The Laker/Lutz News

John Hagen

Loan program aims to attract Pasco jobs

By

Pasco County has earmarked $15 million for a revolving loan program ultimately aimed at creating more jobs.

The program seeks to encourage investors to prepare sites for development, or build shell buildings for office or industrial use, thus speeding the process for companies that want to set up shop in Pasco County.

The deadline for applications for this new loan program is Nov. 13.

The revolving loan program stems from a demonstrated need in the county, said John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc.

John Hagen
John Hagen

“We have kind of a product shortage here,” Hagen said. The lack of ready office or industrial space has resulted in missed opportunities for Pasco, he said.

“We’re getting these companies that are coming to us that are looking for a building, or they’re looking for a piece of land that they can go build something on immediately, and it’s not there,” Hagen said.

When there’s not something available in Pasco, they go looking elsewhere, he said.

“It’s really about speed to market,” Hagen said.

Investors may be willing to take the risk, but they have a hard time getting credit unless there are known tenants for the office or industrial space, Hagen said.

There also are sites that may be entitled for industrial uses, but they don’t have the proper infrastructure – such as a road leading to it, or proper utilities — to support it.

The revolving loan program is designed to offer terms that would encourage private investment.

Hagen believes there’s demand for this product, once it is demonstrated that inventory is available.

Ideally, as buildings go up or sites are prepared, new business ventures will step forward, which will allow the loans to be repaid and new loans to be issued, Hagen said

“We don’t know what the private sector ultimately will do, until somebody submits an application, but I think it’s a great tool for us. If we do a couple of them, it will hopefully stimulate other development, but also it will get revolved into other projects.”

The creation of the loan program is a result of combined efforts between Pasco County and the Pasco EDC’s Competitive Task Force.

Melanie Kendrick, acting program director for Pasco County’s Office of Economic Growth said the revolving loan program aims to set the stage for private investors to step forward.

“We know that the holding costs are going to be expensive for the property owners or the developers, and they don’t want to take the risks right now because they’re not sure whether or not that the market is going to support it, or they’re not going to be able to get somebody in there quickly enough to recoup their costs as quickly as they’d like to have a return on their own investment,” she said.

There are two parts to the county’s program.

The Pasco Accelerate Development Sites (PADS) program gets the site as close to development-ready as possible.

The PORS (Pasco Occupant Ready Shells) program provides buildings to shorten the time it takes for a company to set up in Pasco.

“They would build the building. It doesn’t have to be finished on the inside. It can be just the four walls and the roof. They can have a tenant build-out. It can be multi-tenant or single tenant,” Kendrick said.

Both programs have the same goal.

“They can get up and running quicker than if they had to start from scratch,” she said.

“The real end game here is that we want employers to move into a building and create some jobs,” Hagen said.

Pasco County officially distributes solicitation documents through the Florida Online Bid System. Solicitation documents may be downloaded at no cost.

Documents also may also be obtained from the county’s purchasing department in accordance with Florida Statutes that pertain to public records.

Published November 4, 2015

 

Industry of the year winners announced

By

The Laker/Lutz News is among those honored

More than 600 people gathered at Wesley Chapel’s Saddlebrook Resort at the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 29th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards.

The Sept. 3 event attracted a who’s who in Pasco County, including movers and shakers in government and industry, as well as leaders of community organizations.

Awards were presented to eight companies making their mark in Pasco County, and the winners were:

  • The Laker/Lutz News: Service/Distribution, category 1 (1-25 employees)
  • Applicant Insight: Service/Distribution, category 2 (26+ employees)
  • SAHM Co.: New Business Award
  • Big Storm Brewing Co.: Manufacturer of the Year, category 1 (1-25 employees)
  • Preferred Materials: Manufacturer of the Year, category 2 (26+ employees)
  • Easy Business Software: Technology Award
  • Veterans Alternative Therapy: Special Recognition Award
  • Florida Hospital Zephyrhills: Special Contribution Award

The companies honored during the banquet were nominated in late spring and then interviewed by members of a Pasco EDC awards committee.

The committee considered a total of 23 nominees. Winners are selected based on exemplary growth in job creation, capital investment, technology, innovation and community service.

The awards committee used a specific grading scale to select the winners.

The Laker/Lutz News was honored during the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 29th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards. Shown here, from left, are John Hagen, CEO and president of Pasco EDC; Diane Kortus, publisher and owner of The Laker/Lutz News; Suzanne Beauchaine, account manager; Mary Eberhard, accounting; B.C. Manion, editor; Terri Williamson, senior account manager; and Lex Smith, outgoing chairman of the board for Pasco EDC. (Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)
The Laker/Lutz News was honored during the Pasco Economic Development Council’s 29th annual Banquet and Industry of the Year Awards. Shown here, from left, are John Hagen, CEO and president of Pasco EDC; Diane Kortus, publisher and owner of The Laker/Lutz News; Suzanne Beauchaine, account manager; Mary Eberhard, accounting; B.C. Manion, editor; Terri Williamson, senior account manager; and Lex Smith, outgoing chairman of the board for Pasco EDC.
(Courtesy of Pasco Economic Development Council)

“It is tremendously gratifying to be recognized by Pasco’s business leaders for our commitment to give readers a top-notch newspaper every week,” said Diane Kortus, publisher of The Laker/Lutz News. “This past year, my team embraced the vision to take our papers to its larger format, and their talent, determination and hard work is reflected in this honor.”

Other finalists this year were: Aviation Instrument Technologies Inc.; Can Can Concealment LLC; Covanta Pasco; Electro Tape Specialties; Fifth Third Bank/New Port Richey Branch; Freedom Scooter & Supply LLC; Habitat for Humanity of East & Central Pasco; Manufacturers Distributor Inc.; Morton Plant North Bay Hospital; Oasis Pregnancy Center; and Retail Process Engineering LLC.

Pasco EDC is a nonprofit organization that promotes economic development in Pasco County.

Besides those receiving Industry of the Year awards, John Hagen, the outgoing CEO and president of Pasco EDC, also was honored for his years of service. He expects to retire within the next few months.

The banquet program also featured an update on Pasco County’s economy from Lex Smith, the outgoing chairman of the Pasco EDC.

Smith noted that the council completed 14 new job creation projects since October 2014.

Those job creators include the attraction of three Fortune 500 companies: Leggett & Platt, Ortho Technologies (which is part of Henry Schein Inc.), and Tru Simulation and Training (part of Textron). Those 14 projects are expected to yield more than 900 jobs and $118 million of investment.

 

Retail jobs on the rise

By

But more jobs are needed to diversify Pasco’s economy

Heading south on Interstate 275 into Tampa, and points beyond, cars stack up and slow to a crawl as commuters in the morning rush hour out of Pasco County’s bedroom communities hit the brakes.

Motorists going north, mostly zip along at a steady clip.

In the afternoon the traffic flow reverses.

It’s all about where the jobs are and where they aren’t.

The volume of people who commute daily to jobs outside Pasco is about 46 percent, according to county data.

But flipping that trend is the goal of the county’s Planning and Development Department, and its marketing partner, the Pasco County Economic Development Council.

Holiday Inn Express is one hotel ready for construction with an opening in 2016. The hotel is next to Florida Hospital Center Ice, an ice rink and sports complex that is under construction, off State Road 56. Both will be job producers. (Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)
Holiday Inn Express is one hotel ready for construction with an opening in 2016. The hotel is next to Florida Hospital Center Ice, an ice rink and sports complex that is under construction, off State Road 56. Both will be job producers.
(Kathy Steele/Staff Photo)

There are good signs in the job market especially in retail, but county officials say Pasco needs higher paying jobs and a diverse employer-base to shed its bedroom community status.

And that could take years of steady, patient marketing.

For now, dirt is flying especially along the prime corridors of State Road 56 and State Road 54, around the Interstate 75 interchange.

“The retail is following the rooftops,” said Melanie Kendrick, senior planner for economic development in Pasco.

Tampa Premium Outlets, the centerpiece for Cypress Creek Town Center, is sprouting. It is expected to have more than 110 stores and will provide an estimated 800 jobs.

The Shops at Wiregrass is expanding. And, other retail development, including Mercedes Benz, Buffalo Wild Wings and Dairy Queen, is popping up.

Abutting the outlet mall, the town center also will have more retail including Kohl’s, Costco, Culver’s, Cheddar’s Casual Café, and BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse. Job numbers for this project aren’t available.

More hotels, shops, restaurants and offices are on a waiting list, marked ‘coming soon’ for a site on the north side of State Road 56, also part of Cypress Creek Town Center.

On Oct. 29, Tampa Premium Outlets will be the first to hit the start button.

“This is like a bonus,” said John Hagen, president of the PEDC. “It will definitely raise the amount of money coming into the community. It makes the economic pie bigger.”

People are put to work, the Penny for Pasco program gets fattened with more pennies and Pasco’s image shines brighter in the marketplace.

“It is a destination… It will help people understand that there is a Pasco County,” Hagen said. “This is a place. It has place-making attributes that are important to us. It’s hard for people to think about (Pasco) in terms of a place.”

Retail already has shown it can spark other development.

Pasco-Hernando State College located its Porter Campus at the mall. It currently has a staff of about 60 employees and 100 adjunct faculty members.

Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, near Wiregrass, added 600 jobs to the economy when it opened nearly three years ago. The hospital is investing $78 million in an expansion at the hospital. And Florida Medical Clinic, just north of Wiregrass, also is expanding in Wesley Chapel and Land O’ Lakes.

On State Road 54, a new Lowe’s warehouse store opened in April, bringing with it as many as 160 jobs.

Businessman Gordie Zimmerman is building Florida Hospital Center Ice, a sports complex with four ice rinks and a removable pad that can allow for more sports such as volleyball, soccer, basketball and lacrosse. The 150,000 square foot facility, off State Road 56, can also accommodate non-sports events such as dog shows and graduations.

It is expected to attract national and international sports competitions.

All of these generate more sales tax revenues from people shopping and dining in Pasco.

And, a portion of those Pasco pennies will be dedicated this year to the Jobs and Economic Trust Fund to provide business incentives to locate in Pasco.

County officials have estimated that $45 million to $50 million will flow from the Penny for Pasco program to stimulate economic development.

Hagen recently delivered the PEDC’s third quarter report to the Pasco County Commission. The data showed that to date, 415 jobs had been created through the agency’s efforts in 2015.

On July 24, the PEDC upped that number by 124 jobs with its announcement that Leggett & Platt, a global manufacturing company, plans to open an 80,000-square- foot facility near Spring Hill. The plant will assemble adjustable bed bases. Company officials have pledged to hire locally and contract with suppliers within the Tampa Bay region.

Hagen sees Leggett & Platt taking a position as one of the county’s top employers with room for expansion in future.

On another front, the SMARTstart business incubator program has created 45 jobs. Currently, 13 startup companies are sharing space on-site in Dade City. Another three entrepreneurs are located off-site. “They are all trying to get their businesses off the ground,” Hagen said.

While some of these new businesses may only generate a small number of jobs, there always is potential that one or more could take off with an idea that is “scalable” into a regional or national company, Hagen said.

The county set clear goals in the long-range Economic Development Plan, adopted in 2013.

One target is to add between 160,000 and 185,000 new jobs to the economy over the next decade, said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator.

That has to be reached by fostering a business-friendly environment where private companies want to invest in Pasco, Hagen said.

“I kind of like to differentiate between creating a business climate and making business deals,” he said. “I think we’re creating a business climate where things can happen.”

One example of private investment that paid off is Compark 75. The business park, off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, will expand in 2016 with the addition of a 65,000 square foot building. The existing park, with four buildings, is leased nearly to capacity.

Two new tenants, Streetside Classic Cars and an as yet-unidentified orthodontics company will open there in October.

Hagen would like to see 10 more projects similar to Compark 75.

Over the years, Pasco has evolved from a rural community into a service-based economy that catered to senior retirees and then into the bedroom community for counties such as Hillsborough and Pinellas.

The current building boom is picking up where developers left off before the Great Recession. Predictably, the new development began with housing because that offers reasonably quick turnaround on investment, Hagen said.

But many of these projects have also set aside space for retail, offices and in some cases industrial, Hagen said.

“It’s kind of setting the stage for other development,” he said.

But, it is crucial to Pasco’s economic growth to encourage more business parks. That was one issue identified in a study completed recently by Duke Energy of the large acreage in and around the Zephyrhills airport.

“I don’t mean to sound alarmist,” Hagen said. “I think we’re trying to put some thought into that. We probably need to be more active in acquiring and controlling parcels that would make good industrial parks before they get gobbled into retail.”

Still Hagen isn’t what he describes as a “retail snob.”

Jobs of every kind are needed, he said. “If it puts them to work, then it’s a good thing.”

Tampa Premium Outlets hosts center-wide job fair
What: The grand opening of Tampa Premium Outlets is scheduled for October.

Retailers are seeking job applicants for more than 800 open seasonal, part-time, full-time and management positions. The Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce is the job fair sponsor.

When: Aug. 27 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Embassy Suites Tampa USF/Busch Gardens,  3705 Spectrum Blvd., Tampa

Cost: Free and open to the community. Dress professionally and bring lots of resumes.

Information: Call (813) 909-8716, or visit PremiumOutlets.com/tampa.

Published August 5, 2015

New PHSC president drafts game plan for success

By

As a very young boy, Tim Beard would walk a mile each way to buy a newspaper at the store so he could devour stories about his beloved St. Louis Cardinals.

He admired such players as Lou Brock, Joe Torre and Bob Gibson — and delighted in reading about their pursuits.

Tim Beard is dressed casually during a summer day at his office at Pasco-Hernando State College. But the new president of PHSC is anything but casual in his ambitions for the college. (B.C. Manion/Staff Photos)
Tim Beard is dressed casually during a summer day at his office at Pasco-Hernando State College. But the new president of PHSC is anything but casual in his ambitions for the college.
(B.C. Manion/Staff Photo)

He recalled that he was only 5 or 6 years old when he was making those treks to the store.

Literacy and athletics were twin loves in his life, until Beard decided he would spend less energy on athletics and give his full attention to education.

He grew up in poverty in the Panhandle town of St. Joe — and now he leads Pasco-Hernando State College.

Before becoming president of the college on July 1, he served as a vice president at the college for eight years.

He claimed the role vacated by Katherine Johnson, who retired after a decade at the helm.

Beard is clearly excited about the possibilities.

As an internal candidate for the post, Beard said he had the advantage of understanding the college and knowing its pulse.

“I know the institution. I know the flow. I know the community,” Beard said.

As PHSC’s new leader, he’s already starting to carry out his game plan.

He’s identified key focus areas. Those include increasing student retention and degree completion rates, expanding partnerships, and securing more funding to support programs.

To help retain students, Beard is launching an initiative called Retention Behavioral Inventory, or RBI, for short.

He plans to have weekly conference calls with PHSC administrators to keep the goal of improving student retention and degree completion rates at the forefront for the college’s leadership team.

Together, they’ll review the data to see how the college is doing. And, they’ll discuss the numbers, talk about why students withdraw and examine if there is anything they could have done to prevent the withdrawals.

“The big piece is going to be a referral piece,” the college president said. “If we find out that a student withdrew because of finances, can we find a financial source within scholarships or other sources that would have helped this student stay in school?”

Over the years, he said he has observed that most of the time when a student withdraws, there is some type of problem in a personal relationship or a difficulty in paying tuition. Sometimes, students are struggling academically.

“We want to have a referral source, or sources, to make sure these students are receiving the kind of support they need to stay in school,” Beard said.

The college has a fund established by a donor that is specifically intended to help students, who for whatever reason, are not performing well, Beard said.

He wants to find more sources of additional funding for the college.

That could be in the form of private contributions, or through other opportunities available at the state, regional, national or international level, he said.

For instance, he said he recently served as a panelist at a conference for the National Association for Equal Opportunities.

While there, he met some federal officials and learned about some money that might be available for colleges with rural campuses. He plans to pursue that possibility.

He’s also talked with John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

Beard said Hagen told him that “the federal government is coming into an agreement with some major companies across the world that want to relocate in the United States. They are talking about community two- and four-year colleges really being around the table to develop curricula and design programs to help meet their work force needs.”

PHSC facts Pasco-Hernando State College has: • A fall enrollment of about 12,000 credit and 4,000 noncredit students • Approximately 550 faculty and staff, plus about 200 adjunct staff members • An operating budget of about $48 million • Campuses in New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Spring Hill and Brooksville
PHSC facts
Pasco-Hernando State College has:
• A fall enrollment of about 12,000 credit and 4,000 noncredit students
• Approximately 550 faculty and staff, plus about 200 adjunct staff members
• An operating budget of about $48 million
• Campuses in New Port Richey, Wesley Chapel, Dade City, Spring Hill and Brooksville

That fits in nicely with the kind of work the college is accustomed to doing, Beard said.

During the Great Recession, there was national recognition that college’s like PHSC can play a vital role in helping people learn new skills that equip them for today’s job market, Beard said.

“Our certification programs, our social science degree programs, are designed just for that. To take workers, retrain them, and get them back in the work force within a year,” Beard said.

Besides helping to train people who are in the work force or returning to the work force, the college also wants to help prepare young people for future careers, Beard said.

PHSC wants to partner with the Pasco and Hernando county school systems to begin working with students at a younger age.

“We want to start establishing career pathways with students as early as middle school,” Beard said. And that means making connections with the families of those middle school students, he added.

The idea is to start early, so students graduating from those counties can achieve a degree or certification by the time they’re 21, he added.

Partnerships are essential — to supplement and maximize the college’s resources, Beard said.

“We used to be state-supported, now we’re more state-supplemented. We’ve got to have greater partnerships — with private corporations, with manufacturers,” Beard said.

He also wants to get faith-based groups involved, to provide additional support for students.

Since assuming his post, Beard has been meeting with bankers, manufacturers, faith-based groups and civic organizations.

And it won’t stop there.

“We’re not limiting our connections to just local people, but also regional, state and national,” he said.

He is hopeful that making these connections will bear fruit, and he’s optimistic, too.

“We have some major prospects. So, you stay tuned,” Beard said.

Tim Beard bio
Tim Beard:

  • Holds a bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree and a PhD from Florida State University
  • Has been married to his wife, Wendy, for 29 years; they have two daughters, Briana, 20 and Sierra, 17
  • Joined what was then Pasco-Hernando Community College in 2007
  • Became Pasco-Hernando State College’s new president on July 1

Fun facts about Tim Beard
Some fun facts about the new president of Pasco-Hernando State College, Tim Beard:

  • Enjoys peach cobbler and banana pudding
  • Calls intense cardio workouts his “getaway,” and says washing his car and mowing the lawn are “therapeutic”
  • Says a “church mother” gave him the best piece of advice he’s received. She told him: “Regardless of what you do in life, don’t be a hypocrite. Be real.”

(Courtesy of Lucy Miller, executive director of marketing and communications for Pasco-Hernando State College)

Published August 5, 2015

BizWalks survey highlights Zephryhills’ market power

By

As community leaders talked recently with business owners about their job needs, it became clear that many were looking to hire military veterans. But they didn’t know how to get the word out.

That disconnect became the first challenge identified in the inaugural BizWalks 2014-15 report, a survey sponsored by the Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce and the Pasco Economic Development Council.

No one wanted to wait until the study was finished. So effort started quickly to hold a workshop in March to link those employers with community organizations and the resources to get something done.

“There was a tremendous response,” said Vonnie Mikkelsen, out-going executive director of the chamber of commerce. Mikkelsen’s last day on the job is July 3.

That kind of quick action in support of the business community is one outcome of what Mikkelsen hopes will be an annual BizWalks survey. Long-term, the survey might be done quarterly, she said.

The chamber has done business surveys periodically.

But BizWalks is more targeted and drills deeper into the opinions and issues facing business owners, especially in high-growth sectors of manufacturing, aviation, distribution and startups.

Those are the businesses that drive economic growth, Mikkelsen said.

The idea for BizWalks took off soon after Mikkelsen attended a conference on how to retain and expand businesses. She heard from others who had done similar “BizWalks” surveys in their communities.

Over a six-week period in late 2014, volunteers completed 16 on-site visits and 26 anonymous online surveys.

Participating businesses included Flight Crafters, Turin Aviation Group, Skywatch Signs, Goin’ Postal, Zephyr Aircraft Engines and Skydive City.

The staff members at the Pasco Economic Development Council partnered with Zephyrhills’ chamber and a committee of volunteers to coordinate activities, offer interview training and aid in crunching the data for the final report.

The Zephyrhills Economic Development Coalition will use the data to craft an 18- to 24-month plan of action to tackle issues such as infrastructure, work force development and the bureaucratic world of business regulations. Those were identified as the top priorities among business owners.

“We’re not only out there to gain a better knowledge and pulse of the business community, but also to take action and champion these things,” Mikkelsen said.

Overall, business owners were upbeat about the future.

About 82 percent said they felt Zephyrhills was moving in the right direction in creating a business-friendly atmosphere.

About 38 percent said they planned to hire additional employees in the next six months. And, none were planning layoffs.

Sales volumes are increasing, and the trend is expected to continue during the next 12 months.

Half of business owners said they would expand facilities in the next two years, and 60 percent expected to invest in new equipment.

Growth is not being hindered due to lack of capital or financing, and that trend likely will continue.

The survey also showed the commercial reach of Zephyrhills, which is strategically located near major road systems with access to markets beyond Pasco County and the Tampa Bay region.

That reach may be surprising to some.

Many Zephyrhills companies sell statewide and nationwide. About 45 percent of surveyed companies reported international sales to Europe, Africa, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean.

“There are a lot of gems here,” said Mikkelsen. “It’s truly a remarkable coming of age for Zephyrhills.”

The report establishes a foundation for future spin-off activities and programs that bolster Zephyrhills’ ongoing economic growth. As future reports are done, trends can be spotted and opportunities can emerge, Mikkelsen said.

The implications go beyond this one report, said John Hagen, president of the Pasco Economic Development Council.

“It’s a good thing to do for the community, but it also is a template for other communities,” he said. “What we’re trying to accomplish, other than just working in Zephyrhills, is to work out a methodology that we can then duplicate and use in other communities and with other chambers.”

In the future, Hagen said he anticipates efforts to share the Zephyrhills’ experience as a model of how to conduct a proactive business survey. It was the first locally initiated program of its type in Pasco County.

“That is something for Zephyrhills to be truly proud of,” said Mikkelsen. “We did it because we needed to, but that is an indication that we did it right. It’s really exciting.”

Published July 1, 2015

Pace picks up for construction in southern Pasco

By

Commercial and residential developments are popping up at the Suncoast Parkway interchange and along State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor at an ever-quickening pace.

There’s so much happening that it’s difficult to keep up with what’s under construction, what’s on the drawing board and what’s moving toward final sale.

To help sort things out, the Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., brought developers and brokers together for a meet-and-greet session on Feb. 19 at the Residence Inn at NorthPointe.

“We see the dirt flying,” said John Hagen, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC. “It struck us there’s really a lot of people who don’t know what’s going on here.”

So, in 10-minute bursts of information, representatives for the various developments presented highlights of a half-dozen mixed-use, master-planned and commercial communities.

Wiregrass Ranch, on the eastern end of the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor is the most advanced of the developments.

But there’s still much more to come, said J.D. Porter, whose family owns Wiregrass Ranch.

The long-delayed Raymond James Financial Campus, off State Road 56, is approaching the permitting stage, Porter said.

About 600,000 square feet of office space is planned with opportunities to expand to 1 million square feet, he said.

“There’s no exact start date, but we feel very comfortable,” Porter said. “It’s a no-brainer. It’s going to get done.”

The first phase probably is about $18 million in roads and utilities, he added.

Future projects include a new park, a charter school, and a convention and performing arts center.

“We’re starting to take our business to the next level,” Porter said.

Meanwhile, close to the Suncoast Parkway, construction has begun on Bexley Boulevard, the entrance to Bexley Ranch, a 5,000-acre master-planned community. That development will be at the northeast quadrant of State Road 54 and the Suncoast Parkway.

About 1,700 acres will be developed in the development’s first phase, including about 93,000 square feet of retail and 563,00 square feet of offices, said Tom Panaseny, vice president of California-based Newland Communities.

Newland Communities is the same company that developed Fishhawk Ranch and Westchase in Hillsborough County.

The future Tower Road, which will link to Ballantrae subdivision, will be a four-lane divided roadway with a flyover across Suncoast, Panaseny said.

Thousands of homes, a town center, specialty shops, hotel, medical uses and office space are part of the mix, he said. More than 12 miles of internal trails will link with existing trails in the community.

“Everything we do, we try to connect to trail systems,” Panaseny said.

Another development — NorthPointe at Suncoast Crossings at the southeast quadrant of State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway — is planned to have a mixture of uses, with up to 1 million square feet of offices, research and development, and hospitality.

Two parcels are potential locations for hotel, office or retail, said Steve Oakes, vice president of development for The Hogan Group, based in Lutz.

Developers are keeping options open for how NorthPointe moves forward, said Paul Michael, vice president of Atlanta-based TPA Group. “We’re all in this together…to create a sustainable live, work, play environment which we hope to be a success in Pasco County.”

Asturia, another master-planned community, is off State Road 54, west of the Suncoast Parkway. The 500-acre development has approval for up to 300,000 square feet of commercial, 530,000 square feet of office or light industrial, 550 single-family homes, 200 town homes and 440 apartments.

“You can see piles of dirt and a lot of construction,” said Lane Gardner, managing director for Houston-based-Hines. A groundbreaking was held in December with completion of the first construction phase scheduled for May 2015.

Starkey Ranch is a 2,400-acre master-planned community off State Road 54 with approval for 206,500 square feet of Class A offices, 43,500 medical offices, 300,000 square feet of light industrial, 100,000 square feet of support retail, 220 hotel rooms and small commercial infill parcels.

More than 2,000 residential units are planned including homes in an “adult lifestyle” subdivision near Huckleberry Pond. It will, however, not be age-restricted.

“We are focusing on creating community,” said Matt Call, project director for Wheelock Communities. “We don’t want to be another subdivision. We want a true community.”

A town center with a grocery store as the anchor is planned at Gunn Highway and State Road 54. Other amenities include a business center, light industrial, a hotel, medical office, shops, day care center, coffee shop, church and more than 20 miles of trails.

A welcome center and model homes from Ryland and M/I are nearing completion. A groundbreaking is expected later this year for the Starkey Ranch District Park.

The park is not a tourism destination, Call said. “It’s really for local residents.”

Mitchell West 54, at Little Road and State Road 54, will feature a neighborhood shopping center with a movie theater amid its proposed 800 residential units.

“We think this is an infill location,” said Gary Nelson, senior vice president of Kitson & Partners based in Palm Beach Gardens.

Groundbreaking on the 330-acre site is planned for early 2016 with an opening day expected in 2017. There will be about 980,000 square feet of retail, medical and offices. A hotel and senior living component are possible.

The first development in the project will be the neighborhood center with grocery store, pharmacy, restaurants and some high-end retail, said Matt Buehler, retail specialist director for Kitson & Partners.

Published February 25, 2015

Pasco attracts company through incentives

By

The Pasco County Commission approved an $85,000 incentive to a Land O’ Lakes company that plans to create 17 jobs, with an average wage exceeding $107,000.

The company Retail Process Engineering LLC operates at 20537 Amberfield Drive in Land O’ Lakes.

It offers a range of strategic, functional and technical retail supply chain consulting focused exclusively on retail.

The company, which is known as RPE, works with leading midsize retailers across the United States and Canada.

Some of its clients include Boy Scouts of America, Dollar Tree, Fifth & Pacific, Francesca’s Collections, It’Sugar, KatzGroup, Kipling, Mark’s, Michael Kors, Newfoundland Labrador Liquor, Papyrus, Rexall, rue21, Spencer’s, The North Face, VF Corp, vineyard vines, and XS Cargo.

In addition to approving the economic incentives for this company, commissioners heard a 2015 progress report from John Hagen, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council

So far, in 2015, the county has attracted five companies and created 154 new jobs.

It also has had 64 new leads so far this year, compared to a total of 205 last year.

Those new opportunities include a plastic injection molding company, a distribution facility and support office, a medical product manufacturer, a medical service provider, a medical product supply and distribution company, and an aerospace technology firm.

The economic development council has made 29 company visits and presentations, attended trade shows and development conferences. and used social media and news releases to traditional media to tell Pasco County’s story.

It also uses contractors’ roundtables and developers’ roundtables to encourage growth and stability, and has several upcoming events planned to help stimulate growth and share information regarding job creation, site selection and other economic topics.

Published February 4, 2015

Penny for Pasco funds to help spur local economy

By

Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said the county wants to keep an application process open to private parties to submit unsolicited applications for part of the Penny for Pasco proceeds to spur economic development.
Pasco County Administrator Michele Baker said the county wants to keep an application process open to private parties to submit unsolicited applications for part of the Penny for Pasco proceeds to spur economic development.

The Pasco County Commission soon will be deciding how to allocate funds from Penny for Pasco proceeds to create jobs and spur the county’s economy.

Before they can do that, though, they must adopt a resolution that establishes how funds from the Penny for Pasco Jobs and Economic Trust Fund will be allocated.

The resolution will define eligible applicants, such as Pasco County, the Pasco Economic Development Council and private industry, that can submit unsolicited proposals.

Commissioners had a workshop on Jan. 20 to discuss how to proceed in choosing investments and allocating funds.

The particulars haven’t been ironed out, but the process is expected to include an application process, a ranking system and an economic investment council.

Commissioners will appoint an economic investment council, which likely will have members possessing expertise in a variety of fields, such as manufacturing, commercial/industrial, site selection, real estate and agriculture.

Commission Chairman Ted Schrader told county staff that the council should include a representative from the health care industry.

“Health care obviously is the economic engine in Pasco County,” Schrader said. “I think that’s critically important.”

Pasco is notorious for the tens of thousands of residents who head out of the county for work in the morning and return to the county at night.

It’s been trying to shake the image of being a bedroom community for years and wants to use Penny for Pasco funds to inject energy into the county’s economic development.

With so many people leaving the county each day, it’s obvious that Pasco has an available work force, said Commissioner Mike Moore.

“What jobs are they leaving for?” Moore asked. “That’s where our focus should be initially.”

The primary goal of the trust fund is to attract jobs to Pasco, said Richard Gehring, the county’s planning and development administrator.

Gehring said the county has a number of opportunities.

There’s a railroad corridor in East Pasco, as well as heavy industrial zoning, which the county could use to create new opportunities, he said.

There are also buildings that can be recycled for other uses, he said.

The county needs to develop a method for scoring applications because those who are not selected will want to know why, Gehring said.

The county is expected to generate $45 million to $50 million for economic development through Penny for Pasco.

The goal is for the county to get a 4-to-1 return on investment, said Melanie Kendrick, senior planner for economic development in Pasco.

The county is going after jobs being generated in the Tampa Bay region, with the aim of Pasco becoming a prime player, Gehring said.

John Hagen, president and chief executive officer of the Pasco Economic Development Council, said putting money into acquiring an industrial site would not create jobs directly, but would set the stage for that to happen.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey would like the county to invest in infrastructure into areas where it could attract numerous end-users.

County Administrator Michele Baker said that allowing private applicants to make unsolicited applications could result in attracting potential development the county had not even imagined.

“Part of the problem is not knowing what ideas are out there that might come forward,” Baker said. “We don’t know, what we don’t know.”

Hagen urged the county to adopt a process that is easy to understand.

“If it is too complicated or too difficult, people will go, ‘I can’t deal with that,’” Hagen said.

Since the board cannot take action at a workshop, the Jan. 20 session was intended to give the staff additional direction before preparing a resolution to bring back for the board’s consideration.

Published January 28, 2015

 

Both want jobs, but disagree on how to get them

By

One of the biggest challenges facing the Pasco County Commission in recent years is how to create more jobs here, and not force nearly half the population to travel elsewhere to find work.

It’s likely a problem that won’t be fixed over the next four years, but that hasn’t stopped the two candidates looking for a seat on the commission to share their ideas on how it might happen. They are just quite different.

Mike Moore, left, and Erika Remsberg both want to succeed Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission. Moore has raised nearly $132,000 in his effort, while Remsberg, who has raised slightly more $7,700, wants to be the first Democrat on the commission since 2010. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
Mike Moore, left, and Erika Remsberg both want to succeed Pat Mulieri on the Pasco County Commission. Moore has raised nearly $132,000 in his effort, while Remsberg, who has raised slightly more $7,700, wants to be the first Democrat on the commission since 2010. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

Mike Moore and Erika Remsberg both want to succeed the retiring Pat Mulieri on the commission, and both believe it’s jobs and growth that will finally put them on the dais.

“Penny for Pasco is giving us $45 million for economic development, and those dollars need to be put to work,” Moore said during a recent candidate forum at Lexington Oaks in Wesley Chapel. “I know the (Pasco Economic Development Council) has some ideas on how to put those dollars to work, and I have some of my own ideas.”

The Pasco EDC has long taken a position of working to attract big employers to the county, competing with Hillsborough, Pinellas and even Polk counties, to get companies here. Earlier this year, Pasco EDC president and chief executive John Hagen suggested using some Penny for Pasco money to assemble chunks of land and make it ready for a large employer.

Companies like Amazon and Bristol-Myers Squibb could have brought many high-paying jobs to the county if they had chosen Pasco over Hillsborough, Moore suggested.

“We need to incentivize those companies to come into the area,” he said. “When you bring in large companies, that helps some of the smaller businesses, too. You’re going to have more people eating at restaurants, and they will have the money to buy goods at mom and pop stores. We need to keep the economic engine going.”

But the county has had little luck in bringing those companies here, Remsberg said. Instead, millions of taxpayer dollars have been put aside for companies like T. Rowe Price, who was supposed to bring 1,600 jobs on the promise of a $30 million commitment from the county, only to change its mind a few years later.

“It’s very expensive to do that, and more often than not, the projects do not work out,” Remsberg said. “It’s an expensive gamble that we should not be taking and using the minimal dollars we already have.”

Instead, Remsberg suggests the county take cues from the Pasco EDC and the communities of Dade City and New Port Richey to fund more small business incubators. Facilities like the one at the Dade City Business Center provide low-cost commercial space for upstarts, as well as advisory help from business experts to help those companies become profitable.

“They are resource centers for these small businesses, and they have training available to help make these businesses successful,” she said. “We should be taking these Penny for Pasco dollars and investing them in provable strategies that we know work here, and which will benefit Pasco residents.”

Because of his own background starting and running companies, Moore said he’s perfect to talk to chief executives of larger companies, and promoting the county to them. Pasco’s push to bring tourism-related amenities like the proposed 20-field baseball complex by Blue Marble Strategic in Wesley Chapel will make it easier to sing those praises.

“We need to gamble, we need to show them our area and how all these people are excited about it,” Moore said. “We want to create lots of opportunities for people who want to come here.”

But the work to wine and dine executives, and to compete with neighboring counties, carries a hefty price tag, Remsberg said.

“The consulting fee alone could’ve helped Meals on Wheels feed the 200 homebound elderly people who are going without food right now,” she said. “We need a steady stream of qualified workers, and we need comprehensive public transportation so that we are able to move those people around.”

Voters will decide between Moore and Remsberg Nov. 4.

Published October 8, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Last-minute agreement makes long-awaited gas tax reality

By

If Congress is any indication, it’s rare to see Democrats and Republicans agreeing on very much, if anything, these days.

But when it comes to increasing the Pasco County tax on gas sales, local leaders from both parties agreed: They didn’t want it.

The talk of a gas tax did not stop Land O’ Lakes resident Ron Cain from filling up his SUV at the 7-Eleven gas pumps on State Road 54 and U.S. 41. Motorists are slated for a smooth ride as the tax money generated will be used to build new Pasco County roads. (Fred Bellett/Photo)
The talk of a gas tax did not stop Land O’ Lakes resident Ron Cain from filling up his SUV at the 7-Eleven gas pumps on State Road 54 and U.S. 41. Motorists are slated for a smooth ride as the tax money generated will be used to build new Pasco County roads.
(Fred Bellett/Photo)

Yet, it would be an agreement of a different sort that won the day last week, when Pasco County commissioners finally found that fourth vote to approve a 5-cent increase in gas taxes, which is expected to raise an additional $8 million annually to help fund road construction. And it came in the form of outgoing commissioner Henry Wilson Jr.

“We’re all in a lose-lose situation, primarily me,” Wilson shared with fellow commissioners during a meeting Sept. 9. “If I say yes to the gas tax after I said no every single time before, I will be labeled as a flip-flopper. If I say no to it today, I’m ostracized by the people who are trying to build here.”

Wilson had joined with Commissioner Jack Mariano last year to block an increase in the gas tax, which requires four of five commissioners to approve. Both Democrats and Republicans lauded the two at least week’s meeting for holding their ground against the increase.

“The Pasco Democratic party opposes the passage of raising the gas tax at this time,” said Lynn Linderman, chair of the Pasco Democratic Party. “Wages in Pasco are declining, workers are having less money, not more. You are asking the people who live here and have no mass transit in the Tampa Bay area to pay more taxes to go to work.”

Wanda Stevens, who represented the Conservative Party of East Pasco at the meeting, didn’t let that go unnoticed.

“I am agreeing with our Democratic folks back here, so please don’t let this get in the news,” she joked.

Commissioner Kathryn Starkey, however, said that while the commission is completely filled with Republicans, not addressing the road infrastructure needs of the county was actually against her opinion of conservative principles.

“It is difficult for us, because none of us want to be known as a Republican who raised the gas tax,” Starkey said. “I believe it’s much more conservative to have the funds to repair the road, then to not have the guts to raise this money, and then we have to replace the road. Because that cost is exponentially more than repairing the road.”

Starkey supported the full 5-cent additional tax, and was backed by many in the business community who stepped up to speak last week. That included representatives from various companies, as well as the Tampa Bay Builders Association, the real estate trade group NAIOP, John Hagen from the Pasco County Economic Development Council, and local housing developers like Stew Gibbons from the Connerton community in Land O’ Lakes.

“You’ll see that Pasco is really out of sync with being competitive with the other counties in the region,” Gibbons said. “This creates a change in momentum for quality builders from being in Pasco County, as opposed to being in Manatee County. And I know some good quality builders that are focusing more on Manatee County than Pasco County.”

Commissioners for months have talked about the need to add $8 million to the budget, but the debate was on how to collect it. The two schools of thought were either through expansion of the local option gas tax, or raising property taxes — or a combination of the two.

Wilson, however, had pushed for using the state-collected real-estate transfer fee, which could provide Pasco with $18 million every year it would have to split with the school district. The problem, however, was that state lawmakers haven’t earmarked that money for Pasco, and it would take their vote — plus the governor’s signature — to make that happen.

“Nobody picked up the bill because it did not have three commissioners saying to move forward on it,” Wilson said.

Commissioner Ted Schrader had earlier appealed to Wilson to change his mind on the vote, and to capitalize on what was a unique opportunity for a departing commissioner. Wilson had been defeated in an open primary election last month, and will be replaced by political newcomer Mike Wells Jr. in November.

Not giving up on his plan to use state funds instead of county dollars to pay for new roads, Wilson offered a compromise — put in language to switch the county to real estate transfer fees if they ever become available, and he’d support a gas tax in the meantime.

David Goldstein, the chief assistant county attorney, told commissioners he could add language to the gas tax ordinance that would allow such a tax to end if real estate transfer funds were to become available, and were approved by both state lawmakers and county commissioners.

Wilson then joined commissioners Starkey, Schrader and Pat Mulieri to pass the 5-cent gas tax, with Mariano remaining opposed.

“When a gas supplier has a gas tax, they pass that cost onto the people buying the gas,” said Mariano, disputing some claims from county officials that some or all of the tax may be absorbed by gas stations, and not passed on to customers. “It’s basic economics, that cost is passed on.”

If the new gas tax is passed on to drivers, their costs could increase by $37.50 per year, county officials said. Small business owners would likely feel a $250 impact each year.

Published September 17, 2014

 See this story in print: Click Here