and charter schools,” said Mielke, who adds that over half of her teaching staff have master’s degrees.

The school, which is located on State Road 54 about three miles east of Interstate 75, will have several sections at every grade level, with kindergarten and the lower grades having the most.

The school also is offering self-contained classrooms for gifted students, where pacing will be faster and performance tests much more in-depth.

Everything designed and purchased for the classrooms was chosen for student engagement, Mielke explains, and technology is an essential component of the new school. Laptops are being provided for every student in grades two through six, as are iPads for first-graders and kindergartners.

Blue and green colors brilliantly burst along the hallways of the modern building that has 49 large classrooms, oversized art and music rooms, and high-tech science labs. The school is visually notable with unusual windows in the shape of half-moons, circles and squares that give students and faculty stunning lake and conservation views.

The New River Library and Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, along with New River Elementary, are all important elements of the goal to build a brand-new town, says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group, the developer behind the community.

“We are ecstatic to have both a brand new library and charter school in our community to give our residents the best opportunities for themselves and their children,” said Lerret.

New Charter School Ready For Students at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel

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Pasco County’s newest charter school, Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, is on track to open later this summer with 652 students in kindergarten through sixth grades.

Principal Aimee Mielke reports there are still openings for students in all grades, and encourages interested families to explore the school’s website and complete its application as soon as possible. Information and the application form are at PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

The school, which is located on State Road 54 about three miles east of I-75, will have several sections at every grade level, with kindergarten having the most.

“We’re looking at opening with between six and eight kindergarten classes, and four classrooms each for first and second grades,” said Mielke. “It is very rewarding to be a new school that is flexible and able to offer the number of classrooms per grade that our community needs.” Grades three through six will have two and three sections.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is a tuition-free public charter school situated at the community entrance of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. It is the first Pinecrest Academy in Tampa Bay, and will be expanding to add seventh and eighth grades in subsequent years.

With 16 schools nationwide, Pinecrest Academy Inc. has made a name for itself in the education community. It offers advanced programs, including a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, and a dual English/Spanish language program. With the STEM program, Pinecrest students will learn about new technologies, such as robotics, and will have fully functioning STEM labs in all grades — something most schools do not offer.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel also will have self-contained classrooms for gifted students, where pacing will be faster and performance tests much more in-depth, to allow gifted students to flourish in their education.

“All Pinecrest schools have an emphasis on high-quality instruction. We’ll continuously be monitoring the data so we know what each student needs, and have many different programs available to focus on the needs of the individual student,” says Mielke.

Everything designed and purchased for the classroom was chosen for student engagement, Mielke explains, and technology is an essential component of the new school. Laptops are being provided for every student in grades two through six, as are iPads for first-graders and kindergartners.

Each classroom will have a 70-inch Clear Touch Interactive Board mounted on the wall that will be used to pull up textbooks and other teaching aids. Teachers and students will be able to work on the screen, much like a giant, touch-screen white board.

The inviting furniture Meikle’s team selected for their classrooms was chosen to give students a feeling like they are walking into their living room, not a traditional school classroom.

The modern architecture of Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel gives students and faculty stunning lake and conservation views.

“There is a lot of research that proves that children have different learning styles, and we want our classrooms to be flexible and versatile so kids can break up into small groups to work together most effectively,” said Mielke.

The Principal is especially excited about a large whiteboard table in every classroom that children can work directly on, and which the teach can then elevate and flip up to create a large white board for the entire classroom to see. Plus, every chair and table is on wheels, so they can be easily moved around the classroom for small group learning.

The furniture and technology will begin to arrive at the school in mid-June, and Mielke hopes to open the school’s doors for tour to families and teachers in July. The school schedule is tied to that of the Pasco County Public School system, which is expecting schools to open August 10.

Mielke has hired most of the school’s 27 teachers, including classroom, art, music, Spanish and physical education, as well as an instructional coach and office staff.

“We have a nice combination of experienced teachers from both public and charter schools, with seven teachers at more than 20 years of experience. Plus, we have two brand-new teachers who I am very excited about,” said Mielke, who adds that over half of her teaching staff have master’s degrees.

Blue and green colors brilliantly burst along the hallways of the modern building that has 49 large classrooms, oversized art and music rooms, and high-tech science labs. The school is visually notable with unusual windows in the shape of half-moons, circles and squares that give students and faculty stunning lake and conservation views.

“There’s no question that Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is a visually stunning architectural masterpiece,” said Miekle.

Pinecrest is offering before and after care for their students, which will start at 6 a.m., and end at 6 p.m. It will be fee-based, but Mielke ensures it will be affordable. Pinecrest also will be providing a fee-based private Pre-K program for siblings of Pinecrest students; to be considered for the Pre-K program, a child must be 4 years old by Sept. 1.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is one of the most important elements of the goal to build a brand-new town in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group. Lerret noted that the developer’s goal is to have the very best school in the entire state.

“Our residents are ecstatic to now have the option to send their children to one of the top charter school operators in Florida,” said Lerret.

Published May 27, 2020

Every Townhome Has A 2-Car Garage At Avalon Park Wesley Chapel

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Maintenance free townhomes with two-car garages in the rear with a private alley are now open for tour and purchase at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

“Our townhomes are beautifully designed with upscale custom finishes, and offer buyers a tremendous value for the Wesley Chapel area,” said Cheryl Gonzalez, sales representative for Avex Homes. “Plus, every home comes with a two-car garage — something you rarely find in townhomes that begin at $225,000.”

Beautiful inventory townhomes are now available at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. Every home has a two-car garage, and all feature unique architectural elements, including front porches, sweeping kitchen islands, covered breezeways and grass courtyards.

Three floor plans are available, ranging from 1,608 square feet to 1,834 square feet, each with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Homes are solidly built with families in mind, and rich in architectural design with distinctive exteriors and open floor plans. Each home has a front porch, covered lanai or private breezeway that connects to the garage.

“Buyers love our townhomes’ cozy feel and old-fashioned, traditional look,” said Gonzalez.

“People always comment on how spacious they feel because of our open floor plans and standard 9-foot ceilings on both the first and second floors.”

Homebuyers can upgrade their home’s finishes to their individual lifestyle and design preferences — from moving electrical outlets, to upgrading cabinets and flooring, to choosing colors that best show off their individual taste. The most popular upgrades are quartz countertops and luxury vinyl flooring.

“Folks really appreciate that they can select the finishes they want, including flooring, cabinetry, countertops and lighting,” said Gonzalez. “Unlike most townhomes in this price range, our buyers can choose the colors and finishes that are best for them. These are not cookie-cutter homes.”

Families also choose the townhome lifestyle because it offers carefree, maintenance-free living.

“Our HOA covers all exterior painting and maintenance, including the roof, and all lawn and landscaping services,” said Gonzalez. “People are busy and love not having to worry about these chores.”

The first five Avalon Park Wesley Chapel townhomes have recently been completed, and three are available now as inventory homes. A second building with six townhomes is underway, with completion and move-ins planned for the end of the year.

3 Inventory Homes:

Cambridge: 1,608 sq. ft., with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Tile floors, two-tone expresso cabinets, private lanai, huge master suite. $233,144 (base price $224,990)

Montgomery: 1,834 sq. ft., with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Front porch, flex room/den, large island kitchen, tile floors, grass courtyard. Two units available. $234,190 and $248,581 (base price $238,990)

The kitchen in the Bellevue boasts premium white cabinets and a large kitchen island with quartz countertops.

Bellevue Model Home: 1,820 sq. ft., with 3 bedrooms and 2.5 baths, end unit, master on first floor. Premium white cabinets, large kitchen island with quartz countertop, luxury vinyl flooring, private breezeway/lanai, huge master suite. Large loft upstairs with 2 bedrooms, and bath with double vanities. (base price $243,990)

Avex Homes and Beazer Homes are builders in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, a 1,650-acre master-planned community located on State Road 54, three miles east of I-75. In addition to its new townhomes, Avex Homes also builds single-family homes in the development’s two neighborhoods — Cypress Village and Hawthorne Village.

“It is very rewarding to offer local residents affordable homes for first-time homebuyers, as well as luxurious, move-up homes for families wanting a larger home in a community like ours that offers great schools and so much to do,” said Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing for Avalon Park Group.

Single-family homes in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel start in the mid-$200s, and are built on a variety of lot styles, including conservation, corner and pond view. Avex Homes currently is selling its model home the original Cypress Village, and has four inventory homes that will be ready this summer in its new Hawthorne Village.

“There is still time to make your personal design and color selection on these inventory homes, if you move fast,” said Gonzalez.

Already, 1,500 people call Avalon Park Wesley Chapel home, and over 800 homes have been sold since it opened in 2012. The community will continue to grow over the next several years and, at build out, will be home to 10,000 residents residing in 4,400 single and multifamily homes.

Avex Homes is open daily for tour, with or without an appointment. Sales staff strictly follow COVID-19 safety protocols and always make sure families tour models by themselves, without other people in the model. For more information, stop by the model center at 5216 Autumn Ridge Drive, Wesley Chapel, 33545. To schedule an appointment, call Todd Simon at (407) 590-3501.

Amenities And Schools
Families enjoy an array of amenities at Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. This includes a recently opened second amenity center with a zero-entry pool, splash pad, spa and picnic area. Other amenities include the original swimming pool, tot lot, basketball courts, pocket parks with mini-libraries, dog park, and trails and walkways that will interconnect with the community’s downtown.

Nearing completion is a new charter school at the community’ entrance, Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, which will open for the 2020-2021 school year with 650 students in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Pinecrest Wesley Chapel will offer a core curriculum of English/language arts, mathematics, social science, science and electives, such as performing and fine arts, and world languages. For more information, go to the website, PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

Downtown Center
Avalon Park Wesley Chapel also will offer residents places to shop and work when its downtown center is completed. Infrastructure construction has begun on the first phase, which will include two office buildings, two mixed use retail/residential buildings and a community park.

“We will be building beautiful, multi-story buildings with commercial space designed for businesses our residents want close to home — restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bars and entertainment, hair and nail salons, as well as activities like dance, gymnastic and karate studios,” said Lerret.

In addition to shops and markets, the community’s downtown area will have over 500,000 square feet of commercial space.

“We are not just developers— we are building a brand new town with family events all year-long,” said Lerret. “We’re bringing together everything a family needs to enjoy life today, and in the future.”

Daytona Beach Newest Avalon Park Community
Avalon Park Group, the Orlando-based developer of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, has announced its next master-planned community will be in Daytona Beach.

Avalon Park Daytona Beach will be built on undeveloped land located west of I-95 along State Road 40. The proposed new town that will include 730,000 square feet of retail space, 270,000 square feet of office space, 5,000 multi-family units, 1,650 single-family attached units and 3,350 single-family detached units.

“Building a town of this magnitude allows us to build in a compact and contiguous manner that discourages urban sprawl and has a much lighter environmental impact than typical suburban development,” says Beat Kahli, chief executive officer of Avalon Park Group.

All communities developed by Avalon Park Group incorporate a walkable, mixed-use and interconnected community that achieves efficient use of land and infrastructure costs. Additionally, its master plans preserve large contiguous space for conservation lands and incorporate a network of streets to reduce automobile trips. Together, this creates walkable neighborhoods that are centrally located around a downtown commercial center for all ages to live, learn, work and play.

For more information, call Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations, at (407) 427-6073, or email .

Published April 29, 2020

Pinecrest Academy Sends Out Student Acceptance Notices

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School acceptance emails went out earlier this month to families who had applied to Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, the new K-6 charter school being built at the entrance to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Aerial photo of Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel

“We are excited to be providing our high-performing school for all of our families. Thank you for applying for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel and creating our inaugural Panther family,” said Principal Aimee Mielke, on the school’s Facebook page.

Mielke also announced that the school’s official website is now up at PinecrestWesleyChapel.com. “We’re LIVE and it is beautiful with lots of information,” she said.

The principal has been receiving lots of inquiries from parents — and these are some of the most asked questions:

What are Pinecrest’s school hours?
8:15 a.m. – student drop-off and breakfast
8:30 a.m. – classes begin
2:50 p.m. – dismissal begins

Are students required to wear uniforms?
Yes. We will be partnering with All Uniform Wear. All items, including jackets/sweaters, must be purchased through our uniform shop. Students also are required to wear black, closed-toe shoes.

When will we be notified if our child has been accepted?
The first acceptance emails were sent out Monday, March 9.

The new school will open this fall with 650 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and plans to expand to serve up to eighth grade. It is the first Pinecrest Academy in Tampa Bay.

With 16 schools nationwide, Pinecrest Academy Inc., has made a name for itself in the education community. As Principal Mielke would say, “When you walk into a Pinecrest school, you know you’re in a Pinecrest school.”

Mielke is excited about the advanced programs Pinecrest will offer its students, including a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, and a dual English/Spanish language program. With the STEM program, Pinecrest students will learn about new technologies, such as robotics, and will have fully functioning STEM labs in all grades — something most schools do not offer.

Pinecrest also will have self-contained classrooms for gifted students, where pacing will be faster and performance tests much more in-depth, to allow gifted students to flourish in their education.

“All Pinecrest schools have an emphasis on high-quality instruction. We’ll continuously be monitoring the data so we know what each student needs, and have many different programs available to focus on the needs of the individual student,” says Mielke.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is one of the most important elements of the goal to build a brand-new town in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing for the Avalon Park Group. Lerret noted that the developer’s goal is to have the very best school in the entire state.

“Our residents are ecstatic to have the option of sending their children to one of the top charter school operators in Florida,” said Lerret.

Published March 25, 2020

Lottery Deadline Approaching for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel

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The deadline is quickly approaching for parents wanting their children to be in the 2020-2021 enrollment lottery for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, a new, tuition-free public charter school located at the community entrance of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

The modern architecture of Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel gives students and faculty stunning lake and conservation views.

Parents must complete the application form online at PinecrestWesleyChapel.com, by midnight on March 6. Several information sessions are scheduled on Feb. 29 and March 2 (see info box).

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is one of the most important elements of the goal to build a brand-new town in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, says Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group. Lerret noted that the developer’s goal is to have the very best school in the entire state.

“Our residents are ecstatic to have the option of sending their children to one of the top charter school operators in Florida,” said Lerret. “The school is conveniently located at our community’s entrance, and will be open before the completion of the widening of State Road 54, which runs in front of the school and our community.”

The new school will open with 650 students in kindergarten through sixth grade, and plans to expand to serve up to eighth grade. It is the first Pinecrest Academy in Tampa Bay.

With 16 schools nationwide, Pinecrest Academy Inc., has made a name for itself in the education community. As Aimee Mielke, the newly appointed principal for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, would say, “When you walk into a Pinecrest school, you know you’re in a Pinecrest school.”

Blue and green colors brilliantly burst along the hallways of the modern building that has 49 large classrooms, oversized art and music rooms, and high-tech science labs. The school is visually notable with unusual windows in the shape of half-moons, circles and squares that give students and faculty stunning lake and conservation views.

“There’s no question that Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel is a visually stunning architectural masterpiece,” said Miekle.

The principal is excited about the advanced programs Pinecrest will offer its students, including a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curriculum, and a dual English/Spanish language program. With the STEM program, Pinecrest students will learn about new technologies, such as robotics, and will have fully functioning STEM labs in all grades — something most schools do not offer.

Pinecrest also will have self-contained classrooms for gifted students, where pacing will be faster and performance tests much more in-depth, to allow gifted students to flourish in their education.

“All Pinecrest schools have an emphasis on high-quality instruction. We’ll continuously be monitoring the data so we know what each student needs, and have many different programs available to focus on the needs of the individual student,” says Mielke.

“All Pinecrest schools are high-performing,” Miekle continues. “Once we commit to a community, we’re not going to let you down.”

For the 2018 school year, all Pinecrest Academy schools in Florida earned an “A” from the Florida Department of Education.

“Pinecrest is unlike anything else…When somebody finds a school that fits what they believe in and what they want to see for their child, they will drive from anywhere,” says Mielke.

Pinecrest will be offering before and after care for their students, which will start at 6 a.m., and end at 6 p.m. It will be fee-based, but Mielke ensures it will be affordable. Pinecrest also will be providing a fee-based private Pre-K program for siblings of Pinecrest students; to be considered for the Pre-K program, your child must be 4 years old by Sept. 1.

For more information, please go to PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

Pinecrest Info Sessions
Saturday, Feb. 29
Kindergarten: 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Grades 3, 4 and 5: Noon to 1 p.m.
6th Grade: 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Monday, March 2
Kindergarten, Grades 1 and 2: 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Grades 3, 4, 5 and 6: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

RSVP required at PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

All sessions are next to the school at:
Trinity Church of Wesley Chapel, 33425 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel 33543

New Principal Has Pasco Roots
Aimee Mielke has been appointed as the first principal at Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel.

Mielke has been in the education industry for 23 years, with 20 of those working for Pasco County, most recently as principal of Connerton, Watergrass and Trinity elementary schools. She currently is principal of a charter school in Citrus Park, SLAM Tampa, a 6-12 school that focuses on sports leadership, arts and management.

Principal Aimee Miekle shows off the new crest for Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel.

“I love Pasco County, and it feels great to be back” says Mielke. When she was getting her bachelor degree at the University of South Florida, Mielke interned in Land O’ Lakes at Sanders Memorial Elementary, where she fell in love with the area and greatly appreciated the huge support she received from the community.

Throughout the years, Mielke has worn many different hats. She’s been a teacher, supervisor and director at the district level, assistant principal and principal. One thing she hasn’t done until this point was to open her own school, which is why Pinecrest is a dream come true for her.

“I have so many opportunities to be creative…I’m putting my stamp on the school from the ground up,” says Mielke.

Mielke says her main focus for the first year is to build meaningful relationships with her students and their family members, as well as providing students with the highest quality academics. Mielke plans on spending a lot of time this summer on professional development for Pinecrest teachers to ensure they will give the best education to their incoming students.

Published February 26, 2020

Under Construction 08/07/2019

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Edmonson Electric
Edmonson Electric Inc., is set to open an office warehouse at 5611 Land O’ Lakes Blvd., in Land O’ Lakes. The two-story building will consist of two dozen offices, several breakrooms and an indoor gym. Construction on the 22,000-square-foot facility began in January and is scheduled to wrap up in August. The grand opening is expected in September.

Jammin Car Wash
Motorists will have a new facility to shine their ride with Jammin Car Wash in Lutz. The 5,500-square-foot center is at 21356 Walmart Way, just off of U.S. 41. The business, set to open in October, will offer a single drive-thru tunnel that will be able to hold multiple vehicles for washing.

Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel
Pinecrest Academy Inc., is opening a new public charter school in the Avalon Park West community. Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, at 33427 State Road 54, will be a two-story school and is expected to open for the 2020-2021 school year. It is expected to focus on the arts, including fine arts and performing arts. For more information on the school, visit PinecrestWesleyChapel.com.

CubeSmart
A CubeSmart self-storage facility is being built at 16900 State Road 54 in Lutz. The 97,500-square-foot complex will hold approximately 600 storage units varying in size, along three floors, equipped with an elevator and air conditioning. It also will have a lot to accommodate recreational vehicles. Construction began in March. The facility is expected to open in January 2020.

Curious about something new that’s popping up in your community? Please send us the location — along with the address, if possible — and we’ll see what we can find out. Send your email to .

Published August 07, 2019

Live In Avalon Park West — Wesley Chapel’s New Downtown

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When families are looking for a new place to call home, they have several master-planned communities to choose from in Pasco County. But, there’s none quite like Avalon Park West in Wesley Chapel.

“We are not just developers— we are building a brand new town,” said Stephanie Lerret, senior vice president of marketing and community relations for the Avalon Park Group. “We’re so much more than just another planned community – we’re bringing together everything a family needs to enjoy life today, and in the future.”

Artist rendering of downtown Avalon Park West. It’s first phase, with 130,000 square feet of mixed commercial, will open next summer.

Avalon Park West has been welcoming families since 2012, when this community on State Road 54, east of I-75, began building its first homes. Today, 700 homes have been completed or are underway, and 1,500 people live in the community enjoying its unique amenities, neighborhood schools, and convenient location with easy access to Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando.

Residents can choose floorplans from the community’s builders, Avex Homes and Beazer Homes, who offer a variety of home styles, including single-family homes and townhomes. Apartments and senior housing are planned for future phases.

“Our builders offer homes for all demographics — from young families buying their first home, to folks looking to move up to a new home in an upscale community, to empty-nesters wanting the convenience of the no-fuss, townhome lifestyle,” said Lerret. “Avalon is just like a real town — we have homes priced for everyone, from teachers to physicians.”

In addition to its desirable selection of homes ranging from the low $200s to over $400s, Avalon also offers residents places to shop and work in its downtown hub that will be connected to its residential neighborhoods by tree-lined streets, walkways and bike paths.

Construction began last fall on the first phase of downtown Avalon Park West, which includes 130,000 square feet of mixed-use commercial space, with 100 apartments being built above the storefronts.

“We’re building beautiful, two-story buildings with commercial space designed for businesses our residents want close to home — restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bars and entertainment, hair and nail salons, as well as activities like dance, gymnastic and karate studios,” said Lerret.

And, unlike most subdivisions, Avalon Park West’s commercial area is not strip centers facing the busy road at the community’s entrance.

“We are building a traditional downtown, with stores located inside of our community on the boulevard road leading to our residences, parks and schools,” said Lerret. “We are creating a town that spreads out from the town center connecting to individual neighborhoods — very much like the footprints of small towns found across America.”

The first phase of downtown Avalon Park West will open next summer, at the same time that the expansion of State Road 54 is completed to become a four-lane road.

“We already have a traffic light installed at our residential entrance, and a second light has been approved for our downtown entrance. With these lights, and the widening of State Road 54, it will be easier and quicker for our residents to get to I-75 to the west, and U.S. 301 to the east,” said Lerret.

Downtown Avalon will continue to be built over the next several years, as more residential units are built. Eventually, there will be more than 560,000 square feet of retail, and 120,000 square feet of office space, in its bustling, pedestrian-friendly downtown.

“Our community will not only be a place to live and learn, but also a place to shop and work,” said Lerret. “Joining our retail stores will be small businesses in office parks that will employ our residents, such as doctors, dentists, veterinarians, service businesses and satellite offices of larger companies.”

At the same time that the community’s downtown opens, a new charter school, Pinecrest Academy Wesley Chapel, will open at the community’s entrance.

Students who live in Avalon Park West are zoned to excellent public schools, including New River Elementary (located inside the community), Thomas E. Weightman Middle School and Wesley Chapel High School.

When not in school, youngsters and families enjoy a wide array of amenities at Avalon Park West, including a community garden, swimming pools, tot lots, basketball courts, pocket parks with mini-libraries, dog park, and trails and walkways that will interconnect with its downtown.

Opening later this summer is a second amenity center with a zero-entry pool, splash pad, workout area and spa, and covered picnic area. Looking ahead, a Regional Park with soccer, football and baseball fields is planned for Avalon Park West, in conjunction with Pasco County Parks & Recreation.

Avalon Park West will continue to be developed for the next several years. At build out, this 1,650-acre master-planned community will have about 4,400 single and multi-family homes, and become home to 10,000 residents.

“We have been planning Avalon Park West for many years, and have a clear vision of its future,” said Lerret. “Our owners bought the land in the mid 1980s from the Bill Brown family – one of Wesley Chapel’s pioneer families, and have always been committed to being good stewards to this beautiful land, and making it the premier community in the area.”

Avalon Park West

Wesley Chapel
– State Road 54, 7 miles east of I-75

1,650-acre master-planned community
– Developer: Avalon Park Group, Orlando

Single-family homes and townhomes
– Today: 700 homes and 1,500 residents
– Build Out: 4,400 homes and 10,000 residents
– New homes begin in low $200s

Schools
– New River Elementary
– Weightman Middle
– Wesley Chapel High
– Pinecrest Wesley Chapel charter school opens fall 2020

New Amenity Center
– Opens fall 2019
– Zero-entry pool, splash pad, covered picnic area

Town Center
– Opens summer 2020
– First phase: 130,000 sq. ft. of mixed commercial
– Apartments above retail

Builders
– Avex Homes
– Beazer Homes
– Homes beginning in low $200s

Published July 24, 2019