The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Pasco since 1981/Serving Lutz since 1964

The Preserve

Under Construction 10/02/19

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Motorists in Odessa will have another option for auto parts and equipment when the new AutoZone shop begins operation at 12090 State Road 54. It is expected to open in November. (Brian Fernandes)

AutoZone shop
Motorists will have another convenient spot to pick up automobile parts and accessories with the soon-to-come AutoZone shop. The 6,815-square-foot facility will be located at 12090 State Road 54 in Odessa. Construction began in September. The store is expected to open in November.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Checkers quick-stop restaurant, going up at 5505 Gall Blvd., is nearing completion in Zephyrhills.

Checkers restaurant
A Checkers fast-food hub is coming soon to serve hungry patrons in Zephyrhills. The 900-square-foot restaurant, at 5505 Gall Blvd., will have a single drive-thru lane and an outdoor patio. Construction began in August. An opening is expected in November.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Located in front of The Preserve residential community in Odessa, off State Road 54, a new Publix is emerging. Construction of the supermarket, at 2189 Sembler Drive, began in August.

Publix supermarket
A Publix grocery store is emerging at the front entrance of The Preserve residential community in Odessa. The store, approximately 27,600 square feet,  will be located at 2189 Sembler Drive, off State Road 54. Construction began in August.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grease Monkey- Oil Changes & More, will be a convenient spot for vehicle tune-ups at 5847 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills.

Oil change stop
Retail chain Grease Monkey – Oil Changes & More, is opening its sixth mechanic shop in Florida. The 1,300-square-foot facility is located at 5847 Gall Blvd., in Zephyrhills. It will have three vehicle bays for basic auto oil change and maintenance. The shop is expected to open in October.

Under Construction 08/21/2019

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A new recreational space is on its way within the Chapel Creek residential community. The Zephyrhills amenity center will include a playground and pool cabana. (Brian Fernandes)

Chapel Creek Amenity Center
The Chapel Creek residential community soon will have some new recreational options. The Chapel Creek Amenity Center is being built at 6405 Clifton Down Drive in Zephyrhills. The 1,258-square-foot facility will have a playground, a mail kiosk, a pool cabana, restrooms, utility rooms and a storage room. There is no official completion or open date yet.

 

 

 

 

Bubba’s 33
Bubba’s 33 soon will open its first restaurant in Florida. The family style restaurant is part of the Texas Roadhouse corporation. It will be located at 26340 Silver Maple Parkway, off State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. The 7,000-plus-square-foot development will include a sports bar and will have a seating capacity of 256. Construction, which began in August, is expected to be completed in November.  The restaurant is set to open by mid-December.

Luckey Eye Care
Luckey Eye Care will be opening another branch in Wesley Chapel. The optometry clinic will be housed in the Cypress Ridge Professional Center at 2306 Greenbranch Drive and will consist of 14 rooms. Construction began early this year, and is set to finish and open by mid-September.

TouchPoint Medical has chosen Pasco County for its world headquarters. The Odessa facility will be responsible for manufacturing medical equipment.

TouchPoint Medical Headquarters
TouchPoint Medical is expected to open its world headquarters in early 2020, in Odessa. The facility is being built off of State Road 54, in The Preserve residential community. The facility will be used to develop medical equipment and is expected to create an estimated 250 jobs. The 147,000-square-foot building will be two stories, and will be made up of a warehouse and office space. Construction began in March and is expected to be completed in January 2020. A grand opening date has not yet been determined.

Curious about something new that’s popping up in your community? Please send us the location — along with the address, if possible — and we’ll see what we can find out. Send your email to .

TouchPoint Medical’s headquarters to open in 2020

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Construction began last week on TouchPoint Medical Inc.’s global headquarters on South Branch Boulevard in The Preserve, a new residential community off State Road 54, west of the Suncoast Parkway.

Brian McNeill, president and CEO of TouchPoint — the parent company of TouchPoint Medical Inc. — offered remarks during the groundbreaking ceremony at TouchPoint Medical’s new global headquarters in Land O’ Lakes. (B.C. Manion)

The 142,000-square-foot facility in Land O’ Lakes is expected to be completed during 2020. The company will bring a total of 228 jobs to Pasco County, including 116 new jobs and other positions transferred from several locations.

The project represents more than $23 million in capital investment in Pasco County, according to officials with Pasco Economic Development Council Inc., the agency that seeks to attract new businesses and strengthen existing ones to bolster the county’s economy.

Officials from TouchPoint Medical and its parent company, elected leaders, TouchPoint employees and members of the community celebrated the groundbreaking on Feb. 6.

It was a blue sky kind of day, with speeches filled with enthusiasm — regarding the promise and potential that the new project represents.

When TouchPoint Medical Inc. began working with Pasco County officials, it discovered it shared many common values, said Pascal Testeil, the company’s president.

Brian McNeill, president and CEO of TouchPoint Inc., the parent company of TouchPoint Medical, told the crowd that as a private company the focus is “on doing what’s right for the long-term of the business. And, we look to create value over a long period of time.

“The investment that we’re making here in Pasco, Florida, is an example of our long-term commitment to our business, to our people, and to the communities in which we work and live,” McNeill said.

“I think this moment clearly demonstrates the power of aligning shared interests of private and public resources to create something new and exciting,” he added.

Pascal Testeil, president of TouchPoint Medical, said the company began looking for a location about a year ago, to enable its growth and expansion.

When it began working with the Pasco Economic Development Council’s staff and Pasco County, “we quickly discovered that we shared common values, such as growth, diversity, passion for creating value for customers and a strong sense of community.

“For all of those reasons, we were convinced that our new home should be here, in Pasco County,” Testeil said. “We want to be a contribution to the local economy,” he added.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells said he was pleased to see such a strong turnout of TouchPoint Medical employees at the groundbreaking ceremony, at the site where the company will have its new global headquarters.

Pasco County Commissioner Mike Wells marveled at TouchPoint’s commitment to its employees, and at the sizable presence of TouchPoint team members at the event.

The commissioner added: “We are very excited to bring more jobs and economic growth to Pasco County. The new jobs coming to the county will range from product development, business services, customer and technical support, as well as manufacturing.”

Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco EDC, said “this land represents a great foundation to do business. It’s a wonderful location in the middle of the fastest-growing market in the United States, the southeast U.S.

“The foundation here is also strengthened by the community leaders and elected officials,” Cronin said.

The economic development leader also pledged a continuing partnership with the company.

Company and local officials fling shovels of sand to mark the groundbreaking for TouchPoint Medical Inc.’s global headquarters. It is expected to create 116 new jobs in Pasco County.

“We thank you for making the decision to move here,” Cronin said. “We are here for the long-run. We want to see you grow and prosper.”

TouchPoint Medical incentives
The Pasco County Commission previously approved $1.7 million in incentives to attract TouchPoint Medical Inc., to Pasco County.

The packages includes:

  • About $464,000 to be paid over eight years in return for providing new jobs
  • Up to $150,000 in payments or credits for permitting fees
  • An estimated $980,000 in property tax rebates over 10 years
  • $100,000 in reimbursable employee training costs

TouchPoint Medical will partner with AmSkills as part of training and recruitment.

AmSkills is an initiative that helps high school students, adults and veterans learn manufacturing job skills.

Published February 13, 2019