The Laker/Lutz News

Sunlake Boulevard

Mattamy Homes’ Highest Priority Is Its Homeowners

By

Mattamy Homes — the largest, privately owned homebuilder in North America — prides itself on giving exceptional customer service to its residents and offering them a meticulously-planned, quality community to live in.

This industry-leading homebuilder recently was awarded Community of the Year (multi-family) and Community of the Year (single-family under 500 units) for Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, along with Best Floor Plan (2000-2999 sq. ft.) for the Elm at Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, at the 2021 Tampa Bay Builders Association Awards of Excellence held in November.

Volanti’s amenities will include a resort-style swimming pool with an open-air pavilion, a barbecue area and a fire pit.

“It’s a huge honor to receive that recognition from the industry and our peers,” says Kathleen Dec, Director of Marketing at Mattamy Homes.

Residents of Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, like Maira Ortiz, couldn’t agree more with the recognition given to Mattamy Homes.

“It feels very safe, family-oriented and comfortable living here,” says Ortiz, “It’s been a great experience so far.”

Ortiz, her husband and their two kids have lived in the Seville model for a little over one year now.

One of the selling features about Parkview for Ortiz was the proximity to everything in the local area.

“You make a right and you’re in Wesley Chapel, you make a left and you’re in Tampa,” says Ortiz, “It’s a great central location.”

Parkview at Long Lake Ranch is located along State Road 54, close to U.S. 41 and Sunlake Boulevard, in Lutz. The community offers single-family homes and townhomes that are available for sale, and six decorated model homes that are open daily for touring.

Husband and wife duo Fernando Vidal Otero and Verónica Negrón Mieles also live in Parkview and purchased the Venice townhome back in late November 2020.

The couple says they loved all the features that came with the home design.

“There is a guest room on the first floor that is in front of a full bathroom, so you can have guests come over and they can have their own separate space,” says Negrón Mieles.

“Plus, the back of the house has a view of the pond, so it’s very nice and relaxing.”

The couple and Ortiz all give a glowing review to Mattamy Homes for its exceptional customer service through the building process.

“Our agent was with us the whole process. That was one of the best things to happen during the process,” says Otero, “And our builder was very communicative about the progress of the home. He was great.”

“They [Mattamy Homes] are very accommodating and willing to help you every step of the way,” says Ortiz, “I just felt like they really cared.”

Last month, Parkview opened a new amenity center, called Parkview Pavilion, that features a resort-style pool, shaded breezeway, cabanas and social gathering areas.

Residents of this gated community also can enjoy another outdoor gathering area that includes hammocks, a comfortable seating area, cornhole and a dog park.

“People of all ages are enjoying it,” says Dec, “It was really important for us to create  gathering areas in the community that homeowners can use for a variety of activities, recreation or just relaxing.

Dec really hopes these new amenities bring a new sense of community.

“That’s exactly what they’re designed to do,” says Dec.

Townhomes Now Open in Wesley Chapel
Nearby in Wesley Chapel, Mattamy Homes has opened four new decorated model townhomes with contemporary exterior styling in its all-new l community of Volanti, located on Wesley Chapel Boulevard at Hay Road. Models are professionally decorated and open for tours daily, with private personalized appointments available.

Volanti is the debut of Mattamy Homes’ new contemporary exterior style of townhomes.

Four floor plans are available, ranging from 1,667 to 2,574 square feet, with three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to three baths. There are three exterior styles available at Volanti — Craftsman, French Country and Contemporary. Base pricing begins in the low to mid $300s.

“Volanti is the debut of our new Contemporary exterior style of townhomes, designed to offer a more modern, fresher look,” said Lisette Minnick, the homebuilder’s Tampa & Southwest Florida Division vice president of sales.

Four distinct floor plans are available at Volanti — Marianna, Ormond, Sebring and Venice. All have one- or two-car attached garages and large lanais.

The gated community will have 200 homes at build out, and fun-filled, family friendly amenities, including a resort-style swimming pool with an open-air pavilion, a barbecue area and a fire pit. Construction on the amenities began in October, and Mattamy Homes expects to have them completed by early summer.

Making the community even more attractive is free lawn maintenance and no Community Development District (CDD) fees. Townhomes are released for sale regularly, but home offerings may be limited for a temporary time frame, due to the current high demand for homes, and labor and material constraints.

Located just 4 miles from Interstate 75, Volanti boasts excellent access to the best of the Wesley Chapel area, including premier shopping and dining destinations.

Citron Grove Coming Soon
Mattamy Homes recently announced that it also is building 60 new townhomes in Citrus Park, on Gunn Highway, called Citron Grove. The Craftsman-style townhomes will have two floor plans available — the Marianna and Ormond. Pre-sales will begin in February. Citron Grove is just 1.5 miles from the Veterans Expressway, 2 miles from Citrus Park Mall, and 12 miles from Tampa’s Westshore Business District and International Airport. The gated community, which was formerly Be Mac Nursery, will offer low-maintenance living, value-oriented price points and outstanding schools. Interested parties should register for updates on the website.

About Mattamy Homes
Mattamy Homes is North America’s largest privately-owned homebuilder, with over 40 years of experience building homes across the United States and Canada. From the beginning, our vision and promise has remained the same: to build thoughtfully designed homes and communities that reflect the needs of the families living in them, ensuring a lifetime of happiness for each. Mattamy Homes is proud to build homes for more than 8,000 families each year.

Mattamy Homes operates in eleven markets across the United States, with headquarters in Orlando, Florida. Other markets include Naples, Sarasota, Tampa, Jacksonville, Southeast Florida, Charlotte, Raleigh, Dallas, Phoenix and Tucson. In Canada, Mattamy communities can be found across the greater Toronto area and Ottawa, Calgary, and Edmonton.

Visit MattamyHomes.com or see a Mattamy New Home Counselor for further details and important legal disclaimers.  This is not an offer in states where registration is required. Void where prohibited by law.

For more information about all of Mattamy Homes’ local communities, go to MattamyHomes.com/florida/tampa.

Published December 29, 2021

Parkview Sebring
Parkview Myrtle
Parkview Myrtle
Volanti Sebring

Pasco County Schools continue to add more school choices

By

The Pasco County School Board recently approved the conversion of two existing elementary schools into Science Technology Engineering Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) magnet schools.

The board voted on Dec. 14 to shift the boundaries for Centennial Elementary School, in Dade City and for Marlowe Elementary School in New Port Richey into the boundaries of nearby schools.

The conversion to the new approach to learning will take place beginning in the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

A new 6-12 STEAM magnet school is expected to open in the fall of 2023, near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco campus. The acronym STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. (Courtesy of Pasco County Schools)

Centennial Elementary will provide a convenient option for students and families in East Pasco, to explore the same educational opportunities as those offered at Sanders Elementary STEAM Magnet School, in Land O’ Lakes. Marlowe will do the same in West Pasco.

Sanders recently received national recognition for the quality of its programs.

Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, under construction on Curley Road in East Pasco, will open during the fall of the 2022-2023 school year.

The school is expected to have an enrollment of 1,000 students and its programs will include digital technology, engineering, biomedical science, transportation and building technology.

The 104-acre school site is about 3 miles due east of Interstate 75.

A number of career and technical education labs are planned, including those designed for digital media, engineering robotics, biomedical and patient care.

Automotive, diesel, welding, construction, electrical and cybersecurity programs are planned, as well. The diesel program will be one of just a few in Florida.

The school district also is expected to open a new 6-12 STEAM magnet program in Land O’ Lakes, near Moffitt Cancer Center’s planned Pasco County campus.

School district and Moffitt officials are already in discussion regarding the vast potential for unique learning opportunities for students who will be attending that school.

The school, which is expected to open in the fall of 2023, is planned on an 18.8-acre site within Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to Ajax’s website.

These schools are just a few of the educational options that Pasco parents can choose for their students.

Those wishing to know more can visit the school district’s website to peruse the Pasco Schools Pathways school choice catalog to find out more about program offerings.

The window for applications opens at 8 a.m. on Jan. 6 and closes on Jan. 20 at 4:30 p.m.

Window for school choice opens Jan. 6
The application window for Pasco Pathways School Choice opens on Jan. 6 at 8 a.m. and closes on Jan. 20, at 4:30 p.m.

This will be the only application window for all grade levels, and it will be for all school choice options, including STEM and STEAM magnet schools, Kirkland Ranch Academy of Innovation, Wendell Krinn Technical High School, International Baccalaureate (IB), and the Cambridge Programme.

The Pasco Pathways Innovative Programs and School Choice application will be available for parents via the myStudent parent portal. Parents who don’t already have an account may establish a myStudent account by clicking on the myStudent link.

Go the Pasco County Schools website to find out more. The school district’s website is www.pasco.k12.fl.us/

Published December 29, 2021

Pasco lifts ceiling on commercial hauling rates

By

Commercial haulers now can operate in a free market in Pasco County — meaning competition among private businesses will establish the charges.

The Pasco County Commission voted on Oct. 26 to remove the ceiling on the rates. The action brings Pasco into alliance with the approach used by other counties around the state, according to county staffers.

The change does not affect residential hauling rates.

At the same meeting, the county board approved increasing charges associated with water and wastewater connection fees — previously referred to as impact fees.

The board also established new fire line and fire hydrant rates. The increased rates take effect on Jan. 3. For a complete breakdown of the new charges, visit Pasco County Utilities, on the county’s website, PascoCountyFl.net.

In other action, the county board:

• Accepted a check for nearly $2.9 million, in “excess fees” from Paco County Tax Collector Mike Fasano. The tax collector’s office is funded entirely by fees and commissions, with no direct ad valorem dollars. When the office’s total revenues exceed expenses, the “excess fees” are returned to the county board and other taxing authorities on a pro-rata basis at the end of the fiscal year.

• Approved a change to the comprehensive plan on 37.58 acres, east of Old Pasco Road and north of Overpass Road, to allow for commercial development. The board also approved a companion rezoning, allowing a commercial planned development of use to 315,000 square feet of commercial at that site.

• Authorized to shortlist and negotiate agreements for a Tower Road route siting and pond siting analysis for an area that begins east of Sunlake Boulevard to east of U.S. 41. The shortlisted firms are: American Consulting Engineers of Florida, LLC (American); Kissinger, Campo & Associates, Corp. (KCA); NV5, Inc. (NV5); Baslee Engineering Solutions, Inc. (Baslee); and George F. Young, Inc. (George F. Young). The county board authorized negotiations with the top firm, and if an agreement can’t be reached, authorized staff to negotiate with the remaining firms, in the county’s ranked order.

• Authorized to shortlist and negotiate agreements for a Tower Road route study and pond siting analysis for an area from the terminus of Rangeland Boulevard to east of Sunlake Boulevard. The shortlisted firms are Kissinger, Campo & Associates, Corp.; WGI, Inc.; American Consulting Engineers of Florida, LLC; NV5, Inc.; Baslee Engineering Solutions, Inc.; and, George F. Young, Inc. The county board authorized staff to negotiate with Kissinger, Campo & Associates, and if an agreement can’t be reached, to negotiate with the remaining firms, in the county’s ranked order.

• Approved an agreement to accept a $6.5 million grant, through the state Department of Environmental Protection, to provide water and wastewater infrastructure improvements to stimulate economic growth in the currently underdeveloped area of Pasadena Hills. The county will construct a water and wastewater distribution system including a piping system and appurtenances, a lift station, restoration, project management, and all work necessary to complete the project as outlined in the grant work plan. The grant begins upon execution of the agreement and expires on March 31, 2024. No county match is required and this is a cost-reimbursement agreement.

• Approved a change order involving additional work and a time extension of 129 days for the installation of a drain field at Starkey Ranch District Park. The amount of the contract with R.L. Burns Inc., will increase by $455,234.37, bringing the not-to-exceed total to $3,994,628.37. The new completion date is March 14, 2022.

• Authorized to shortlist and negotiate agreements with firms to complete an Orange Belt Trail route study, design and permitting. The firms are: Atkins North America, Inc.; HDR Engineering, Inc.; Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP; Burgess & Niple, Inc.; NV5, Inc.; Baslee Engineering Solutions, Inc.; and Sand County Studios, LLC. If an agreement cannot be reached with Atkins, the board authorized negotiations with remaining firms, according to the county’s ranked order.

• Approved a change to the county’s comprehensive plan to allow commercial development to be considered on 9.24 acres south of State Road 54 and River Glen Boulevard. The land previously was planned for residential development. The proposed change received a unanimous recommendation for approval from the Pasco County Planning Commission on Aug. 26. A change in the land use designation is the first step necessary to change the potential use on the land. A rezoning is required, too, before commercial development could occur.

• Authorized the reappointment of Steven Hickman to the board of the Pasco County Housing Finance Authority and appointed two new members, Jeffrey Sklet, deputy director for the Pasco County Housing Authority, and Stacy Ferreira, vice president of BB&T.

• Adopted a resolution honoring the Friends of the Pasco County Library System, a not-for-profit organization the helps the library through volunteering, fundraising and advocacy.

Published November 17, 2021

School board approves $52.7 million magnet school

By

Work is moving ahead on a new magnet school for sixth- through 12th-grade students, which is expected to usher in a broad array of new opportunities for students.

The Pasco County School Board approved a $52.7 million contract with Ajax Building Company, during the board’s Nov. 2 meeting.

The 6-12 school is planned on an 18.8-acre site within the community of Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard.

The school board, acting as the Pasco County School Board Leasing Corporation, previously approved the sale of bonds to finance the new magnet school and to complete projects at Hudson and Gulf High schools. The sale of $80 million in bond was completed on Nov. 2.

The school site is within Angeline, which is being billed as a wellness community. Angeline will be developed on thousands of acres of land, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.

Within that area, Moffitt is planning its Pasco County campus. The cancer center’s presence in Pasco is expected to include a massive research and corporate innovation district. It has site entitlements that encompass 24 million square feet, and include plans for a hospital, research and development space, office, manufacturing, laboratories, pharmacies, educational facility/university, hotel, and commercial space. The multiyear, multiphase project is expected to create 14,500 jobs.

At a previous school board meeting, Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, reported that Moffitt and Pasco-Hernando State College are working together “to develop a very unique school setting.”

The school is designed for 1,700 students, according to the Ajax contract.

Plans call for a facility with 186,882 gross square feet.

It will have:

  • A one-story administration building
  • A one-story dining/multipurpose area, with a fully functioning kitchen
  • A two-story media and band area
  • A four-story classroom wing

Other parts of the site development include parking, drives, walkway canopies, an aluminum shade system, fencing, a walking trail, sidewalks, underground utilities, landscaping, irrigation and other infrastructure.

Construction is expected to take 18 months, with the closeout taking 1.5 months, bringing the total to 19.5 months, according to the contract.

Substantial completion is expected in April of 2023, with a final completion in June of 2023.

Harvard Jolly is the architect on the school district project.

Published November 10, 2021

Model Townhomes By Mattamy Homes Now Open in Wesley Chapel

By

Mattamy Homes has opened four new decorated model townhomes with contemporary exterior styling in its all-new Wesley Chapel community of Volanti, located on Wesley Chapel Boulevard at Hay Road. Models are professionally decorated and open for tours daily, with private personalized appointments available.

“Mattamy Homes is delighted to open these new, thoughtfully designed townhomes in one of Pasco’s most desirable locations,” said Lisette Minnick, the homebuilder’s Tampa & Southwest Florida Division Vice President of Sales. “The community is ideally located in a peaceful setting, but close to everything any homebuyer could want or need.”

Volanti is the debut of Mattamy Homes’ new contemporary exterior style of townhomes.

Four floor plans are available, ranging from 1,667 to 2,574 square feet, with three to four bedrooms and 2.5 to three baths. There are three exterior styles available at Volanti — Craftsman, French Country and Contemporary. Base pricing begins in the low to mid $300s.

“Volanti is the debut of our new Contemporary exterior style of townhomes, designed to offer a more modern, fresh look,” said Minnick. “We are excited to show off our models and invite people to stop by to see all this community has to offer.”

Four distinct floorplans are available at Volanti — Marianna, Ormond, Sebring and Venice. All have one- or two-car attached garages and large lanais. The gated community will have 200 homes at build out, and fun-filled, family friendly amenities, including a resort-style swimming pool with an open-air pavilion, a barbecue area and a fire pit.

Volanti Sebring

Making the community even more attractive is free lawn maintenance, and no Community Development District (CDD) fees. Townhomes are released for sale regularly, but home offerings may be limited for a temporary time frame, due to the current high demand for homes and labor and material constraints.

Located just 4 miles from I-75, Volanti boasts excellent access to the best of the Wesley Chapel area, including premier shopping and dining destinations at Tampa Premium Outlets, The Grove, and The Shops at Wiregrass.

For pleasure or business flyers, the Tampa North Flight Center is close by to Volanti, and provides flight opportunities with an airstrip, hangars and a café.  Many of Tampa Bay’s top employers are within easy driving distance, and Pasco County Schools are highly rated, including Veteran’s Elementary, which is just minutes away on Wesley Chapel Boulevard.

The Volanti community is surrounded by lakes and golf courses, and offers homebuyers endless recreational opportunities, including nearby Saddlebrook Resort, historic Tarpon Springs and the Gulf’s white-sand beaches.

Volanti Venice

Lutz Communities – Parkview at Long Lake Ranch and Avea Pointe
Located along State Road 54, close to U.S. 41 and Sunlake Boulevard, is Parkview at Long Lake Ranch, which offers single-family homes and townhomes. Last month, Parkview opened a new amenity center, called Parkview Pavilion, that features a resort-style pool, shaded breezeway, cabanas and social gathering areas. Residents of this gated community also enjoy a paw park for dogs, tot lots and fun park areas. Homesites in Parkview, which have a low-cost HOA, are released regularly.

Just south in Hillsborough County, on Van Dyke Road, just minutes from the Veterans Expressway, is the townhome community of Avea Pointe. Children at this popular community are assigned to some of the best schools in the area, including Steinbrenner High. Only 11 townhomes remain at this community, and buyers are encouraged to call or visit now while there is still an opportunity to live in this top location.

Volanti Venice

Citron Grove Coming Soon
Mattamy Homes recently announced that it also is building 60 new townhomes in Citrus Park, on Gunn Highway. Called Citron Grove, the Craftsman-style townhomes will be similar to those at Avea Pointe, with updated exterior styles. Two floor plans will be available — the Marianna and Ormond. Pre-sales will begin in January. Citron Grove is just 1.5 miles from the Veterans Expressway, 2 miles from Citrus Park Mall and 12 miles from Tampa’s Westshore Business District and International Airport. The gated community includes a number of trees and was formerly Be Mac Nursery. It offers low maintenance living, value-oriented price points and outstanding schools. Potential buyers of Citron Grove, who want to see similar floor plans before its grand opening, can visit Avea Pointe’s sales center, which is just 10 minutes away.

Mattamy Homes Sales Process
Mattamy Homes is thrilled that the level of interest and excitement for our communities is heightened. Mattamy takes pride in providing a fair and easy process to allow prospective homebuyers an opportunity to purchase homes, as they become available. The availability of homesites vary in each Mattamy Homes community, and New Home Counselors can provide guidance on how and when buyers will have an opportunity to purchase. Please call or visit to learn more.

About Mattamy Homes
Mattamy Homes is the largest, privately owned homebuilder in North America, with 40-plus years of history across the United States and Canada. Every year, Mattamy helps more than 8,000 families realize their dream of homeownership. In the United States, the company builds homes in Dallas, Charlotte, Raleigh, Phoenix, Tucson, Jacksonville, Orlando (where its U.S. head office is located), Tampa, Sarasota, Naples and Southeast Florida.

For more information about all of Mattamy Homes’ local communities, go to MattamyHomes.com/florida/tampa.

Published October 27, 2021

Moffitt and Pasco Schools have big plans

By

Pasco County Schools and Moffitt Cancer Center envision great possibilities of working together when the school district builds its planned 6-12 magnet STEAM school on land near Moffitt’s planned campus in Land O’ Lakes.

Ray Gadd, deputy superintendent for Pasco County Schools, recently updated the school board about a meeting between school district and Moffitt staff members.

“We had our first real, live, meeting with the administrative staff of Moffitt Cancer Center. And, it went really very, very well,” Gadd told the school board on Oct. 5.

“On the Angeline property, as the crow flies, is kind of back behind Land O’ Lakes High School, Moffitt is putting in a hospital and a big research center, and we have a school right across the street,” Gadd said.

“That school, we’ll start construction on that, I think, about mid-October. We’ll probably be the first building up out there. And, we are currently working with Moffitt and Pasco-Hernando State College to develop a very unique school setting.”

The campus will serve students in grades six through 12.

“More than likely, the upper classmen will have an opportunity to interact in the Moffitt hospital, with Moffitt researchers; (and) participate in apprentice programs and internships.

“It would be something that is very unique to the Pasco school system,” Gadd said, noting that Dr. Kim Moore, assistant superintendent who oversees the district’s career and technical programs, was at the meeting, as well as Dr. Monica Ilse, assistant superintendent for high schools, and Steve Hegarty, public information officer.

“We had a very, very positive reception from the Moffitt folks,” Gadd said.

In remarks to her school board colleagues, Cynthia Armstrong said it’s exciting “that we’re going to have a magnet school right next to their campus, which is going to be huge. So, we’re very excited about that.”

That meeting was a follow-up to a previous session between Gadd and Dr. Patrick Hwu, president and CEO of Moffitt.

Gadd previously briefed school board members about his meeting with Hwu.

During that briefing, Gadd told board members that he’d “heard through the grapevine that he (Hwu) was a big supporter of education, public education.”

But Gadd added: “My meeting with him was beyond expectations. I went there with a few ideas and he had hundreds of ideas about how our new STEM magnet in the Angeline area could be a partner with Moffitt.”

Gadd noted: “We’d have to work through all kinds of legal issues, as he and I discussed, but having students actually sit in, participate in procedures, surgeries, internships. Having graduate students and doctors actually come to the school building and teach courses and work with us, district-wide on virtual programs for kids, who are in nursing programs, health programs, biomedical engineering and those kinds of things.

“He was exuberant, and we made arrangements to connect my staff with his staff. I am really looking forward to the potential we have to work with Moffitt,” Gadd said.

Funding for the construction of the district’s planned 6-12 school in Land O’ Lakes was approved on Oct. 5, when the school board adjourned, then reconvened as the Pasco County School Board Leasing Corporation to approve $85 million in financing that will pay for the lease‐purchase financing of that school, and projects Hudson and Gulf high schools.

The new Angeline mixed-use community — which is being billed as a wellness-themed community — will be developed on thousands of acres of land, east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52.

Moffitt plans to create a massive research and corporate innovation district.

Site entitlements for Moffitt’s project, which encompass 24 million square feet, include plans for a hospital, research and development space, office, manufacturing, laboratories, pharmacies, educational facility/university, hotel, and commercial space. The multiyear, multiphase project is expected to create 14,500 jobs.

The school district’s new school in Angeline will be designed for 1,694 student stations, which at 90% capacity translates to about 1,530 students, according to a previous report in The Laker/Lutz News.

The school board hired Ajax Building Company at its Sept. 15, 2020 meeting to do pre-construction work at the 6-12 STEAM school site.

The school is planned on an 18.8-acre site within Angeline, south of State Road 52, north of the future Ridge Road extension and west of Sunlake Boulevard, according to Ajax’s website.

“Campus plans include a one-story administration area, a one-story dining and multipurpose area with a full kitchen, two-story media, band and art areas, and a four-story classroom wing, with all areas connected by a one-story and two-story atrium/central corridor, the website post says.

The site development also includes “walkway canopies, aluminum shade system, fencing, walking trail, sidewalks, chiller/generator plan, site lighting, underground utilities, landscaping and irrigation,” according to information posted by Ajax.

Harvard Jolly is the architect on the school district project.

Published October 13, 2021

Intersection planned on State Road 52, at Sunlake

By

Pasco County has approved a local funding agreement with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) regarding the construction of an intersection improvement at State Road 52 and Sunlake Boulevard/Rhombus Court.

The Pasco County Commission approved the agreement, as part of the consent agenda, during the board’s Sept. 15. When an item is on the consent agenda that means there is no public discussion and it is voted on along with a number of other agenda items, in a single vote.

The intersection improvement is part of the State Road 52 reconstruction project, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41, according to the board’s backup materials.

The intersection improvement project cost is $709,460, the agenda packet says.

Under the approved local funding agreement, the state transportation department will construct the intersection improvement, but the work will be paid for by the county.

The FDOT is constructing the widening improvements on State Road 52, from east of the Suncoast Parkway to east of U.S. 41.

The developer for State Road 52 Industrial LLC, will require access from State Road 52 to their future development, on the north side of State Road 52, west of U.S. 41, according to the board’s agenda packet.

This access will be provided through Rhombus Court, which is located on the north side of State Road 52, and aligns with North Sunlake Boulevard on the south side of State Road 52.

The developer has prepared design plans for the improvements that will be needed on State Road 52 at the connections of North Sunlake Boulevard and Rhombus Court.

These plans were reviewed and accepted by the FDOT.

Since the widening project on State Road 52 is already under construction, the FDOT has agreed to include the intersection improvements as part of its construction project, if the county provided funding for the intersection project.

The improvements include a full median opening, eastbound and westbound left and right turn lanes, pedestrian improvements, and additional lighting.

The contractor for the State Road 52 widening project (D.A.B. Constructors Inc.), has been found in default and the FDOT is in the process of rebidding the project, the agenda packet says.

The construction of the intersection improvements was already included and scheduled as part of the State Road 52 widening project prior to the default and will be included in the new bid package.

The estimated cost of the improvements is $709,460.00. The developer for State Road 52 Industrial LLC and the county have entered into a funding agreement, in which the developer paid it a proportionate share of the cost of improvements, in the amount of $199,205.80.

The county has agreed to fund the balance of $510,254.20.

Under the agreement with the FDOT, the county will pay a lump sum to enable construction to proceed.

This payment is due to the FDOT by Oct. 4. If the cost is less than estimated, the funds will be returned to the county.

Published September 29, 2021

New retail popping up along busy highway corridor

By

Total Wine & More kicked off its grand opening at Cypress Creek Town Center in celebratory fashion — with giveaways, a live band and a festive atmosphere.

The wine and beer emporium is the newest retail at the expanding town center, off the Interstate 75 interchange at the State Road 54/State 56 corridor.

The commercially vibrant corridor is a magnet for economic development in the heart of Wesley Chapel and Land O’Lakes, stretching over through Odessa to Trinity.

Retail and restaurants are chasing the booming rooftop construction — with residential growth in Pasco County breaking records.

Total Wine & More is now operating out of a space formerly occupied by Earth Fare. The atmosphere was festive during the store’s grand opening. (Kathy Steele)

As the pandemic recedes, established residents and newcomers alike are eager to be out and about.

And, they’re finding plenty to do.

Plus, more options are on the way.

County permits, signs planted on the roadside and company websites provide a snapshot of what’s under construction and what’s on the future horizon.

An ale house, a fitness studio; fast-food and dine-in restaurants; a Krispy Kreme; and two specialty car washes are among the new and coming attractions.

Established shopping meccas such as the Tampa Premium Outlets, The Shops at Wiregrass, and Cypress Creek Town Center are expanding their store directories, as new tenants take up residence.

Total Wine & More slipped into a spot at Cypress Creek Town Center that was once occupied by the specialty grocer Earth Fare.

Troy Rice, chief operating officer for Total Wine & More, said the former grocery store space was a good fit for his company.

The plumbing and electrical work had been done, and Total Wine knew it had a gap in its coverage area, Rice said.

An appreciative crowd of wine and beer aficionados packed the store’s grand-opening festivities.

Other new developments coming to Cypress Creek Town Center include Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and new apartments that will be built near the Hyatt Place hotel.

A Harley-Davidson dealership is coming to the area, too. It will be on Wesley Chapel Boulevard, across from the town center’s entrance at Pondside Drive.

Meanwhile, there’s new activity at the Tampa Premium Outlets.

Miller’s Ale House is coming to an outparcel along the Wesley Chapel Boulevard entrance into the mall. And Zaxby’s Chicken Fingers & Buffalo Wings, and Chicken Salad Chick will settle into parcels bordered by Wesley Chapel Boulevard and Sun Vista Drive.

Fazoli’s Italian Restaurant is among the shops that will be settling in, at the Shoppes at Cypress Creek, on State Road 54, west of Cypress Creek Town Center.

The Shops at Wiregrass, near the intersection of State Road 56 and Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, has recent new tenants that include Sephora, Optimal Wellness, Perfume Palace and Gold Mine jewelers.

The mall’s coming-soon list includes JABZ, a boxing gym; Sky Jewels; Spirit, a Halloween costume store; and Fresh Produce Market, a produce stand in the parking lot of Dillard’s.

A shopping center next to Florida Avenue Brewing — at State Road 56 and Arrowgrass Drive — has attracted Green Market Café; Fyzical Therapy & Balance Center; and Lufka, an environmentally friendly health and beauty shop.

New development is coming to Land O’ Lakes, too.

Grand openings aren’t planned yet for the Shoppes at Cypress Creek, but construction is underway on State Road 54 next to the Circle K convenience store, west of the town center and outlet mall.

Signs tout Fazoli’s Italian Restaurant and Woodie’s Wash Shack at 24749 State Road 54. Additional tenants are anticipated.

Woodie’s car wash promises a “fun and funkie” experience, according to a marketing video. The beach-themed car wash acquired 11 sites in the Tampa Bay area, with expectations of turning on all its washing spigots by the end of 2021.

Beach vibes, coconut smells and a light show inside the car wash add up to family fun, with a final touch of vacuuming and sweeping out car trash at “Muscle Beach.”

Heading west along State Road 54, Krispy Kreme has planted a sign in a vacant parcel, just west of Camp Indianhead Crossings shopping center. So far, though, no permits have been filed.

The Shoppes at Ballantrae — west of State Road 54 and U.S. 41 — is expanding its commercial offerings, with a Valvoline shop on Aprile Drive, and another Woodie’s Wash Shack at 17322 State Road 54.

Santander Consumer USA and Rasmussen University are locating in the space previously occupied by the Super Target store, at Suncoast Crossings, off State Road 54.

On a vacant parcel opposite from the Shoppes at Ballantrae, there’s an Aldi sign staked in the ground.

Matt Thon, Haines City division vice president for Aldi, didn’t provide details on the chain’s plans in Land O’ Lakes.

However, in a written statement, he reported that Aldi has “secured property in Pasco County with hopes to service more customers in the area.”

First Watch, Starbucks and AutoZone are settling in, near the intersection of State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.

Starkey Ranch Business Park, which opened last year with fare such as The Wicked Pour, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, and Encore Nail Salon, is adding Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Butcher’s Mark Fresh Meat & Marinades, at State Road 54 and Heart Pine Avenue.

The sandwich chain’s website currently shows no restaurants in Florida.

The Preserve Marketplace at South Branch and State Road 54 will add Chipotle Mexican Grill and Lin China restaurant. The shopping center is anchored by Publix GreenWise, and last year opened with tenants that included CVS Pharmacy and Panera Bread.

Suncoast Crossings, which lost an anchor store when the Super Target closed more than four years ago, is undergoing a revival.

First Watch and Starbucks have new locations, near the intersection of State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard.

The approximately 115,000-square-foot building is being remodeled for two tenants – Santander Consumer USA and Rasmussen University.

Santander anticipates adding about 875 jobs. Rasmussen will bring in hundreds of students.

Shoppes at Crossings Boulevard is a new strip mall built on outparcels of Suncoast Crossings shopping complex.

Tenants will include Touch Nail Spa; Beyond 2020 Vision Specialists; PT Solutions, a physical therapy clinic; Jimmy John’s Sandwich Shop; Smoothie King; and Hot Worx, an infrared/sauna fitness studio.

Hot Worx, set to open July 15, is a new venture for Debbie Upright, a former pharmaceutical representative and her husband, Scott, a retired dentist.

The infrared-heated fitness studio will be open 24/7. Memberships and walk-ins are welcome for a variety of isometric workouts, yoga, Pilates and spinning.

Upright said she and her husband considered various sites, but said the area’s robust activity was a key consideration, in selecting where to set up shop.

“This is a prime location,” she said.

By Kathy Steele

Published July 21, 2021

Design work begins on new Land O’ Lakes school

By

Pasco County Schools has signed a contract with Harvard Jolly Architecture for the design of a new 6-12 School to be built within the Angeline community of Land O’ Lakes.

The architect will be paid nearly $3 million, under terms of the contract approved by the Pasco County School Board on July 28.

The school will be built on an 18-acre site, with a capacity for 1,694 students.

The estimated construction budget is $45 million.

Construction is expected to begin in December of 2021, with completion expected by June 2023.

The construction manager will provide construction management services, with a guaranteed maximum price. The project also will be designed in compliance with a sustainable building rating system.

The school is part of a new community that is expected to become a major job generator, and to be a place where people will live, work, play and learn.

The proposed development — referred in economic development documents initially as Project Arthur, is now known more commonly as the Angeline community.

It is being planned on 7,000 acres, in an area south of State Road 52, east of the Suncoast Parkway and west of the CSX rail line.

Plans call for a 24-million-square-foot corporate business park, which is expected to create large-scale employment opportunities. Supportive services also are envisioned, including residential communities, parks, schools and other uses to be connected through walking and bike trails, the report adds.

The property — which has uplands and wetlands areas — has been used for cattle ranching and a pine plantation for decades, according to a county report.

The landscape includes oaks and pine trees, and forested and non-forested wetlands. It also has open water lakes, which are mostly remnants from prior borrow pit operations, according to the county report.

The report also notes that the project site’s proximity to the CSX railroad line provides an opportunity for commuter rail, in the event that the rail line is converted to a commuter rail line in the future.

Two of the county’s vision roads also go through the project: Ridge Road and Sunlake Boulevard.

The extension of Ridge Road, and the construction of a new interchange at Ridge Road and the Suncoast Parkway also will have a significant impact on the area’s development.

Lee Moffitt Cancer and Research Institute has purchased about 775 acres for a future research hub near the interchange.

Published August 19, 2020

Rasmussen College moving to vacant Target store

By

Rasmussen College soon will bring higher education to a vacant Target Super Store — the shuttered anchor at Suncoast Crossing plaza, off State Road 54 in Odessa.

The college plans to relocate from its current 25,000-square-foot education center at State Road 54 and Sunlake Boulevard, in Land O’ Lakes.

Developers are proposing to repurpose the former Target store, which closed in 2016.

Rasmussen College will be moving down the road and will soon be making a transition to Rasmussen University. (B.C. Manion)

A conceptual plan filed with Pasco County shows Rasmussen occupying more than 44,000 square feet. One and possibly two other tenants would fill the remaining shell space, separated from Rasmussen by an enclosed courtyard.

The flexible plan allows about 100,000 square feet to 115,000 square feet for a single business, or a split design with two businesses at 60,000 square feet and 40,000 square feet, respectively.

“It’s great to see something is moving in there,” said Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore. “We never want to see an empty building. It seems like Rasmussen is growing. We’re definitely happy they are here. It’s a good location for them.”

The approximately 173,000-square-foot Target property is owned by 24/7 DeBary LLC, which acquired the site from Target in July 2017.

A May 11 preapplication meeting is scheduled with Pasco County planners to consider the “Suncoast Crossing 1” redevelopment proposal, according to county records.

24/7 DeBary is an affiliate of MVP Holdings Inc., a Tampa-based owner of restaurants, including PDQ and Glory Days Grill. A company representative could not be reached for comment.

The Target store – in a mall with about 30 stores – opened in 2006, as growth along State Road 54 was taking off. The Great Recession that began two years later with the real estate and housing market collapse ushered in hard times for Pasco County’s economy.

But, the closure in January 2016 caught many by surprise just as a turnaround and renewed growth was taking hold.

Target officials closed 13 stores nationwide due to what they described as poor performance. The Suncoast Crossing store was among those singled out.

This Target Super Store, which has been vacant since 2016, is expected to become the new home to Rasmussen College. Besides changing its location, the college also is expected to become a university.

More than 140 employees lost jobs, though Target officials said employees would be offered transfers.

“I was very upset when Target closed,” said Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey. “I called corporate office to reconsider.”

After Target’s departure, she had hoped the site might attract new tenants that would create a retail and business complex similar to nearby Northpointe Village – at State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway. The complex in recent years attracted new businesses along Northpointe Parkway, including Mettler Toledo, a global manufacturer of precision scales and services used in research, and the packaging and production of food and pharmaceuticals; and TRU Simulation + Training,  which provides flight-training solutions, technical support and customer service for commercial and military markets.

But, she said, “I think Rasmussen will do well at that location (Suncoast Crossing). I’m heartened they are a for-profit college, so they will stay on the tax rolls.”

Rasmussen plans to make an announcement on its relocation plans in the “near future.”

“Due to key regulatory steps that still need to take place, Rasmussen College cannot yet share information regarding plans to relocate to a new campus,” according to an email from Molly Andersen, spokeswoman for Rasmussen College.

The new site, with substantially expanded space, comes as Rasmussen College is preparing for a new direction in its education model. By October, the college is expected to become Rasmussen University.

“This transition is more than a name change,” said Rasmussen President Trenda Boyum-Breen in a video message. “This is our next step toward a vibrant future. We are student-centered in our approach and future facing in our impact.”

Andersen in her email said additional details on Rasmussen’s transition to a university would be available soon.

Minneapolis-based Rasmussen College traces its beginnings to 1900, as a business school. The private college is a regionally accredited institution with more than 20 campuses nationwide. Its focus is on workforce and career-oriented education programs and degrees across several fields, including nursing, health science and business.

Of six Florida campuses, two are in Pasco — in New Port Richey and the soon-to-be closed location in Land O’ Lakes.

It’s not clear what is next for the Land O’ Lakes site.

Bayshore Properties LCC, affiliated with BayCare Health System, purchased the property in January for about $6.5 million, according to county records.

Representatives for Bayshore declined to comment at this time.

By Kathy Steele

Published April 22, 2020