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Sparkman Wharf

CRA agency outlines initiatives

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The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) is hitting the ground running regarding initiatives in the city’s historic downtown district, in the new fiscal year.

The Zephyrhills City Council, which doubles as the CRA board, has approved the agency’s 2021-2022 budget for $879,814.

That’s a sizable increase from the previous budget, which was $578,244.

The Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has set forth several initiatives for the city’s historic downtown in its 2021-2022 fiscal year budget. (Courtesy of Zephyrhills CRA)

That boost is partially due to an increase in the agency’s ad valorem revenues during recent years.

In the fiscal 2021-2022 budget, the agency’s tax increment financing (TIF) revenues are proposed to be $562,848 — up from $428,630 in 2020-2021 and $315,410 in 2019-2020, respectively.

“What we’re doing is working,” CRA Director Gail Hamilton told the CRA board during a Sept. 27 meeting at Zephyrhills City Hall. “The values continue to increase, the market doesn’t hurt us any at all, so what we’re doing as far as residential is going well, it’s working. We’ve got some new commercial projects going in the coming year.”

However, Hamilton acknowledged retail spacing “continues to struggle” in the historic district, so the agency is planning some incentive programs to lure new merchants.

The bulk of this year’s CRA budget is set aside for three major capital outlay projects — combining to total $672,500:

  • Little But Loud outdoor venue: $250,000
  • First United Methodist Church of Zephyrhills parking lot improvements: $320,000
  • Entrance signage installation: $102,500

The Little But Loud project, planned at 38426 Sixth Ave., is envisioned as an entertainment backyard space of sorts featuring food trucks, vendor carts, games, live music, public art installations, and various seating and lounge areas.

It is planned for a 150-foot by 60-foot city-owned vacant lot at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street, and is the CRA’s scaled-down version of Sparkman Wharf, a popular waterfront venue in downtown Tampa’s Channelside.

“I know there are some that say we can’t do it for $250,000, but we’re going to see what we can do,” Hamilton said, referring to Little But Loud.

Hamilton also underscored the importance to lease and repair the church parking lot located right in the center of downtown, at 38635 Fifth Ave.

She said the East Pasco town has few public parking options in downtown, aside from Zephyrhills City Hall, which is often at capacity.

“One of the problems that we encountered last year was that there is no public parking in downtown,” she said.

Besides formalizing a long-term lease, CRA funds will be used to address paving, stormwater and lighting issues on the church’s lot, which is over 20 years old.

“When a developer comes to us and wants to build something, we have strict standards on what the parking lot has to be. We have to follow those standards, as well,” Hamilton told CRA board members.

“It’ll be an asset to have a paved parking lot downtown,” she added.

Installing entrance signage to provide a gateway to the historic district is another noteworthy capital project.

The first sign is expected to be constructed and installed between Fifth Avenue and U.S. 301.

Moving forward, Hamilton said the agency is aiming to launch “a real campaign” about what the city has to offer “and try to get people motivated to look at downtown and the CRA district.”

The CRA director later encouraged city leadership to make suggestions about what else they’d like to see within the historic downtown district — which spans approximately 501 acres and encompasses the center spine of the city, generally between Hercules Park to C Avenue, and from Zephyr Park to 17th Street.

She noted some smaller undertakings in the past year included installing landscaping, benches and pots along Fifth Avenue; installing public Wi-Fi downtown; and installing streaming wireless audio speakers downtown.

“If there is a project, if there is something you see in another community, let us know, let’s talk about it,” said Hamilton. “The CRA has to be nimble enough that we can change and meet the demands of the market, because improving the market, improving the ad valorem taxes is why we’re here.”

Meantime, Main Street Zephyrhills Director Faith Wilson shared several event updates during the CRA meeting:

  • Preparations are underway for Halloween Howl, scheduled for Oct. 30 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., along Fifth Avenue. Family friendly activities will include a pony ride, petting zoo, haunted house, hayride and face painting. There also will be a ghost tour “to offer our citizens something new and exciting,” Wilson said.
  • The 2021 Festival of Lights Christmas Parade is scheduled for Dec. 4 from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., in downtown Zephyrhills. This year’s event theme is “Candyland Christmas.”
  • The annual Zephyrhills Founder’s Day Parade and Heritage Festival may need to be rescheduled or pared to an evening event with no parade.

It’s anticipated March 5 date coincides with The Greater Zephyrhills Chamber of Commerce’s annual Pigz in Z’Hills BBQ & Blues Fest.

The city’s Founder’s Day event is supposed to be on the Saturday closest to March 10, without going beyond it. City officials are actively discussing various options and possibilities, noting parade attendance has fallen off over the years.

  • Main Street Zephyrhills Board of Directors approved a new “community and unity” initiative, which aims to help create a positive narrative around events and partnerships within the city. “We all want to do good for Zephyrhills,” Wilson said, “and by working together, we can do great things for our community, so organizations can join together with Main Street to co-host and coordinate events downtown, and instead of competition, it’s cohesive and we work together.”

One upcoming “community and unity” event is the First Florida Chapter of the Military Vehicle Preservation Association Fall Rally Honoring Our Nations Veterans, from Nov. 12 to Nov. 14.

  • Wilson also noted that she participated in the Florida Main Street’s fall quarterly conference meeting in Crystal River. “There were some great community branding and marketing strategies presented,” she said.

City of Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency fund

Budget: $879,814

  • Personnel services: $112,549
  • Operating expenditures: $69,765
  • Capital outlay: $672,500
  • Contributions: $25,000

Published October 27, 2021

An entertainment venue in downtown Zephyrhills?

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Downtown Zephyrhills could get a little louder and livelier in the next year or so — if a proposed project pushes through.

The City of Zephyrhills is considering the creation of its own entertainment backyard featuring food trucks, vendor carts, games, live music, public art installations and various seating areas. Picture it as a scaled-down version of the popular Sparkman Wharf waterfront venue in downtown Tampa’s Channelside.

The Zephyrhills concept, called “Little But Loud,” would be developed on a 150-foot by 60-foot city-owned vacant lot at the corner of Sixth Avenue and Eighth Street. The site was once home to a Disabled American Veterans chapter building, and is situated just a block north of Fifth Avenue and adjacent to Zephyrhills City Hall.

‘Little But Loud’ entertainment venue concept renderings were presented by Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency Director Gail Hamilton at a January meeting. This one shows semi-rigid covered seating, covered seating area, food cart court, game lawn/overflow seating, outdoor seating and food truck access. (Courtesy of City of Zephyrhills)

Gail Hamilton, director of the Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), presented two concept renderings at a CRA meeting in January.

The first concept shows semi-rigid covered seating, covered seating area, food cart court, game lawn/overflow seating, outdoor seating and food truck access.

The second concept shows an event stage/elevated seating area, mobile high-top seating, food and vendor stalls, a semi-rigid overhead structure and raised concrete deck, food truck access and a versatile event lawn.

As for parking, eventgoers could use the nearby City Hall parking lot on nights and weekends.

Main Street Zephyrhills Inc., would likely be tasked with managing Little But Loud, and with arranging the venue’s programming.

The scope of work and budget are not yet final.

No start date has been determined, either, but it’s possible the project could be completed by the end of the year, if the initiative gains the CRA Board of Commissioners’ approval.

Hamilton said the new venue would generate downtown foot traffic and “create a sense of community,” by giving locals and visitors a multi-use entertainment space on weekends.

It also gives the city an opportunity to use “a beautiful lot” that is currently vacant.

“People would want to come, especially in the spring and in the winter when we have beautiful days, to sit out, listen to some music, have something to eat, come downtown. The idea is to create an attraction to get people to come downtown,” said Hamilton.

Two ‘Little But Loud’ concept renderings were presented by Zephyrhills Community Redevelopment Agency Director Gail Hamilton at a meeting. This one shows an event stage/elevated seating area, mobile high-top seating, food and vendor stalls, a semi-rigid overhead structure and raised concrete deck, food truck access and a versatile event lawn.

She thinks the project also would encourage residents and visitors to explore other areas of the city, including the historic downtown business district through Fifth Avenue.

Hamilton observed: “This is not to exclude any of the businesses on Fifth Avenue. It’s not to cut them out, it’s to get some activity going here, so that everybody who comes here goes to the restaurants and stores that surround it. You get up, you walk around — it’s a way for people to explore downtown Zephyrhills that maybe have never been here.

“It would bring people in that would go and shop, and try a craft beer that didn’t even know there was a microbrewery down here (at Zephyrhills Brewing Company).”

The intimate property — purchased by the city in 2017 — was originally anticipated to be developed into some type of retail/office space — which remains a future option.

However, Hamilton noted that option is not feasible yet, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The lot also could be reserved for some type of apartment or residential concept, but Hamilton doesn’t believe that’s a best use.

“If we wanted to do apartments, we could probably do apartments, but in the long run, that’s not what’s best for downtown, that’s not what’s best for the core of the city,” Hamilton told the CRA board.

If and when the time comes to redevelop the small lot, Hamilton said the Little But Loud concept could simply be relocated to another area of the city, perhaps Zephyr Park on Fifth Avenue.

“It’s a way for us to engage that lot without spending a tremendous amount of money, and when the market gets to the point where we want to build a building on that space, all of it can be picked up and moved somewhere else,” Hamilton explained.

Members of the CRA board expressed interest in the venue concept, with several more tweaks and details to be hammered out and finalized in coming months.

Board member Ken Burgess called Little But Loud “a good idea to get something going,” but advised the project be done in sections or phases, instead of all at once.

Board member Lance Smith said the concept would create an “inviting” atmosphere to downtown, pushing for other accents such as artificial turf and a large-sized television or projector to broadcast movies and sporting events.

Alcohol sales should be another consideration, he said.

“I think it’s interesting,” Smith said of the plan. “I think you need to look at the budget for it, too, because I’ve looked at these (venues) and they’re way more expensive than you think they are, but I think it’s a great concept to take a look at.”

Board President Jodi Wilkeson, too, was keen with the project, but expressed concerns about potential vandalism and possible impacts on surrounding take-out and sit-down restaurants and businesses.

“If we’re doing this to help promote businesses downtown, I think we should make an effort to ensure that they’re not producing food that’s in competition with any other businesses,” Wilkeson said.

She suggested that Little But Loud food trucks and containers stick to offering snack items, such as flavored popcorn and other treats “so that it gives people something to eat, but when they’re really hungry (for a meal), they’re going to go somewhere else.”

Overall, though, she likes the concept. “I think it’s a great idea. I look forward to seeing it a little fleshed out, but I’m in support of it as well.”

Board member Charles Proctor also offered his support: “I think it’s a good idea as well. We’ve gotta do something with (the lot).”

Published February 24, 2021

Big changes coming to The Grove

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The Grove at Wesley Chapel shopping center is in store for a major makeover — something being hyped as a future downtown entertainment district for the growing Pasco County community.

Owner and developer Mark Gold unveiled his vision for the property during a North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce luncheon last month.

He has sweeping plans for the large, but rather traditional strip mall, which is situated west of I-75 and north of State Road 54 .

New renderings for The Grove at Wesley Chapel show the addition of KRATE, a new plaza that will feature an 87-space container boutique shopping and restaurant park, plus an adjacent amphitheater and stage, trampoline park, miniature sports and more. KRATE is expected to be up and running within the next three months to six months, Gold said. (Courtesy of The Grove at Wesley Chapel)

The Grove is already  home to a 16-screen theater and more than a dozen national retail chains, including Dick’s Sporting Goods, Best Buy, Old Navy and others.

Gold purchased The Grove for $62.7 million in September, through parent company Mishorim USA Real Estate Investments.

While many of those major retail spaces will remain in place, it’s what Gold has in mind for the property’s surrounding 114 acres of vacant land that’s been generating buzz.

“I’m going to build a downtown Wesley Chapel,” he told a packed room of chamber members at New Tampa’s Pebble Creek Golf Club on Jan. 23.

To do that, the developer is bringing an 87-space container park to the plaza, predicting it could open within the next three months to six months.

Called KRATE, it will feature renovated shipping containers filled mainly by mom and pop boutique shops and unique eateries. The containers will be grouped together by walkways with options for indoor and outdoor seating. Curbside parking will be available, too.

Gold said he’s already leased 96% of the container park, which includes as many as 35 eateries, all with “different tastes, different feeling.”

That many food options in one spot alone will be a major draw, he said.

“If you put 35 restaurants in one place, it brings a lot of people, because people want the variety — the kids want to eat something, mother wants to eat something else,” Gold said.

The Grove’s KRATE area will be surrounded by an entertainment complex, with a large amphitheater and stage, and family friendly activities, such as a trampoline park and various miniature sports, Gold added.

Gold also announced that he has secured a permit from the Pasco Commission to allow alcohol to be consumed throughout KRATE — news greeted by loud cheers and applause from chamber members.

The developer’s concept is somewhat similar to Sparkman Wharf in downtown Tampa’s Channelside District, perhaps on an even grander scale.

He predicted that The Grove, over time, will become “a place to be,” as a one-of-a-kind destination attracting people from all over Tampa Bay.

He think it fills a need in Wesley Chapel, particularly for families.

He put it like this: “There’s lots of kids in this area with nothing to do. If you want to do something, you need to drive to South Tampa and suffer through the traffic. I want South Tampa to come to us.”

Weekly and monthly community and cultural events also are planned for The Grove and KRATE, Gold said.

For instance, there will be a nationwide graffiti contest for KRATE, where each container park will be able to get its own unique design. For example, the outside of a pizza eatery could be decorated up with Italian-style food images. “Graffiti alone is an event,” he said.

The developer also envisions a local-based singing competition, modeled somewhat after NBC’s TV program, “The Voice,” with winners receiving cash prizes upward of $10,000.

“Everything is on the table,” he said.

While he has loads of ideas, he’s also seeking input from business leaders and residents.

“Please be involved, it’s important,” he told chamber members. “If there’s something that’s not good, or there’s something you really like, let us know. I’m not from here, so I really don’t know, I can only guess.”

In addition to The Grove, Gold operates more than a dozen commercial properties, mainly throughout the southeastern United States, including Florida locations in Jacksonville and Orlando. Many of those properties include attractions, such as indoor roller rinks, zip lines in parking lots, haunted houses, obstacle courses, trampoline parks, climbing walls and arcades.

He decided to purchase The Grove after hearing about the massive growth happening in Wesley Chapel and surrounding communities, he said.

With reports of another 50,000 homes coming online in the next 24 months, Wesley Chapel has been labeled the fastest-growing community in the Tampa Bay area, and one of the fastest in all of the southeastern U.S.

Gold sees the potential.

Published February 05, 2020