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Ballantrae

Commercial growth popping up in Pasco

April 19, 2022 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Brick-and-mortar projects are rising rapidly, expanding Pasco County’s booming growth.

Construction crews are building shops, restaurants, Class A offices, gas and convenience stores, and car washes — on sites with “Coming Soon” signs.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill is under construction at the Cypress Creek Town Center, off Sierra Center Boulevard, next to Bonefish Grill. (Kathy Steele)

The county’s major commercial corridors – State Road 54 and State Road 56 – remain the epicenters of a construction juggernaut.

But Land O’ Lakes Boulevard, also known as U.S. 41, is an emerging source of expanded commercial and retail development.

Workers in hard hats and construction equipment engaged in projects are common sights on primary corridors in Pasco County.

Beginning on State Road 56, east of Interstate 75, options at The Shops at Wiregrass are expanding, or have expanded, to include Body Details; Crazy Sushi; Leonidas; and The Living Room.

New arrivals nearby include the Fairfield Inn & Suites, and Morningstar Storage.

On the west side of I-75, on State Road 56, new businesses are opening at Tampa Premium Outlets and Cypress Creek Town Center.

Zaxby’s opened in September on an outparcel on the south side of State Road 56, as part of the Cypress Creek Town Center. A Chicken Salad Chick restaurant is expected to open in a shell building under construction next door.

Tampa Premium Outlets, on the south side of the state highway, is adding Zumiez, according to the outlet’s website. The store features “cutting-edge” clothing, shoes, accessories and brand names for skateboarding, snowboarding and surfing.

Zaxby’s fast-food chicken restaurant opened in September on an outparcel of the Cypress Creek Town Center expansion, also on the south side of State Road 56, between Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Sun Vista Drive. Chicken Salad Chick is expected to occupy space in a new building under construction next to Zaxby’s, according to county permits.

On the north side of State Road 56, a Carrabba’s Italian Grill is under construction, next to Bonefish Grill in the Cypress Creek Town Center.

El Dorado is a 70,000-square-foot furniture store that will showcase as many as 20 storefronts offering furniture choices from contemporary to traditional. It is being built in front of Brighthouse Crossings apartments, near the Cypress Creek Town Center and Tampa Premium Outlets. A June opening is anticipated.

Also, a January 2023 opening is expected for the 300-unit, four-story Silversaw apartment homes, on Garden Village Way, off the town center’s Sierra Center Boulevard. Work also continues for the 260-unit Garrett Apartments at Cypress Creek Town Center..

Heading toward Land O’ Lakes, the Avila Living apartment complex is rising at State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard. Brick-and-mortar also is visible now at EOS Fitness.

U.S. 41, heading west from State Road 54, has had activity in recent months, too.

Circle K and 7-Eleven opened new gas stations and convenience stores on the federal highway, which locally is known as Land O’ Lakes Boulevard.

The Circle K replaced a demolished older strip mall at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Hale Road. The 7-Eleven and a Radiant car wash filled out a vacant corner at the Bell Lake Road intersection.

Land O’ Lake residents are eagerly awaiting the opening of Stonewater Grill, which fronts Bell Lake.

Stonewater Grill is a waterfront restaurant that is expected to open on Land O’ Lakes Boulevard in early May. The restaurant will offer a range of menu options, craft beers and cocktails, a wine room, and an outdoor bar with patio dining.

In its previous renditions, the restaurant operated as Rapscallions, was rumored to be a future Hooter’s location that never came to fruition, and then served customers as Mosquito Grill and Bar, before closing and falling into disrepair.

Years ago, county officials moved to demolish the vacant and dilapidated structure.

But co-owners Dominic Difante and Scott Harris saw potential and now plan to open Stonewater Grill in early May.

They tore down most of the old structure and replaced it with a modern, stone-infused restaurant that will offer what Difante describes as an “elevated casual” dining experience.

The menu will include burgers, wings, tuna, steaks, chicken, and other options to please all tastes, Difante said.

There also will be patio dining with a bar, a wine room, a large event room with a bar, and an outdoor lounge area. He hopes to see customers dining, watching sports on large screen television, and returning two to three times a week, he added.

He hopes in the future to build a 75-foot dock, also suitable for outdoor dining.

“It’s a good area, a visible area,” Difante said. “I’m glad to be here.”

Projects galore on State Road 54
On State Road 54, moving west of the U.S. 41 intersection, an array of shops, restaurants, Class A offices and new apartments are transforming former pastureland.

The Shops at Ballantrae and the Cypress Ranch residential and commercial development especially are busy.

The Hub at Bexley is a new shopping and activity center at Bexley by Newland master-planned community, off State Road 54. Several shops and restaurants are scheduled to open by the end of 2022.

At Ballantrae, on Aprile Drive, the 54 Crossings Professional Center is under construction. The Class A office project includes two 60,000-square-foot office buildings. It will offer luxury flexible office space, lush landscaping, bicycle racks, a pavilion and walking trails, according to its website.

A shell building is under construction, also on Aprile, that will include a Five Guys restaurant and Trulieve, a medical marijuana store, according to county permits.

Opposite Ballantrae, Cypress Ranch is adding apartments and retail. Aldi’s grocery store, on Skybrooke Road, and Panda Express, on Harpers Run, are under construction. County permits also show work underway for EOS Fitness, Pacific Dental Services, The Learning Experience, and Chick-fil-A.

Next to a new Circle K gas and convenience store, Burger King is serving burgers and Woodie’s Car Wash is cleaning cars.

4 & Co. is a luxury business center and co-working space under construction on Bexley Village Drive in Bexley by Newland master-planned community.

Further west toward the Suncoast Parkway, The Hub at Bexley, off Bexley Village Drive, plans to open by the end of 2022. Its website lists future tenants for what is promised as a community gathering center, where residents can “come, stay and play.”

Among future tenants are Amazing Lashes; Bubbakoo’s Burritos; Checkmate Escape Rooms; Downright Deli & Donuts; Dr. Bawany dental office; Duckweed Liquors; Headlines Barbers; Haute Nails and Spa; P-Fit Fitness; Revolution Ice Cream; and The Poke Company.

Off Bexley Village Drive and Early Riser Drive, 4 & Co. Is planned for a summer 2022 opening. The company will offer about 35,000 square feet of Class A offices and co-workspaces. Amenities include a gym, yoga studio, sauna, a treatment room for acupuncture, and conference rooms.

The Springhill Suites by Marriott, also on Bexley Village Drive, is checking in guests.

In Odessa, commercial development at Starkey Ranch is expanding.

A new retail center – Shoppes at Starkey Crossings – is scheduled for an early 2023 opening on the north side of State Road 54 and Gunn Highway, opposite the Starkey Ranch Town Square, anchored by Publix. Details on tenants are not announced, but the shopping center will have 20,000 square feet of leasable space, including a drive-thru window at one end.

Stay tuned. There’s more to come in Pasco, soon.

By Kathy Steele

Published April 20, 2022

Efforts underway to extend Penny for Pasco surtax

April 5, 2022 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County School Board and the Pasco County Commission recently held a joint session to discuss asking voters to extend the Penny for Pasco, a local government infrastructure surtax, for 15 years.

If approved by voters, the extension is expected to yield about $1.9 billion in revenues, which would be split between the school district, the county and the county’s municipalities.

The school district and county each would receive 45% and the municipalities would share the remaining 10%.

The special 1-cent sales tax initially was adopted in March 2004, and was in effect from Jan. 1, 2005 through Dec. 31, 2014. Voters extended it for 10 years, with that renewal going from Jan. 1, 2015 through Dec. 31, 2024.

The proposed renewal would be from Jan. 1, 2025 to Dec. 31, 2039.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, recalled when the tax was initially  proposed.

“We had schools that were 200% capacity.

“Sand Pine Elementary had more kids in portables than they had in the original concrete structure. We had no green space on that piece of property. The only space we had where the children could play was on the basketball courts.

“That was just our worst example, but we had numerous schools that were at 150% capacity, 170% capacity, and it was nothing to have 15, 20, 25, and in some situations, 30 portables on a campus,” he said.

Chris Williams, director of planning for the school district, said: “In the first Penny, we did a lot of new schools as part of our projects, as well as renovations. When the Penny came up for renewal, we were in the recession, or just coming out of the recession, so our growth had pretty much gone to zero. So, our focus on the current Penny was more on renovations, rather than on new schools.

“With the growth that you all are well aware of, in our county — at this point, again, we’re going back to focusing on not only renovations, but also on new schools,” Williams said.

The proposed list includes numerous new schools.

“As you know the (State Road) 54 corridor in the Central Pasco area is booming, and so we are looking at doing potentially a new elementary school, probably in the Bexley development,” the planning director said.

“Also, along the (State Road) 52 corridor, we know that Central Pasco Employment Village is starting to come to fruition, just to the west of I-75, so we have a K-8 (kindergarten through eighth grade) school planned for that area.

“Also, we’re already planning on doing a K-8 school on the Smith property, which is in the Ballantrae area, along the (State Road) 54 corridor, and we anticipate opening that in 2025, but we’re looking toward using Penny money for that,” Williams said.

Also, in the Villages of Pasadena Hills — between Wesley Chapel and Dade City — the school district is expected to be building a K-8, or whatever is needed there, Williams said.

But those are just some of the projects that would be built with Penny proceeds.

The school district also would use the tax revenues to add computers in schools, upgrade the district’s computer network, fortify the safety on its campuses, upgrade athletic facilities and improve safety at driver pickup locations at schools, among other things.

The county proposes to spend its portion of the tax revenues this way: 40% for transportation, 20% for economic development, 20% for public safety; and, 20% for environmental lands, as well as park infrastructure.

County Administrator Dan Biles said using a portion of the funds for park infrastructure is a new idea, but is intended to equip recreational areas, so people can enjoy them.

The county administrator also noted that it’s impossible to accurately project revenues or costs over a 15-year period. So, he said, the hope is to underestimate revenues and overestimate costs.

Sheriff Chris Nocco noted: “Our county is growing too quickly, the needs are overwhelming right now.

“When we’re looking at the Penny, maybe we don’t always have to do it the same way. Maybe we could adjust it different ways to address different needs,” he said.

The first Penny was approved on a narrow margin, but the renewal received much boarder  support, Gadd said.

Superintendent Kurt Browning said he hopes that voters give the second renewal resounding approval, as well.

“Moving forward, there’s a great deal of work that has to be done, in order to assure our public, our voters, that we’re worthy of the renewal and our district is committed to that end,” Browning said.

The two boards will be working in coming months to prepare to get the Penny for Pasco renewal placed on the November ballot, so voters can decide whether the 1-cent surtax should be extended.

Published April 06, 2022

Land O’ Lakes woman helps haul in big fishing trophy

December 21, 2021 By B.C. Manion

Tanya Michelle Arendes, who goes by Tanya Michelle, can barely remember a time when she didn’t have a fishing pole in her hand.

The Land O’ Lakes woman, who grew up on Deer Lake in Lutz, said her parents and grandparents nurtured her love for the sport.

“I started fishing when I was probably 3 or 4 years old,” said the angler, who is a third-generation Floridian. “My kids are fourth generation. We love this area.”

Tanya Michelle Arendes has a passion for fishing and she wants to encourage other women — with or without children, to give it a try. For her, the pursuit is therapeutic, and when there’s a fish on the line, it offers an adrenaline rush, too. (B.C. Manion)

During her growing-up years, she said, “we would fish all of the time. My dad was big into boating, so we always had the boat out in the lake, every weekend.

“Our house was the house — everybody came over to hang out on the lake.

“Every summer, my family would go to Ramble River Springs campground, in Dunnellon. We camped the whole trip. I didn’t leave the dock,” she said.

She is passing that love along to her children, 19-year-old Kelsey Albritton and 8-year-old Kason Meehan, who recently were out fishing with her at their neighbor Kurt Conover’s dock at Twin Lakes.

Over the years, Tanya Michelle’s fishing expertise has grown.

During this past summer, she and her teammate Terrie Huffmaster earned some impressive bragging rights by becoming the first females to win the ICAST fishing tournament.

Tanya Michelle Arendes, of Land O’ Lakes, can barely remember a time when she wasn’t holding a fishing rod. (Courtesy of Tanya Michelle Arendes)

They were joined on their team by Jackson Williams, a boat captain.

Team Lucky Go Fishing/Fish Bites broke the tournament’s record with a bag that weighed 25 pounds, 10 ounces, according to the tournament’s web page.

The acronym ICAST stands for International Convention of Allied Sportsfishing Trades. It was the first time in the tournament’s history that women were on the winning team.

Tanya Michelle explained how the international fishing tournament works.

“You have a five-fish limit. You can only keep five fish to weigh. In four hours, we caught about 40 fish,” she said.

The team knew it was in good shape before the weigh-in.

“We did our research. We knew that morning going into it that the biggest bag ever weighed for ICAST was only like 22 pounds.

Tanya Michelle credits the boat captain for taking them to a great fishing spot.

While winning the tournament was a thrill, the female angler said that for her, the joy of fishing lies in the pursuit.

“I don’t care if I come in last, I just love being out there and being involved in the sport, the camaraderie. I just love it. I love talking to people about all of their fish stories.

Terrie Huffmaster, left, and Tanya Michelle Arendes hoist the 2021 ICAST Cup trophy. The tournament took place at Big Toho Marina Kissimmee, on July 20. (Courtesy of Tanya Michelle Arendes)

“Of course, some of them aren’t true. But that’s part of it,” Tanya Michelle said.

While fishing can be a soothing pastime, that’s not the case in competitive fishing.

“Tournament fishing is pretty intense. A lot of people will have 10 or 15 rods already rigged,”  she said.

Whether competing for a trophy or out fishing on her own, Tanya Michelle simply adores being on or near water.

She has her own business that has flexible hours, so she can go fishing three or four times a week.

“If it’s not bass fishing, then I’m in the salt and I’m catching snook, redfish, trout. I actually have a hashtag online. My hashtag is TheCrazySnookLady. You click on that, you see nothing but me and fish.

“For salt (saltwater fishing), we go to St. Pete, Clearwater, (and the) Tierra Verde area. I hit all of the bridges,” she said.

Her biggest freshwater catch came in 2009, when she landed a 10-pound, 1-ounce freshwater bass, in Odessa.

“That’s still my biggest fish.

“My biggest saltwater catch —  that’s a different story. It was an 8-foot nurse shark. It was like a 2 ½-hour fight,” she said.

Over the years, she’s become knowledgeable about rods, reels, bait and tackle, and how to maintain her gear. She’s also picked up the ins and outs of when and where to fish.

“Dawn or dusk are usually the best, first light or last light, because that’s when they’re hungry,” she said. The weather, the sun, the moon and tides all are important, she added.

“If I’m saltwater fishing, if it’s high tide, there will be more fish up in there,” she explained.

Besides being a great sport for women, fishing also is a great activity for families, she said.

“We’ll do dinner and go fishing.

“After work, I’ll come over to Kurt’s dock to fish. Or, I’ll run over to Bexley. Or, even up to Ballantrae. I have friends over there. They’ll come meet me at the lake with their golf cart and their kids,” she said.

Mostly, she fishes for sport.

“I’m strictly catch and release, when it comes to freshwater. I don’t eat freshwater fish. I throw them all back. And, most saltwater (fish), I throw back,” she said.

As a single mom, she said she finds fishing to be therapeutic.

“While I’m fishing, I don’t think about what bills are due, what problems are going on. I’m thinking about my line and what fish is going to hit it.

“It’s just freeing for me,” she said.

While relaxing on one hand, it also produces an adrenaline rush — when there’s a fish on the line.

“It’s like a drug-free drug. It can be addicting. People get addicted to it. All they want to do is fish,” she said. “I love it. I really do.”

When it comes to fishing, Tanya Michelle acknowledged, she’s hooked.

Published December 22, 2021

Pasco’s growth fuels economy

November 23, 2021 By Special to The Laker/Lutz News

Apartment construction is dominating residential development along the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor — a magnet for development in the midst of Pasco County’s surging growth.

As rooftops on luxury apartment homes pop up, retail is following, as evidenced by roadside signs and county permits.

Signs like these, east of Odessa, off State Road 54, are popping up on former pastureland up and down the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor. (Fred Bellet)

Former pastures along the heavily traveled road are occupied now with shops, restaurants, apartments, auto dealerships and Class A offices.

The Shops at Wiregrass, near Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, in Wesley Chapel, has added Athleta; go! Calendars & games; and, siKicks (a footwear and collectibles shop); Charming Charlies; and, Hickory Farms. Coming soon are Body Details; JABZ Boxing; and The Living Room.

Besides expanding its retail, Cypress Creek Town Center, a massive development west of the Interstate 75/State Road 56 interchange, is jumpstarting its residential plans.

County building permits indicate that Garrett Apartments are coming to Grand Cypress Drive, and Silversaw at Wesley Chapel is rising along Garden Village Way and Citron Boulevard.

Valentino’s Fine Jewelers and The Good Feet Store have opened on Sierra Center Boulevard, the town center’s prime east-west road, and Carrabba’s Italian Grill is coming.

Construction on Miller’s Ale House, meanwhile, is ongoing at the Wesley Chapel Boulevard entry into Tampa Premium Outlets, on the south side of the highway.

Zaxby’s restaurant has opened on Sun Vista Drive near Costco. New offerings at Tampa Premium Outlets will include a Frosty Cart by Wendy’s and new jewelry selections with Banter at Piercing Pagoda.

BMW of Wesley Chapel is building a six-story building on State Road 56. (Fred Bellet)

Just west of Wesley Chapel Boulevard, on the north side of State Road 54, owners of El Dorado furniture store are laying groundwork for a 70,000-square-foot store.

When it opens, expected around June, shoppers will be able to stroll along a streetscape, enjoying more than 20 storefronts showcasing furniture styles from contemporary to traditional.

The Capo family, who is developing El Dorado, opened their first store in the late 1960s in Miami.

The family opened a store in St. Petersburg in late 2019, before the COVID shutdown and, despite the timing, it has fared well, according to Pedro Capo, chief operating officer at El Dorado.

Now, Capo said he expects to hire and train about 50 employees for the Pasco store, likely beginning in March or April.

Capo is optimistic about the Pasco store’s prospects, noting that the county’s residential growth bodes well for building a strong customer base.

El Dorado will join WaWa, Firestone and Burger King along State Road 54 frontage at the Brighthouse Crossings apartments.

Just west of Brighthouse, a Woodie’s Wash Shack has opened at the Shoppes at Cypress Creek. Fazoli’s Italian restaurant is another potential tenant for the new plaza.

More housing and dining options

In Land O’ Lakes, the Avidity Living apartment complex is being built off State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard. The 252-unit development is scheduled to open in 2022.

Also, coming to this location, is EOS Fitness.

Willow Bend Town Centre, at State Road 54 and Collier Parkway, recently added Ayoki Japan restaurant. Esporta Fitness is a rebranding of the former LA Fitness. And a sign near the center’s entrance off the state road suggests Pasco will get another car wash – Vortex Express Car Wash.

A new apartment community, Avidity Living, is being built at State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes. EOS Fitness will be built at the intersection. (Fred Bellet)

West of U.S. 41, vacant land at Ballantrae and Cypress Ranch is sprouting “coming soon” signs as construction begins on apartment units, new retail, and a proposed Class A office complex, known as 54 Crossings.

On the south side opposite Ballantrae, the Cypress Ranch development includes Azora, a new apartment complex, with a spring 2022 opening. Signs in front of the complex show a cornucopia of proposed shops including ALDI grocery store, Chick-Fil-A, another EOS Fitness, Honest-1 Auto Care, and The Learning Experience.

“We are happy to confirm that we will open our newest Lutz, Florida location next year, with construction scheduled to begin soon,” according to Matt Thon in a statement provided by email. Thon is the Haines City division vice president for ALDI.

No further details were provided regarding the construction schedule or opening date.

A Circle K is under construction at this location, and a Woodie’s Wash Shack, is coming.

On the north side, 54 Crossings is a proposed 60,000-square-foot Class A office building, at Aprile Drive, adjacent to Ballantrae’s row of fast-food restaurants that includes Taco Bell and Dairy Queen Grill & Chill.

East of the Suncoast Parkway, the master-planned community of Bexley at Newland is moving dirt for a major retail and business center, off State Road 54 and Bexley Village Drive. Known as the Hub at Bexley, the commercial complex is scheduled for a summer 2022 opening.

Bexley’s website describes the Hub as a “retail and business destination,” with a summer 2022 opening. Bexley residents can walk or bike along connecting trails to enjoy dining, shopping, live concerts and family events. But it also is envisioned as an attraction for Tampa Bay residents with easy interstate access.

Construction continues at The Towns of Oakstead, on the north side of State Road 54, in Land O’ Lakes. (Fred Bellet)

The Hub also includes a large outparcel on Bexley Village Drive, adjacent to the Springhill Suites hotel and opposite the delivery entrance into the Amazon warehouse. The site will become home to 4 & Co., with about 35,000 square feet of Class A offices and co-work spaces. Memberships and limited passes will be offered. Amenities will include a gym, yoga studio, sauna, a treatment room for acupuncture and massages, and conference rooms.

West of Suncoast Parkway, the Shoppes at Crossings Boulevard initially welcomed HotWorx and Jimmy John’s restaurant. New signs in the development indicate additional tenants will be there, including Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists, PTI Solutions, Touch Nail Spa, and Shauby Dental Institute.

Another apartment complex, Avilla Suncoast, is under construction at Redstone Way and Crossings Boulevard, immediately behind the new Hooters restaurant.

Next along the route, The Preserve Marketplace, off South Branch Road, is increasing its retail and business options with Caring Paws Animal Hospital, 100% Chiropractic, PostNet, Lin China restaurant, Papa Johns restaurant, Burger Fi, Chipotle, Panera Bread, and the USF Federal Credit Union. The shopping center is anchored by the Greenwise Publix grocery store.

Starkey Ranch Town Center, at Gunn Highway and State Road 54, is expanding, too. A shell building is under construction, but the new tenants are not yet identified.

Starkey Ranch Business Park on Heart Pine Avenue recently added Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop. Tropical Smoothie Café has a ‘coming soon’ sign. Butcher’s Mark Fresh Meats and Marinades is another shop on its way.

Clearly, there’s a lot going on, along State Road 54/State Road 56 — and there’s no indication that the pace of activity will slow anytime soon.

Published Nov. 24, 2021

By Kathy Steele

A closer look at Pasco County’s economic growth

July 20, 2021 By Kevin Weiss

Not many people understand the inner workings of Pasco County’s economy quite like David Engel, director of the county’s Office of Economic Growth.

Engel shared some of those insights as the featured guest speaker during The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce July business breakfast at Golden Corral in Zephyrhills.

Engel’s office serves as the fiduciary and administrator of Penny for Pasco. It is tasked with executing the goals and strategies outlined in the county’s adopted Economic Development Plan and the Pasco County Commission’s adopted Strategic Plan.

In his role, Engel promotes economic development, job creation, and targeted industry recruitment and expansion for the Jobs and Economic Opportunities Trust Fund (Penny for Pasco) program.

David Engel (Courtesy of Pasco County)

Engel also provides oversight to the county’s Jobs and Economic Opportunities Committee.

He brings wide-ranging experience to the role, including more than 16 years of experience as a municipal planning director and transit-oriented development manager.

He also spent 10 years on Wall Street, as a senior research analyst, specializing in public finance, transportation and energy technology systems.

Workforce demographics
Engel’s 30-minute talk — during the July 1 gathering — was replete with details about Pasco’s evolving labor demographics.

In 1990, about 23% of the Pasco’s workforce commuted outside the county, which at that time was essentially a rural and agricultural county, Engel said.

By 2000, the out-of-county workforce commuter figure ballooned to 42%, and now, it’s roughly 46%.

Engel put those facts into perspective: “What that means is there’s 200,000 people that are working in this county, 46% of them get in the car and drive elsewhere, and that’s why, driving over today at 5:50 this morning, I hit traffic on (State Road) 54, if you can believe it, because the Suncoast Parkway’s the main commuter for the Tampa Bay area.”

Despite frustrating traffic pileups, Engel emphasized that the Pasco County Commission is “committed to a balanced lifestyle” incorporating a place for residents to live, work, play, learn and celebrate culture.

Engel is a member of the American Institute of Certified Planners and holds a master’s in city and regional planning from Rutgers University.

He said through smarter development initiatives, the county is “providing a more inclusive environment so that people that live here can work here, they can send their kids to good schools, (and) there’s options.”

The county, he said, is refocusing its intention to create development that’s aesthetically pleasing and provide more than houses.

“We’re creating communities, not subdivisions,” Engel said.

His office also focuses on job skills training.

He said that the No. 1 question prospective businesses have is: “Where are my people going to live, and how am I going to get to work?”

Pasco’s unemployment rate is below both the state and region’s jobless rate.

He attributes that to the county’s “very sustainable, good economy.”

Engel also touted the benefits offered through programs such as CareerSource and AmSkills. The programs help people to attain skills, which improves their opportunities to land good jobs. And, it helps companies that have a need for trained workers.

Only 4.6% of the jobs in the county are in the manufacturing sector, Engel said.

But, he said, they are high-paying jobs and give young people good opportunities.

Engel also highlighted the increasing need for private employers to find buildings that are ready to house their operations.

When he joined the county three years ago, Engel said, inquiries would come in from companies looking to relocate to the area that would require 10,000 square feet to 15,000 square feet of workable space, within two months.

Satisfying the surging demand was a problem at the time.

“We had no inventory,” he said. “We really didn’t have the infrastructure to deal with the demand in the county.”

To resolve this matter, the county has what’s called Pasco Accelerated Development Sites (PADS) and Pasco Occupant-Ready Structure programs (PORS), funded through Penny for Pasco.

The programs provide “loans to support office and industrial-type development to provide the inventory here to absorb the demand that is coming in the door,” Engel said.

The county now has several hundred thousands of square feet of Class A office space up along the Suncoast Parkway and Northpointe Parkway (called NorthPointe Village), as well as State Road 54, near Ballantrae (called 54 Crossings). Asturia Corporate Center — a flex-industrial space along Lakepointe Parkway, in Odessa, has gone up, too.

There’s also demand for more light-industrial buildings — think spaces with 30-foot ceilings and loading docks — especially throughout East Pasco, the economic development expert said.

“We have so much demand for that. The east side needs it bad,” Engel said.

‘Trophy projects’ abound
The speaker went on to discuss a trio of what he referred to as “trophy projects,” in the county’s pipeline.

He first outlined Overpass Business Park, set on a 100-acre property at Old Pasco Road, that was formerly a county spray field.

The targeted industrial and office development master plan will support about 860,000 square feet, projected to create at least 1,500 new full-time jobs.

Commissioners approved a proposed incentive package to encourage the Rooker Company, based in Atlanta, to create an industrial park on the land.

It was initially made possible through a state grant in the waning days of former Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s administration, Engel said. The grant was to rip out old infrastructure and create a development-ready site.

Work began in February. A ribbon-cutting for the first industrial building is expected next summer.

This is a rendering of Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, an urbanized mixed-use development off State Road 54, including a mixture of residential, commercial and general office use.

The project is both ahead of schedule and under budget, Engel happily added.

A second notable project is the build out of the Lacoochee Industrial Area, which spans 90 acres near Bower and Coit roads.

The project area eventually will accommodate approximately 700,000 square feet of industrial/light industrial development to generate up to 1,000 new full-time jobs.

Community Development Block Grant and state appropriations are being combined toward rebuilding and repaving Coit Road, Bower Road and Cummer Road, he said.

Plans are in motion, as well, to construct a rail spur in the industrial area.

A targeted industry is already in place — The Reinforced Earth Company, which is a concrete product supplier that’s been hiring.

“Those are probably the first (new) jobs in Lacoochee in probably three or four decades that have been created,” Engel said.

The revitalization seeks to stimulate a community, in northeast Pasco, that’s been struggling since the sawmill company closed in 1959.

“It’s one of the most impoverished areas in the state of Florida. It’s sad, actually,” Engel said.

“When I first came here, I took a tour of the county. I saw a sign at a church that said, ‘No meals today,’ that’s how poor it is. The churches, because of the demand, had to turn people away for nourishment.

“They’re isolated and stranded, don’t have broadband service, the roads are in bad shape, people are living in actual shacks with metal roofs and vegetation (is) growing on them.”

Meanwhile, the picture is quite different in the Avalon Park Wesley Chapel development, which is located along State Road 54.

The urbanized mixed-use development situated on 215 acres will feature multi-story buildings with residential, commercial and general office uses.

The project calls for 2,695 residential units, 165,000 square feet of Class A office space and 190,400 square feet of commercial development. It is expected to generate 1,065 new full-time jobs, situated in a walkable neighborhood.

The owner-operator of the project is integrating public infrastructure, such as parking decks and roads, to meet the needs of the concentrated area.

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will offer 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.

Imagine restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops, bars and entertainment, hair and nail salons, as well as activities such as dance, gymnastic and karate studios.

The county offered up $32 million in ad valorem tax rebates to see the project through — with an expectation it will generate about $90 million in tax dollars on the backend.

Engel described Avalon Park as “a great project” creating “a downtown urban development for Wesley Chapel.”

Having a downtown area will help create a sense of place, where the community can gather, Engel observed.

He also noted its close proximity to Zephyrhills, making it convenient for the city’s residents to take advantage of Avalon Park’s offerings, if they choose to do so.

Challenges ahead
Elsewhere, Engel touched on multiple big-picture challenges the county faces in present and future.

One major task, he said, is identifying redevelopment opportunities, chiefly along older commercial corridors such as U.S. 19 and U.S. 301.

The corridors have the necessary infrastructure, but have long been synonymous for blight, graffiti and homelessness, issues that otherwise “really detracts from the hard-working community,” he said.

“That is stigmatizing this county,” said Engel. “You go out to other parts of this (Tampa Bay) area, (people) haven’t been up to Pasco in 20 years, and they’re just talking about U.S. 301 and U.S. 19 and how bad it looks, and they don’t have a clue, and we have to reeducate people using smart redevelopment.”

Another challenge for Engel’s office is finding additional ways to support Pasco’s small businesses — noting 80% of county businesses have fewer than 25 employees.

Penny for Pasco, in its current iteration, is only allowed to address target industries.

So, Engel and one of his staffers are using a small business engagement survey to better understand those business needs and desires.

A data-driven report will be presented to the county board, as Penny for Pasco funds are being authorized, Engel said.

Published July 21, 2021

Approval sets stage for 325 more homes in Bexley area

March 30, 2021 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Commission has approved a change to the county’s land use plan to set the stage for additional residential development on the south side of Tower Road, south of Bexley Village Drive.

Board members voted on March 9 to change the land use designation on 77.21 acres from a maximum of three dwelling units per acre to a maximum of six dwelling units per acre.

The change clears the way for a potential rezoning to allow up to 325 units on the property, at 17370 Bud Bexley Parkway, in Land O’ Lakes.

A rezoning, which has been requested, also must be secured before the additional density can be achieved.

The Pasco County Planning Commission recommended approval of the rezoning request during the planning board’s March 25 meeting.

The property is surrounded by Bexley South on the north; Suncoast Meadows on the south; Ballantrae on the east; and Sapphire Village on the west.

Besides getting a recommendation for approval from the planning board, planners also support the request.

County planners have described the site, which is currently vacant, as an appropriate location for the proposed development of single-family homes, at a maximum density of 4.21 units per acre.

The site has access from Tower Road.

The proposed development is expected to yield 59 students for Bexley Elementary School, 31 students for Charles Rushe Middle School and 40 students for Sunlake High School, according to background materials.

Published March 31, 2021

Planning commissioners recommend land use changes

December 1, 2020 By B.C. Manion

The Pasco County Planning Commission has recommended a change to the county’s long-range land use map that would permit a greater intensification of development on a tract in a central area of Pasco County.

It also is recommending changes to policies affecting future development in the Villages of Pasadena Hills, in eastern Pasco County.

The recommendations will be considered by the Pasco County Commission, which has final authority over county land use and zoning matters.

The proposed change in Central Pasco involves increasing the maximum density from three dwellings per acre up to six dwellings per acre, on 77.21 acres on the south side of Tower Road, south of Bexley Village Drive.

The new land use designation would allow a maximum of 325 dwelling units, in a combination of single-family detached homes and townhouses.

The acreage is surrounded by a planned development called Bexley South, to the north; the Suncoast Meadows, to the south; Ballantrae, to the east; and Sapphire Village, to the west.

County planners recommended approval of the request, determining that the proposed plan amendment “is an appropriate location for the change in land use.”

Barbara Wilhite, an attorney representing the applicant, said plans call for 325 single-family dwellings.

No multifamily is proposed, she said, noting the specific plan will come back in a separate request for a rezoning to create a master-planned unit development.

On the issue involving the eastern Pasco development, planning commissioners agreed with a recommendation from the Villages of Pasadena Hills Property Owners Group to reduce the required wetlands buffer from 100 feet to 25 feet.

In supporting that recommendation, planning commissioners rejected a recommendation by  the VOPH policy committee that would have changed the requirement to match the requirement in the rest of the county.

The Planning Commission also rejected a recommendation by the parks, recreation and natural resources department that would have required a more extensive buffer. The county’s planning staff supported the parks and recreation department’s recommendation, but planning commissioners supported the property owners’ recommendation.

Pat Gassaway, representing Heidt Design, told planning commissioners the goal is to take a look at the rules and update them to today’s market.

The current rules, he said, “require preservation of upland habitat without bound,” Gassaway said.

The update also includes myriad of other changes in the VOPH plan, with the goal of the changes to create a more level playing field between regulations required in this planning area and others, and to make the Villages of Pasadena Hills “more market friendly and more competitive,” Gassaway said.

The county has undergone significant changes since the Villages of Pasadena Hills was adopted in 2008, Gassaway said.

Published December 02, 2020

Land O’ Lakes gets beefed up emergency services

November 8, 2017 By B.C. Manion

Pasco County Fire Rescue No. 37 has added ambulance service.

The station is at the entrance to Ballantrae in Land O’ Lakes. The new service became effective on Sept. 1.

Pasco County Fire Rescue No. 37 is located in a high-growth area off County Road 54, near the Ballantrae and Bexley subdivisions. It recently added an ambulance service and six emergency responders. (Courtesy of Pasco County Fire Rescue)

Six paramedics and emergency medical technicians have been added, to provide 24-hour coverage for the rescue unit.

The station, which is at 18105 State Road 54, is currently using one of the department’s spare vehicles until the new squad arrives, which is expected within a month.

Division Chief Shawn Whited said the service area for the new ambulance is essentially Stonegate to the east and Odessa to the west.

Before the new ambulance service was added, the area was being served by an ambulance coming from the fire station in Trinity, or from the other Land O’ Lakes station, which is at U.S. 41 and State Road 54, Whited said.

“If the ambulance for Land O’ Lakes was out, because that was the only ambulance for Land O’ Lakes, we’d get one from either Wesley Chapel or Trinity,” Whited said.

“We had a big gap there,” he said.

The county has been able to send emergency responders because all of the county’s fire trucks have advanced life support, but they had to wait for a rescue unit to transport patients to the hospital, Whited said.

Getting the additional coverage is important because population continues to increase in the area near Station 37, he said, noting that Bexley, Longlake Ranch and Concord Station are growing communities.

“That Land O’ Lakes area between the Suncoast Parkway and (U.S.) 41 is one of the largest growing areas in Pasco County,” Whited said. “With all of those homes, we want to make sure they have proper fire and EMS coverage in there.

“Now, if you’re having a true medical emergency, like a heart attack or a stroke, we can get you to the hospital faster — without having to wait for that unit to come from Land O’ Lakes or Trinity or Wesley Chapel,” he said.

Published November 8, 2017

Imagine charter school needs growing room for programs

November 1, 2017 By Kathy Steele

Imagine School at Land O’ Lakes is experiencing growing pains.

Classrooms are full.

The gymnasium is a part-time lunchroom.

The school’s solution is to build a two-story wing off the rear of the gymnasium, adding about 13,000 square feet of space.

Imagine Charter School in Land O’ Lakes will open a new, two-story expansion in August 2018 to accommodate school programs, and add a dedicated lunch room.
(Kathy Steele)

The expansion provides enough room for seven classrooms and a dedicated lunchroom.

The goal is to open the new extension by August 2018.

The lunchroom café and a teachers’ lounge will be on the first floor. Additional rooms will be on the second floor. The rooms can be used as classrooms, if needed, but their primary purpose is to house programs, such as band or makerspace.

Enrollment is 775 students, just a handful short of the school’s goal of 800 students. While the school has a waiting list, the expansion isn’t about increasing enrollment.

“We just need extra workspace,” said Imagine Principal Aimee Williams.

The gymnasium is transformed into a lunchroom daily, and then cleared out.

That’s not a big problem during the school day, Williams said.

“It’s more for the sports and afterschool programs that makes it difficult to swap out,” she explained.

A pre-application meeting with county planners was held on Oct. 23.

Details on the project are being worked out prior to construction.

This year, the school will graduate its first class of eighth-graders who began at Imagine in kindergarten.

Imagine opened nearly a decade ago in a business park in Ballantrae. The move to its current location, at 2940 Sunlake Blvd., came in 2012. The school’s charter extends to 2028, following a fifteen-year renewal in 2013.

Teachers are STEAM-certified. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, art and mathematics.

The school received an A grade from the state for 2016-2017. It educates students from kindergarten through eighth grade, who come to the public charter school from Land O’ Lakes, Wesley Chapel, New Port Richey, and even Hillsborough County.

The school has won accolades.

Imagine received the 2016 Promising Practice Winner by Character Counts. In 2015, it was runner-up in the National School of Character competition by Character Counts, and a runner-up for National School of the Year by Imagine Schools.

Imagine is owned and operated by an affiliate of Imagine School Non-Profit Inc., which has schools nationwide.

It’s a point of pride that the Land O’ Lakes campus is part of the Pasco County community, the principal said.

“We definitely feel we are part of Pasco County and want to add whatever we can to the community,” Williams said.

Published November 1, 2017

Pasco County’s development ready to take off

March 8, 2017 By Kathy Steele

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

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05/17/2022 – Make a mug cake

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05/18/2022 – Democratic Club

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TONIGHT: The New River Library will offer mug cake-making classes at 5 and 6PM for teens. Must sign up ahead of time with the library! https://buff.ly/3wnvohg

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