The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

Shell

El Dorado Furniture opening fall 2019 at Brightwork Crossing

By

The largest Hispanic-owned furniture retailer in the United States plans to open a new store in the mixed-use, residential and commercial project, known as Brightwork Crossing.

An apartment complex at Brightwork Crossing is under construction at State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard. Shops and a hotel are planned, too.

A new Burger King restaurant recently opened on a parcel, fronting State Road 54.

The estimated opening for El Dorado Furniture Store is fall 2019, according to Pedro Capo, chief operating officer of the family-owned business.

This is an aerial view of an El Dorado Furniture Store that opened in Cutler Bay, in Miami-Dade County. Company officials are in early stages of planning a store in Pasco County that would open in fall 2019. (Courtesy of Smith Aerial Photos/El Dorado Furniture Store)

Bowman Consulting Inc., filed a preliminary site plan for El Dorado Furniture, and had a pre-application meeting with Pasco County planners in July.

“Everything is looking good,” said Capo.

The Miami-based business is expanding elsewhere in Florida, including new stores in Naples and Fort Myers. A former Sports Authority on Tyrone Boulevard, and a Babies R Us, will be remodeled and opened as El Dorado stores.

The site plan for El Dorado shows a two-story, 70,000-square-foot building, with access from Ashley Creek Trail.

Ashley Creek is among new roads built, internal to Brightwork Crossing. Maren Way is a new road off State Road 54, leading to Burger King and the apartments.

A WaWa gas and convenience store also is featured on the site plan, across from the furniture store. It also has access from Ashley Creek.

The recent El Dorado Furniture store opening in Naples is the company’s 16th store, said Capo.

The company has wanted to move into Pasco for awhile, and looked at a site about five years ago, east of Interstate 75. Tampa Premium Outlets was still in planning stages.

“It was too soon. Then, the recession came in,” said Capo. “But, now the timing is right.”

Company founder, Manuel Capo, left Cuba after the Fidel Castro regime confiscated the family’s chain of furniture stores, known as Casa Capo. Capo and two of his six sons sailed a small boat, named El Dorado, to Mexico, and then settled in Miami, according to the website.

The rest of the family later joined them.

Capo opened El Dorado (named for the boat) in 1967 in Little Havana.

Manuel Capo died nearly 10 years ago. His sons now operate the family business, which is recognized among the top 50 furniture retailers in the country, the website adds.

In the early 1990s, the family designed a unique showroom concept, featuring the El Dorado “boulevard.” Customers stroll along a streetscape, dotted with old-fashioned benches and street lamps, 16th century-inspired stained glass windows, and Egyptian hieroglyphics.

Capo said the parking lot also features old-fashioned street lights and brick pavers to begin what is essentially a neighborhood experience.

Typically, customers in most furniture stores might spent 20 minutes, but El Dorado customers stay as long as an hour, he added. “They can just relax, enjoy a cup of coffee and wander around,” Capo said.

The store has more than 20 storefronts, and specialty furniture shops, which showcase various furniture styles from contemporary to traditional.

Same-day delivery is available in many instances.

“Being Hispanic, typically the whole family comes to shop,” Capo said. “They’d bring anybody that fit in the car, even their neighbors.”

But, he said, the boulevard concept proved successful “for everybody. We do have people for all over the world to look at our boulevard.”

Pasco County commissioners approved Brightwork Crossing in August 2017. The development will have about 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail, and a 150-room hotel.

The approximately 32-acre site is off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard. It is behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel are at the epicenter of retail growth in Pasco. Tampa Premium Outlets, a row of restaurants, a new At Home store and Costco are among the projects that opened on the south side of State Road 56.

Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side of State Road 56, is filling up with restaurants, including Bahama Breeze Island Grill, Mellow Mushroom, and Chuy’s Tex Mex. The Hyatt Place Hotel is almost ready for its grand opening.

Other planned shops include HomeGoods, Blaze Pizza and Hobby Lobby.

Published August 1, 2018

Apartments on the rise at Brightwork Crossing

By

Brightwork Crossing is going vertical.

Brick-and-mortar tower-like structures are rising on the 32-acre site, off State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

These are early signs of an apartment complex approved for up to 350 units. The complex will be a series of four-story buildings with more than 60 apartments per building, according to county records.

Permits also have been approved for a WaWa convenience store, a Burger King and the apartment’s clubhouse. Internal roads include Tapestry Way, Maren Way, Ashley Creek Trail and Canopy Creek Way.

Construction crews are building apartments at Brightwork Crossing, a mixed-use project at Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54. This view is from Old Cypress Creek Road. (Kathy Steele)

Alabama-based Arlington Properties and BW 54 56 Holdings LLC are partners in the development. Representatives for the companies weren’t available for comment.

Pasco County commissioners approved the mixed-use, commercial and residential project in August 2017. It’s been on the drawing board since 2015.

Brightwork Crossing is approved for the apartments, as well as 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and a 150-room hotel.

Firestone Complete Auto Care store has been named as a potential retail store.

Construction began in summer 2017 as bulldozers cleared and leveled the vacant land, located directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

Traffic spills into the area from all directions, off State Road 54, State Road 56, Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Interstate 75.

Brightwork Crossing will fill out a prime corner at this major juncture for new development, which already includes Tampa Premium Outlets, Cypress Creek Town Center, and Florida Hospital Center Ice.

The site where apartments are being built was bisected by Old State Road 54, and often used as a cut-through by motorists seeking to avoid long waits at Wesley Chapel and State Road 54 and State Road 56.

Old State Road 54 became part of a land swap that gave the county green space for its wildlife corridor, as well as room for a future park-and-ride facility.

Recent and future road projects are on tap to improve traffic flow along the area’s major corridors.

Brightwork Crossing will have access via Wesley Chapel Boulevard to Cypress Creek Town Center, at the center’s Pondside Drive entrance.

Wesley Chapel is partially widened, near State Road 56, and the county plans eventually to widen the boulevard to six lanes to just north of Magnolia Boulevard. There will be 4-foot bicycle lanes, a median, 5-foot sidewalks on the eastern side, and an 8-foot multi-use trail on the western side.

Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on a diverging diamond interchange at I-75 to improve traffic flow.

Published April 25, 2018

Brightwork Crossing under construction on State Road 54

By

Brightwork Crossing is a mixed-use development under construction on about 32 acres close to Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center.

Up to 350 apartments, 250,000 square feet of offices, retail and self-storage, and a 150-room hotel can be built. Site plans are on file with Pasco County for a WaWa convenience store, Firestone Complete Auto Care store and Burger King.

A sign along Old State Road 54 marks off the site where construction workers are preparing about 32 acres for residential and commercial development – Brightwork Crossing.
(Kathy Steele)

The site is on the north side of State Road 54, west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard, directly behind the Shell gas station and Walgreen’s drugstore.

A handful of cows that once grazed on grass and weeds are gone. Bulldozers and cranes are leveling the ground. A single residence on the property is being torn down.

The complex will go up in the midst of one of Pasco County’s fastest growing areas, at an intersection where State Road 54, State Road 56 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard meet up. The State Road 56 interchange at Interstate 75 is immediately to the west.

Tampa Premium Outlets on the south side of State Road 56, and Cypress Creek Town Center, on the north side, are at the epicenter of new shops and restaurants. More are on the way, as are offices and hotels.

Tampa-based BW 54 56 Holdings LLC, and Alabama-based Arlington Properties Inc., are partnering on Brightwork Crossing.

Representatives for those companies weren’t available for comment.

The Pasco County Commission approved the development in 2016. The entire site is bordered by Wesley Chapel Boulevard, State Road 54, and the one-lane paved, Old Cypress Creek Road.

At hearings on the matter, traffic concerns became an issue.

The site is bisected by Old State Road 54, a popular cut-through for motorists seeking to avoid traffic jams at the intersection of Wesley Chapel Boulevard and State Road 54/56.

Old State Road 54 right of way was part of a land swap between the county, landowners and developers. It gave the county green space for its wildlife corridors network, and also room for a future park-and-ride facility for commuters.

A dead-end portion of the road to the north has been opened, and rebuilt to provide cross access, via Wesley Chapel Boulevard, into the town center. Sierra Properties, the town center’s developers, paid for the roadwork as part of its construction of a town center entrance, off Wesley Chapel.

The county plans to eventually widen Wesley Chapel to a six-lane divided road. And, a diverging diamond interchange is expected to replace the existing interchange at I-75 to ease traffic congestion. Construction is expected to begin in 2018 on the interchange.

Published August 2, 2017

Another week, another dime for gas prices

By

There is still no end in sight on how low gas prices may go after the national average for a gallon of gasoline dropped another dime in the past week.

That new national average is now $2.70, the lowest since September 2010. Sunday marked the 73rd straight day that gas prices had fallen, losing 66 cents in the process.

“The shale boom continues putting downward pressure on the price of oil, which pushes gas prices even lower,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “Oil prices are forecast to drive lower next week, which means gas prices will follow suit. Gas prices could fall another 15 cents before the end of the year.”

Gas could even drop below $2 a gallon in some markets, Jenkins said. However, that it’s unlikely the national average will hit that low by the end of the year, and Florida likely won’t see those types of prices either.

Yet, Florida is dropping too, matching the national average at $2.70. That’s down 7 cents in the last week, and 73 cents from last year.

The price of oil dropped to its lowest level in five years, AAA said. The price for a barrel closed Friday at $65.84, down 31 cents from the week before. The shale boom has boosted U.S. oil production to just under 9.1 million barrels a day, the fastest rate on record, dating back to 1983.

Prices hit $2.57 at the Marathon station at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Ehren Cutoff on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. That’s a sharp contrast from the $2.74 reported at the Sunoco located on Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards.

In Wesley Chapel, the cheapest gas was also $2.57, and found at the Sam’s Club on State Road 56 near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Five stations reported the highest gas in that particular part of Pasco County, at $2.69.

Lutz gas ranged from $2.54 at the Circle K at Van Dyke and Old Tobacco roads, to $2.79 at a Shell station at North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke.

On the eastern side of the county, Zephyrhills had its cheapest gas at $2.59 at three different locations. The most expensive, according to GasBuddy, was $2.69 at two Gall Boulevard gas stations. In Dade City, it was $2.49 at two gas stations — the Clark station on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, as well as D&D on U.S. 98 and U.S. 301. The most expensive there was reported at a Chevron station on Fort King Road and Clinton Avenue with a reported price of $2.62 per gallon.

Thanksgiving traveling like it’s 2009

By

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Finding a deal on gasoline? It’s only going to get cheaper

By

Since the end of September, the price of gas has plummeted in states across the country, including 41 cents per gallon in Florida alone.

And it’s not stopping anytime soon.

“Gas prices are plunging in-line with the falling price of oil, declining demand, and pumps selling winter blend fuel, which is cheaper to produce,” said AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins, in a release. “Gas prices should only get cheaper through the rest of the year.”

Even the national gas price is taking a hit, with the U.S. Energy Information Administration dropping its forecast from $3.38 per gallon in 2015, to $2.94 instead. The national average in 2013 was $3.49, and despite the current drop in price, has averaged $3.45 so far this year.

“The change in EIA’s forecast this month shows just how volatile gas prices can be,” Jenkins said. “Motorists can expect low gas prices to linger through early 2015, but they will likely climb above $3 a gallon in the spring.”

That’s because gas prices typically rise about 40 cents in the spring because of oil refinery maintenance, increased demand, and the switch to the more expensive summer blend fuel.

The shale boom continues to push the price of oil downward, with a barrel selling for $75.82 on Friday — down $2.83 from the week before.

A gallon of unleaded gasoline in Florida Sunday was down 3 cents from a week ago, and 32 cents from a month ago. The price is 35 cents cheaper per gallon than what it was a year ago.

Two gas stations just off State Road 52 reported the cheapest gas in Land O’ Lakes, according to GasBuddy.com, with a posted price of $2.73 per gallon on Sunday. The most expensive was found at the Sunoco station on Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards, at $2.89.

The Sam’s Club on State Road 56 was slightly cheaper with prices at $2.72, while the cash price at a Citgo on State Road 54 and Boyette Road was the priciest in Wesley Chapel at $2.89.

Gas prices in Lutz ranged from $2.74 at three different stations, to $2.94 at a Shell station on North Dale Mabry Highway and Van Dyke Road.

The cheapest gas in Zephyrhills was reported at $2.72 at two different stations, while the most expensive was said to be $2.89 at a Citgo at Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road. Dade City prices ranged from $2.69 at D&D on U.S. 98 and U.S. 301, to $2.85 at the Citgo station at Lock and 21st streets.

Low gas prices might push Thanksgiving travel

By

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

No bottom yet in sight for falling gas prices

By

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

Lower gas here just in time for holiday shopping

By

Drivers are paying on average 65 cents less per gallon of gas they did just six months ago. And the price at stations around the state — and nation — continue to drop.

Gas in Florida checked in at $3.04 over the weekend, down 11 cents from a week ago, and below $3 in many markets, including in and around Pasco County.

“We are seeing gas prices falling at an average of 1 to 2 cents a day,” AAA spokesman John Carrasco said, in a release. “That’s extra money consumers can now use in other areas, like holiday shopping.”

Prices nationwide are the lowest since 2010, and gas has fallen below the $3 mark in 17 states, AAA said. Georgia was the latest state to cross the $3 mark, where the state average currently sits at $2.93. Tennessee, on the other hand, has one of the lowest gas prices in the nation at $2.80.

A barrel of oil fell $1.08 on Friday to $81.01, and hit a two-year low on Oct. 16 when it briefly dropped below $80. Some analysts believe oil prices could drop to $75, which likely would translate to even lower prices at the pump.

Florida’s prices are down more than a quarter from a year ago, when gas was selling at $3.30.

The RaceTrac and Mobil stations on State Road 52 on the northern part of Land O’ Lakes, has the cheapest gas in that area, checking in at $2.89 on Sunday, according to GasBuddy. The Sunoco at Land O’ Lakes and Causeway boulevards has reportedly the most expensive gas at $3.03.

Sam’s Club on State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel was just a penny cheaper than many of its surrounding competitors, with prices at $2.88. Not even the most expensive gas in that area is above $3 now, with two stations coming in at $2.99.

Two stations in Lutz reported $2.89 gas — the Citgo at North Dale Mabry Highway and Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, and Lutz Petroleum on U.S. 41. Two Shell stations in the Van Dyke Road area remain that area’s most expensive, at $3.09.

The cheapest gas n Zephyrhills was found at the Shell station at Buchman Highway and Central Avenue, which reported $2.95. Only the Citgo on Gall Boulevard and Chancey Road was above $3, according to GasBuddy, at $3.01.

Dade City has some of the cheapest prices in the area, with D&D at U.S. 98 and U.S. 301 reporting $2.85, and the Clark station at U.S. 301 near Long Avenue checking in at $2.87.

Like falling fuel prices? Thank shale

By

Oil production in the United States is at its highest level since the release of the first “Back to the Future” movie in 1985, and a lot of that has to do with the new shale boom.

Crude oil settled at $82.75 on Friday after dropping below $80 for the first time in two years just the day before, as gas prices continue to drop both locally and nationwide.

“Motorists are paying $5 to $15 less to fill their tanks than they were around July 4,” said AAA spokesman Josh Carrasco, in a release. “This is extra money that consumers can use for the holidays, either to put presents under the tree, or dinner on the table.”

Prices in Florida dropped 9 cents in the past week to $3.15. It followed a drop of a dime nationally, creating the lowest average since February 2011. At the statewide level, gas is still not at $3 in Florida, but that’s not true in other southern states, like Tennessee, where gas averaged $2.89 — down 11 cents from the week before.

Gas in Florida is down 14 cents from a month ago, and 18 cents from a year ago.

“Gas prices should continue to fall through the end of the year,” Carrasco said. “$3 a gallon and cheaper should become a common sight for motorists. The state averages of Florida and Georgia could be at or even below the $3 a gallon mark as early as Thanksgiving.”

Gas in Land O’ Lakes was at $3.07 at four different stations on Sunday, according to GasBuddy.com, including Citgo at State Road 52 and U.S. 41, the Hess in the same location, the Marathon station at Land O’ Lakes Boulevard and Ehren Cutoff, and the RaceTrac at State Road 52 and Silver Palm Boulevard.

In Lutz, the best prices were mostly the same with $3.07 at Chevron and the Sunoco both at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway. The most expensive was $3.19 at two Shell stations.

Seven stations in Wesley Chapel are below $3, with five as low as $2.95. That includes two Marathon stations, a Hess, a Mobil and a Shell. The highest prices in that area were really not above $3.09.

Gas was a little more expensive in Zephyrhills with $3.05 at the Marathon on Eiland Boulevard and Geiger Road, as well as Murphy USA at Gall Boulevard near Ginger Avenue. The cheapest in Dade City was reported at Clark on U.S. 301 near Long Avenue, where gas was $2.95. The most expensive there was $3.12 at the Shell located at Cortez Boulevard and U.S. 301.