The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
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LongHorn Steakhouse

Cypress Creek Town Center buzzing with activity

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If you haven’t been in the area west of Interstate 75, off State Road 56, during the past several months, chances are you’re not aware of the increasing activity happening at Cypress Creek Town Center and in nearby areas.

Five Below, at 25609 Sierra Center Blvd., in Lutz, is set to have its grand opening on March 29, according to a banner posted at the store.

Five Below is planning a grand opening on March 29, at the Cypress Creek Town Center, according to a sign on the company’s storefront. (B.C. Manion)

Five Below sells everything from cellphone cases and chargers to yoga pants, footballs, candy, and seasonal items from Easter, Halloween and Christmas.

Meanwhile, Burlington, at 25589 Sierra Center Blvd., also is set to have its grand opening on March 29, according to the company’s website. Burlington also is hiring, according a banner on the company’s storefront.

Burlington is an off-price apparel and home product retailer, which operates 567 stores in 45 states and Puerto Rico, according to its website. The store offers a large selection of coats, clothing, shoes, linens , home décor and baby items.

Those grand openings come on the heels of Hobby Lobby’s grand opening on March 18.  Located at  25675 Sierra Center Drive, it is the national retail chain’s 865th store. Each store offers more than 70,000 crafting and home décor products, including floral, fabric, needle art, custom framing, baskets, home accents, wearable art, arts and crafts, jewelry making, scrapbooking and paper crafting supplies, according to information provided by the company.

HomeGoods is planning an April 14 grand opening at Cypress Creek Town Center, according to the company’s website.

Meanwhile, Earth Fare, a North Carolina-based grocer, also at Cypress Creek Town Center, entered the Pasco County market when it opened its 51st store in February. The 24,000-square-foot store aims to promote the health and well-being of its customers by selling an assortment of healthy foods.

Coming soon to the town center will be HomeGoods, at 25557 Sierra Center Blvd., which is scheduled to have its grand opening on April 14 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., according to its website.  It also is “now hiring” according to a sign on the storefront’s exterior.

HomeGoods is an off-price retailer, which offers brand name and home fashion assortments that are 20 percent to 60 percent less than department and specialty store regular prices, the company’s website says. It offers merchandise from thousands of vendors throughout the world.

Many other establishments already are operating at the town center, which has shops and restaurants on both sides of State Road 56.

Diners have a wide array of options on the north side of State Road 56, including Chipotle Mexican Grill, Fast-Fire’D Blaze Pizza, Taco Bell, Pollo Tropical, Wendy’s, Ford’s Garage, Mellow Mushroom, Sweetea Café, Chuy’s Tex Mex and Bahama Breeze.

Burlington is planning a grand opening on March 29, at the Cypress Creek Town Center, according to the company’s website. It also is hiring, according to a sign on the exterior of the store.

Meanwhile, Walk-ons Bistreaux & Bar, on the same side of the road, is under construction. The New Orleans-based sports bar was founded by business partners who were walk-ons to the Louisiana State University basketball team. They opened their first restaurant near LSU’s Tiger Stadium.

On the south side of State Road 56, diners can select from LongHorn Steakhouse, McDonald’s, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Culver’s, Panda Express, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks  and MOD Pizza.

Other developments on the south side of the road include Costco Wholesale Warehouse, an At Home Home Décor Superstore and smaller shops.

Tampa Premium Outlets also is on the south side of State Road 56, just west of I-75.

And, another project is coming, on the  east side of Creek Grass Way, about 600 feet south of State Road 56, according to county records.

Main Event is planning a 48,608-square-foot entertainment center and has requested permission to sell alcoholic  beverages there. The Pasco County Planning Commission and county planners have recommended approval, and the Pasco County Commission was scheduled to consider the request on March 26, after The Laker/Lutz News’ press deadline.

The Main Event is a bowling, laser tag and dining entertainment center, which has locations in 16 states, including Florida, according to its website.

On the north side of State Road 56, shops include T-Mobile, Noire Nail Bar, Men’s Wearhouse, Mattress One, Aspen Dental, Great Clips, Pearl Vision and Sleep Number. Verizon Wireless and Wesley Chapel Smile Dentistry are coming soon.

There’s also Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference, a 130-room hotel, has opened and already has hosted a variety of community events there.

Also, on the north side of State Road 56, to the west of Cypress Creek Town Center, there’s a new Burger King in front of the Brightwork Crossing apartment development, and nearby a Wawa gas station under construction nearby.

El Dorado Furniture-Wesley Chapel is planning a 70,000-square-foot, two-story showroom at State Road 54 and Wesley Chapel Boulevard, according to county documents.

Published March 27, 2019

2016 marked by rapid growth, touching moments

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The national election captured headlines and attention, but 2016 was an eventful year in many other ways, as well, across The Laker/Lutz News coverage area.

The big story is the region’s growth.

Eighty-eight-year-old Angel Torres, center, a veteran from Puerto Rico and a resident of the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Nursing Home, is being positioned to have his photograph taken by Mark Fosket, of Valrico, during the ‘Honor Flight’ ceremony at the nursing home. Gabrielle Perrella, a volunteer from Baltimore, Maryland, who is dressed in a uniform costume, posed with each veteran for their portrait.
(File Photos)

New houses are popping up all over the place, with developments such as Long Lake Ranch, Estancia at Wiregrass Ranch, Connerton, Bexley and Asturia, just some of the residential communities beckoning to buyers.

Pasco County is on the move in many other ways, too.

A futuristic, technology-based network of communities across 7,800 acres in northeast Pasco County is in its planning stages.

Raymond James Financial has closed on a deal to buy 65 acres across from Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch, with the financial services giant expected to have hundreds of workers in Pasco County at some point.

Florida Hospital Center Ice — a new 150,000-square-foot hockey arena and sports complex — is nearly set to open, and that is expected to be a big draw for both tournaments and tourists.

And then, there’s the commercial development that continues to transform the State Road 54/State Road 56 corridor, especially near the Interstate75/State Road 56 interchange.

Just in that vicinity alone, there’s Tampa Premium Outlets, Longhorn Steakhouse, BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A and Culver’s.

A 186,000-square-foot Costco Wholesale is expected to open in February, with an estimated 200 employees.

A historic photo of a baptism of members of the First Baptist Church of Lutz.

Just across the road, on the north side of State Road 56, Cypress Creek Town Center — another shopping development — is being built.

There are also plans for a new cinema, grocery store, apartments, shops and restaurants next to The Shops at Wiregrass, off State Road 56.

Of course, all of this growth is compounding traffic problems on area roads — and numerous projects are underway or are expected to begin work in coming years.

Improvements are expected to begin near the I-75/State Road 56 interchange. Wesley Chapel Boulevard is slated to be widened. An extension of State Road 56 is planned between Wesley Chapel and Zephyrhills, and discussion continues about the best solution for reducing congestion at U.S. 41 and State Road 54.

Growth is putting the squeeze on schools, too.

Pasco County Schools can’t keep pace with growing enrollments.

The district opened Wiregrass Elementary School, in Wesley Chapel, in August, to reduce crowding at area schools.

In the coming school year, it plans to open Bexley Elementary and Cypress Creek Middle/High.

Bexley is being built in a new subdivision off State Road 54. Cypress Creek Middle/High is going up on Old Pasco Road.

School board members gave preliminary approval for boundaries for Bexley and Cypress Creek at a contentious public hearing on Dec. 20. A final vote is expected on Jan. 17.

But, school board members and Superintendent Kurt Browning said the new schools fall far short of addressing district needs. They want the Pasco County Commission to require new residential construction to pay higher impact fees to support school construction.

Paramedic John Ward helps Sister Helen Lange blow out the candles that lit up her 103rd birthday cake at a party at Heritage Park in Dade City.

While growth and its ripple effects clearly dominated the news, there were plenty of other notable moments within the region during 2016.

For instance, there were heroics in everyday life.

On June 3, a fire claimed the life of a tiny black Chihuahua named Peanut, but not until after the dog’s persistent barking saved the life of three generations of a Lutz family.

Later that same week, quick actions by a student at Saddlebrook Preparatory School in Wesley Chapel averted potential tragedy at the international boarding school for aspiring golf and tennis players.

A student smelled smoke, investigated, pulled the alarm and help to ensure that all 28 students and two adults got out of the dorm safely.

It took 55 firefighters more than 1 ½ hours to put out the blaze.

This past year also was one of milestones and celebrations.

The First Baptist Church in Lutz celebrated its 75th anniversary, The San Antonio Rattlesnake Festival turned a half-century, Cox Elementary School turned 90 and the Town of St. Leo marked its 125th anniversary.

On a more personal note, Sister Helen Lange, of Dade City, received a surprise cake to mark her 103rd year on Sept. 28 in Dade City, and Nellie and Gain Hughs Bailey Sr., of Lutz, celebrated 70 years of married life on March 31.

There were inspiring moments, too.

Hundreds of people turned out for the “Honor Flight” celebration on Aug. 20, at the Baldomero Lopez State Veterans Home in Land O’ Lakes. The event provided a virtual tour of the nation’s war monuments because these veterans are unable to make the trip to Washington D.C.

The stands were also filled at Ron Allen Field at Gaither High School, in North Tampa, to attend the June 15 vigil to honor Christopher Joseph Sanfeliz, one of 49 people killed during a mass shooting on June 12 at Pulse nightclub in Orlando.

There was the inspiring message, too, from Immaculee Ilibagiza, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide, who spoke at two days of gatherings at St. Timothy Catholic Church in Lutz.

Ilibagiza’s family, friends and other members of her tribe were brutally murdered in Rwanda, but through her faith, she was able to forgive the killers.

Forgiveness, the genocide survivor said, brings freedom.

Published December 28, 2016

Traffic relief coming to I-75 and State Road 56

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Motorists stuck in long lines of traffic at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange could get relief sooner rather than later.

It will come in the form of a new interchange known as a diverging diamond – a design gaining popularity nationally as a solution to traffic jams at major crossroads.

Aerial photo of I-44/Kansas Expressway Diverging Diamond Interchange in Springfield, Missouri. First of its kind in the U.S. (Courtesy of Missouri Department of Transportation)

The Florida Department of Transportation is moving the approximately $18.5 million road project up by two years. With funding in place, construction is set to begin sometime in fiscal year 2018, which runs from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.

Previously, the diverging diamond got priority status on the FDOT’s five-year work plan, but had a fiscal year 2020 start date.

“I am grinning ear to ear. I am so excited that the diverging diamond is moving up to 2018,” said Pasco County Chairman Mike Moore. “This is going to be one of the most innovative methods of relieving traffic. It’s going to be so beneficial, not just for that area, but for the entire region.”

Moore and other county commissioners got a presentation on the diverging diamond and other proposed road projects during a Dec. 6 meeting of the Metropolitan Planning Organization in Dade City.

The state transportation department’s five-year work plan of joint state and county road projects is updated annually with local input.

The I-75 interchange is a gateway in and out of major commercial developments on State Road 56, either already open for business – Tampa Premium Outlets – or under construction – Cypress Creek Town Center.

Longhorn Steakhouse and BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse are among the newest restaurants to open. Others include Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A and Culver’s. More eateries are on the way.

Construction will soon be completed west of the interchange on a 150,000-square-foot sports complex and ice rink, known as Florida Hospital Center Ice.

Vehicles stack up daily at the interchange and bring traffic to a crawl, as motorists seek to go shopping, run errands, get to work or head home.

Peak traffic hours are a daily nightmare for motorists who get stuck in long lines at the Interstate 75 and State Road 56 interchange.
(File Photo)

Details are pending on how traffic will be routed through the busy intersection during construction.

But, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey said, “We’ll take the pain for the progress.”

Pasco County could become the second municipality in the state to have a diverging diamond. Sarasota is the first, with a diverging diamond interchange currently under construction at I-75 and University Parkway. It is expected to open in 2017.

The City of Jacksonville is considering a diverging diamond on Interstate 95.

In the diverging diamond interchange, multiple lanes of traffic from opposite directions crisscross from one side of the roadway to the other, and then switch back, guided by road signs, marked lanes and traffic signals.

Supporters of the design say it eases congestion, prevents wrong-way entry onto ramps and reduces crashes. The interchange also accommodates pedestrian crossings and bicycle lanes.

Other projects included in the five-year work plan are:

  • County Road 54 (Wesley Chapel Boulevard) from north of State Road 54 and State Road 56 to Progress Parkway; right-of-way to be purchased in 2018.
  • State Road 52 realignment from Uradco Place to west of Fort King Road; right-of-way to be purchased in 2018; construction in 2019.
  • S. 301 from State Road 56 (proposed) to State Road 39 (Paul Buchman Highway); preliminary engineering in 2018; right-of-way to be purchased in 2021, 2022.

For complete list of proposed projects and their descriptions visit D7wpph.com.

Comments on projects should be submitted by Dec. 27, either online or mailed to: Ed McKinney, Florida Department of Transportation, 11201 N. McKinley Drive, MS 7-500, Tampa, Florida, 33612.

Published December 21, 2016

 

Tampa Premium Outlets goes pink

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Pink is in vogue at Tampa Premium Outlets, and for good reasons.

On Oct. 29, the outlet mall will cap off a month-long More Than Pink campaign in recognition of October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

But, the day also highlights the Grand Opening Anniversary Celebration of the Tampa Premium Outlets, including opportunities to make donations to Susan G. Komen, a nonprofit that supports breast cancer research and educational awareness.

Tampa Premium Outlets is celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and its one-year anniversary. (File Photo)
Tampa Premium Outlets is celebrating National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and its one-year anniversary.
(File Photo)

From 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., shoppers can enjoy family activities, strolling entertainers, and live music from Mad Dog and Sacred Fire.

One year ago, the outlet mall opened its doors to more than 90 retailers, and heralded the renewal of economic development along the State Road 56 corridor.

“It’s hard to imagine that we opened one year ago,” said Sarah Rasheid, Tampa Premium Outlets’ marketing director. “We’re very proud of what we’ve accomplished.”

Currently, about 105 retailers are in business at the outlet mall. Three new restaurants are set to open shortly on parcels fronting the shopping mall – BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse, McDonald’s and Longhorn Steakhouse.

 

They are only the latest along restaurant row, and join Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-Fil-A and Culver’s. Still to come are Panda Express, On the Border Mexican Grill & Cantina and Starbucks. Among new retailers that have opened over the year inside the outlet mall are Steve Madden, Hanna Andersson and the Flip Flop Shops.

Construction is underway on a large outparcel on Costco Wholesale, which is slated for an early 2017 opening.

As shopping and dining experiences grow at Tampa Premium Outlets, community outreach also is taking root.

The More Than Pink campaign is part of the mall’s community outreach.

Store and mall employees donned pink clothing, pink ribbons and pink accessories during October.

Donations to Komen can be made at Simon Guest Services in Market Hall.

The outlet mall’s owner, Simon Properties, donated more than $470,000 to the nonprofit in 2015, and by Sept. 30, 2018 is pledging contributions of at least $1 million for each year of the program.

A More Than Pink Hero Wall allows survivors and families to honor their victories over cancer, and the continued fight for improved treatment and a cure.

Stickers for $1 can be bought and placed on the wall, with all proceeds going to Komen. In addition, $10 discount cards can be purchased at Guest Services. The cards can be used for 25 percent off one item at participating shops at Tampa Premium Outlets. All proceeds from the sale of the cards go to Komen.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, the mall soon will begin glowing with seasonal holiday colors and lights.

On Nov. 19, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the public is invited to a Christmas lighting and the arrival of Santa Claus.

And, upcoming, Rasheid said, “There will some festive ways to get involved.”

The mall will host a Community Holiday Performance from Nov. 20 to Dec. 24, at select dates and times. Community groups, schools and organizations will be featured.

A Community Gift Wrap from Dec. 10 to Dec. 24, also at select dates and times, will allow organizations to provide volunteers who will provide gift wrapping the mall’s visitors in return for donations.

For information, visit tinyurl.com/jnbnq9c.

Published October 26, 2016

Hyatt Place to be at Cypress Creek Town Center

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Construction on Hyatt Place Hotel & Conference Center is expected to begin in early 2017, according to a news release from the project’s development team.

Impact Properties Inc., Sierra Properties and the Hyatt Hotels Corporation are partnering on the 130-room hotel and conference center on the northern side of State Road 56, across from Tampa Premium Outlets.

Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel is expected to have a ground-breaking in early 2017 at the Cypress Creek Town Center. (Courtesy of Impact Properties Inc.)
Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel is expected to have a ground-breaking in early 2017 at the Cypress Creek Town Center.
(Courtesy of Impact Properties Inc.)

Hyatt Place Wesley Chapel will be the first Hyatt hotel in Pasco County and the first hotel within the more than 500 acres currently under development at the Cypress Creek Town Center.

According to Hyatt’s website, Hyatt Place guests are “mid- to upper-income Gen X travelers who expect modern conveniences and product design to accommodate their multi-tasking, 24/7 lifestyle.”

Hyatt Place will have 130 rooms, with areas for sleep, work and play, as well as sofa sleepers as an extra feature.

There will be free Wi-Fi, a round-the-clock “Gallery Menu” with freshly prepared meals any time of day. Free hot breakfasts also will be available daily.

A Coffee to Cocktails Bar will feature specialty coffees, premium beers, wines and cocktails.

The conference center will have about 6,000 square feet of flexible meeting space, with state-of-the-art technology.

A 24-hour fitness center will feature cardio equipment with LDC screens and free ear buds.

The mixed-use Cypress Creek Town Center is a showcase for growth in the State Road 56 area, located at the Interstate 75 interchange and the juncture of State Road 56 and State Road 54.

The center is approved for up to 2 million square feet of retail, hotel, apartments and offices.

Along with hotel construction, the first phase of development will include 230 upscale apartments and 10 new restaurants and shops, according to the press release.

In front of the outlet mall, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Chick-fil-A and Culver’s have opened within past months. BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse are under construction.

As part of Cypress Creek Town Center, Ford’s Garage, Pollo Tropical, Wendy’s and Taco Bell are awaiting permits.

Publshed September 28, 2016

Forget finance, B.A. Arnot finds his sweet spot managing restaurant

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There may be about a dozen different cuts of steak, but the ways to prepare it are almost endless. Think about Bubba Blue’s long list of shrimp recipes in the film “Forrest Gump,” and replace all of it with all the types of steak that exist.

B.A. Arnot doesn’t mind the long commute from his home in Zephyrhills to LongHorn Steakhouse in Tampa’s Westshore district. He’s worked with the restaurant since the days when guests still threw discarded peanut shells on the floor. (Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)
B.A. Arnot doesn’t mind the long commute from his home in Zephyrhills to LongHorn Steakhouse in Tampa’s Westshore district. He’s worked with the restaurant since the days when guests still threw discarded peanut shells on the floor.
(Michael Hinman/Staff Photo)

B.A. Arnot has watched thousands of steaks carried from his kitchen to customers at his LongHorn Steakhouse location on Tampa’s Westshore Boulevard. Rancher’s Sirloin. Outlaw Ribeye. Flo’s Filet. There’s never a shortage of meat.

And for the last 20 years, Arnot has dedicated his professional career to making sure hungry customers walk away satisfied from the restaurant chain. But his job as managing partner is not exactly the career Arnot expected to find himself in back in his college days at the University of South Florida.

“My degree is in finance,” Arnot said one recent afternoon before the Saturday dinner rush. “I was on the USF golf team, too, and I was even thinking about maybe turning pro.”

In fact, if the Super Bowl and a major golfing event ever ended up on the same night, Arnot might have to read about football’s biggest game in the newspaper the next morning. The only reason why he isn’t pursuing that dream is an injury that prevents him from playing as much as he likes.

Of course, that does not mean Arnot never plays. Silverado Golf & Country Club in Zephyrhills is just a short jaunt from his Lake Bernadette home. From time to time, people will find Arnot carrying his clubs, looking to master each hole.

Injury explains the change in his golf plans, but what happened to a career in finance?

“I don’t think I would’ve ever been good behind a desk,” Arnot said. “I’m used to being on my feet and walking around, because at the end of the day, it all comes down to customer service for me.”

But Arnot doesn’t like the word “customer,” however.

“’Guest’ is a better word,” he said. “It’s all about the guest, and taking care of the guest.”

In 1994, LongHorn was a young restaurant chain that was more “roadhouse” style. The complete menu was found on a chalkboard when customers arrived, and each table offered complimentary peanuts — the shells of which were welcomed on top of the wooden floors, crunching under the servers’ feet.

Arnot had worked at a Burger King when he was a teenager, and Bennigan’s in college. But at LongHorn, he was still starting at entry level, first as a host, and then as a server.

Yet, the manager at his LongHorn saw something in Arnot. He saw a leader.

“After a year-and-a-half here, I got offered a chance to go into management, so I did,” he said.

Arnot would continue to work at the LongHorn location on North Dale Mabry Highway, until he became a kitchen manager at a new location in Citrus Park in 1999. Just two years later, he was back at the Dale Mabry location, now as its managing partner.

Arnot gives back the same way he received nearly two decades ago. He looks for manager material from the staff he hires, and promotes them whenever the opportunity arises. He’s a big believer in hiring from within.

During almost all of that time, Arnot has commuted the nearly 40 miles from his home to the restaurant. Even when the Dale Mabry location closed down and moved to nearby Westshore Boulevard, it was still a haul.

But he doesn’t let all that travel time and long hours at the restaurant interfere with making time for his wife — a manager at a Fifth Third Bank — and three daughters, ages 16, 14, and 8. He takes turns getting his kids around to their various activities, and making sure he’s home for dinner the nights he’s not working.

Arnot also carves out a little time for himself in the middle of the week, where he can enjoy a round of golf, or simply work on projects at home.

And as the LongHorn chain expands, Arnot hopes to expand with it. His ultimate goal is to become a regional director of operations, although such a job might mean moving. Moving up is a long-term plan, like waiting until his youngest daughter is on her way to college.

“Yeah, 10 years would be my goal to move ahead,” Arnot said. “But who knows. It’s hard to predict.”

And Arnot should know. Just 20 years ago, LongHorn was supposed to be a quick stop on the road toward a banking job. Instead, he’s focused his career on the industry, and still has a lot more he wants to accomplish.

Getting to know B.A. Arnot
What are you watching on TV?
There have been tons of shows on that everyone likes, but I tend to only watch TV on Wednesday nights when I’m off. So the shows I’m watching are “Burn Notice” and “Suits.”

What music group makes you turn up the radio?
Nirvana. Or really anything on 102.5 The Bone.

If you could spend a week anywhere?
I would go to St. Andrews Links, the golf course in Scotland. It’s the most famous course in the world.

Best golfing movie?
“The Legend of Bagger Vance.”

Published May 7, 2014