Volume 23 Issue 14
Inside:
Love Great Burgers & Fries? Check Out Oakley’s Grille! See page 34!
July 3, 2015
Named The 2014 ‘Small Business Of The Year’ By The Wesley Chapel Chamber Of Commerce! The Direct-Mail News Magazines Serving New Tampa & Wesley Chapel Since 1993! For the complete list of neighborhoods that receive this Wesley Chapel issue by direct mail, see page 46!
Study Under Way For Realignment Of S.R. 54/BBD Intersection
Hollybrook Plaza
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Publix Relocation?
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WC Village Market
Future Retail
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Current BBD/S.R. 54 Intersection
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In addition to the new intersection, another project is about to get started along S.R. 54 in Wiregrass next to the loop road.. On June 16, West Palm Beach-based The
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Other New Developments
New BBD/S.R. 54 Intersection
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way to construct the road and required retention ponds for the route and determine the best alignment. But, to make sure that the study is as conclusive and specific as possible, Johnson is bringing in a professional land cost sub-consultant (Omaha, NB-based HDR, Inc.) to more accurately determine the cost of acquiring the land and building the road. The study also will be extended by 90 calendar days. The Route & Pond Study also will more accurately estimate the damages to businesses along S.R. 54 that will be affected by the new intersection. HDR will be looking at 15 pieces of property, including Saddlebrook and all of the businesses along the north side of S.R. 54 to the west of the Saddlebrook entrance. “The S.R. 581 (BBD) Bypass Loop Route Study is still in development and staff is working with all affected property owners, as well as FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) as the analysis continues,” says Pasco County program administrator for Engineering Services Deborah Bolduc. “Looking ahead and based on the project schedule, there will be a public meeting in January 2016 for public comment and a presentation to the (BOCC) would occur by mid-February.” J.D. Porter, whose family owns the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, could not be reached for comment at our press time.
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By Matt Wiley If you travel through Wesley Chapel along Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., you’re probably familiar with the 3.5-mile stretch between S.R. 56 and S.R. 54. However, the north end of BBD at 54 could be changing, as development continues inside the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI). Currently, the Pasco County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) is awaiting the results of a study to determine the most favorable alignment of a “loop road” that would add a new intersection about a mile to the east of BBD/54, just west of Saddlebrook Resort & Spa (see map). According to the development order for Wiregrass Ranch, the plan calls for adding a “S.R. 581 (BBD) Bypass Loop Road,” as it is referred to, which would begin a little more than a mile south of BBD/54, “loop” to the east, intersect with an extension of the existing Wiregrass Ranch Blvd., and then loop north to meet S.R. 54. The new loop road would allow the new development in Wiregrass Ranch (north of the existing Estancia subdivision) to access the new intersection just west of the entrance to Saddlebrook Resort & Spa. However, it is important to note that the current intersection at BBD/S.R. 54 also will remain intact. On June 22, the BOCC approved a study extension for Lutz-based Johnson Engineering, Inc., which currently is working to put together a Route & Pond Study for the planned intersection alignment. The study, which began in January, will estimate the cost of obtaining the necessary right of
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The S.R. 581/BBD “Bypass Loop Road” (in red) is being planned to provide an alternative access to S.R. 54 from BBD for residents of the Wiregrass Ranch DRI. The “Loop Road” will intersect with Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. (near Walmart) and access S.R. 54 just west of Saddlebrook Resort Dowd Companies posted a sign for future retail development on the currently vacant property south of S.R. 54 and immediately to the west of Saddlebrook. According to the developer’s website, the site will be home to an 11,200-sq.ft. retail center with two outparcels to the west, measuring more than 1.5-acres each, but Dowd Companies president John W. Dowd, III, says no tenants have yet been confirmed. “We don’t have specific plans drawn up just yet,” Dowd says. “We’re still in the initial planning stages, but we’re now looking for retailers.”
The site already has been cleared of the orange groves that once lined it, but Dowd says that ground won’t officially be broken at the site until sometime late this year, with an opening tentatively planned for fall 2016. The company’s website says that spaces will be available from as small as 1,200 sq. ft., but Dowd says that it hasn’t yet been decided how the entire space will be divided and that the plans will depend upon the businesses that show interest in becoming tenants. The Dowd Companies’ website also
See “Loop Road” on page 21
See Fireworks Tonight At Freedom Fest At The Shops At Wiregrass! The Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon is proud that the fourth annual Wesley Chapel Freedom Festival will again be the largest annual community event for the Club, which meets every Wednesday at noon at Stage Left Bar & Kitchen (24400 S.R. 54, Lutz). Come out and be among the thousands (see photo, far right) who will again come out to celebrate our nation’s birthday (239th) tonight — Friday, July 3rd — at the Shops at Wiregrass mall!
The festivities kick off at 4 p.m. at the mall’s Center Court and attendees can expect a huge variety of fun-filled events for the entire family, including: • Great family-oriented events & DJ dance music all afternoon and evening; • The 2015 Little Miss & Mr. Firecracker Pageant — sponsored by the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative (WREC.net); • The always-fun Watermelon-Eating Contest — sponsored by Ierna’s
Also Inside This Issue!
News, Business & Sports Updates
Neighborhood Magazine
WCCC Gets Tour Of Mercedes-Benz Dealership, PHSC President Retires After A Decade, WC Rotary Mission Trip A Success, Plus, Lots Of Local Business Features!
Wesley Chapel Seniors Graduate At Sun Dome, Oakley’s Grille Worth The Drive For Area’s Best Burgers & Fries & More Neighborhood Nibbles & Biz Bytes!
Pages 1-30
Pages 31-40
Heating & Cooling (IernaAir.com); • A unique Bike-Decorating Contest — sponsored by Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FloridaHospital.com/ Wesley-Chapel) — and the annual patriotic Bike Parade; • All followed by Wesley Chapel’s only professional fireworks display — sponsored by LOL Transport & Moving (LOLMoving.com) in Land O’Lakes! There also will be plenty of vendors on hand, providing hours of fun for everyone throughout the Shops. Congratulations in advance to my fellow Wesley Chapel Rotarians and event co-chairs Jeanine McLeod of Cloud 9 Photo Studios (PhotosonCloud9.com) and chiropractor Pablo Rivera, DC, of Core Spine & Rehabilitation Center (Facebook.com/CoreSpine). Last year’s fireworks were delayed (but not canceled, despite some serious rain throughout the day), so stay tuned to Facebook.com/FreedomFestivalWesleyChapel for info. — GN
Photo from OurTownFLA.com