According to the countyâs permitting records, OTBâ which stands for Only The Best â is looking to move into the new Nye Commons Plaza on the west side of BBD, just south of S.R. 54, which is owned by Nye Commercial Developers.
Currently under a zoning review, OTB, which specializes in serving hand-crafted fresh and healthy sandwiches, wraps and salads, would take over a 1,345-sq.-ft. space in the 14,000-sq.-ft. plaza., which now has seven tenants, including Nye Commercial Developers.
âWe are all filled up,â says Brent Nye, who says he still fields calls from prospective tenants.
Also potentially moving into the plaza is Board & Brush Creative Studios, which is looking to take over a 1,302-sq.-ft. space.
Also in permitting to set up shop at the Nye Commons is Keystone Title Agency, Inc., which currently has a location in Port Richey. Avalon Spa & Nails also is opening a second Wesley Chapel location in the plaza, and Nye says a veterinarian and an insurance company have leased space as well.
BUT, âCHIPOTLE IS MY LIFE!â: Permitting has been filed with the county for a 15,664-sq.-ft. shell building that is likely to be a commercial strip center right off S.R. 56, in front of the soon-to-open Hyatt Place Hotel & Convention Center.
The strip center could be home to a number of coming projects that have been previously reported, like Golf Galaxy, Total Wine & More and Blaze Pizza. One of the rumored new restaurants coming to that side of S.R. 56, Chipotle Mexican Grill, wonât be located in the new strip center, however. According to permitting records, it will be located closer to the Earth Fare health and wellness supermarket coming to the corner of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd.
Roxanne Simmonds of Premier Sothebyâs International Realty and her husband, Dennis, enjoy living the Florida lifestyle. She wants you to enjoy it, too, by helping you find your dream home.
With more than 20 years of experience in banking, most recently as an executive managing teams of people, local Realtor Roxanne Simmonds of Premier Sothebyâs International Realty has the expertise to help her clients navigate the sometimes-tricky process of buying or selling a home.
The Cory Lake Isles resident says she fell in love with the New Tampa area when she relocated to Tampa from Boston 11 years ago. At the time, she was a market executive with Bank of America and was later promoted to area executive for West Florida.
After that, Roxanne worked as a program executive, where she says she traveled all over the country, managing the sale of financial centers to community banks. She explains that when Bank of America executives wanted to sell off financial centers that no longer fit their business model, she would manage that transition, which would include selling the physical building, transitioning clients to the new community bank and transitioning Bank of America associates to their new employer.
While Bank of America brought her to Tampa, Roxanne says it was the appeal of Cory Lake Isles that drew her to New Tampa. She says she always loved her drive back home after working in downtown Tampa. In fact, although she still spends most of her time in the New Tampa/Wesley Chapel area, the Premier Sothebyâs International Realty local office is in South Tampa on S. Moody Ave.
âThereâs so much beauty (in New Tampa),â she says. âWith the quietness and trees, I feel like Iâm going to my country home right in Tampa.â
She says homes in the New Tampa area currently are an excellent value, especially when you consider the amenities offered in many local communities â such as community pools and clubhouses â and the proximity to shopping at two major local malls and the continuing influx of new restaurants.
âWe are a community that truly has something for everyone,â says Roxanne.âI love this area,â she adds. âIf my husband and I decide to downsize, it will still be in New Tampa. I see the growth of the community, but it seems itâs growing closer together. You have all different backgrounds, and the diversity is fabulous.â
She also enjoys the proximity to downtown Tampa, where she and her husband, Dennis, enjoy visiting Jacksonâs of Harbour Island, Armature Works and other restaurants.
Roxanne and Dennis have been married 33 years. They live with their newly-adopted Maltipoo puppy, Webster. Their daughter, Nicole, used to live in Cory Lake Isles, too, but recently moved back to Boston and will be married this October. Their son, D.J., was a Boston police officer who died in 2014 as a result of injuries sustained when he was one of the first officers to engage the Boston Marathon bombers nearly a year before.
âHeâs our hero,â says Roxanne.
About Premier Sothebyâs International Realty
Roxanne says she was drawn to Premier Sothebyâs International Realty because it is a luxury brand with a great reputation. Although she is one of the first associates in New Tampa with the company, she is familiar with its reputation from her time in downtown Tampa and Boston. Premier Sothebyâs is affiliated with the world-renowned Sothebyâs auction house (Sothebys.com).
Roxanne, with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.
Roxanne left her role with Bank of America in 2016 and took some time off. She earned her real estate license in 2017, and thatâs when she says her phone started ringing off the hook from companies who were recruiting her to join their agency.
But, no one from Premier Sothebyâs ever called her. She says thatâs because the company is difficult to get into because of its high standards. So, Roxanne decided to call them.
The local Premier Sothebyâs management found her banking background and customer service focus a great match for their upscale company. Plus, Roxanne did residential lending in the early part of her career, so she already understood that important part of the home-buying process.
âI know how to treat people well,â says Roxanne. âIâve been trained through the companies Iâve worked for, but I also just know that itâs important to treat people with respect and to be kind.â
She doesnât overlook the simple things: âIf you say youâre going to do something,â she says, âdo it. Be timely. Return phone calls.â
While the name Sothebyâs conjures up images of luxury, Roxanne says she will help anyone looking to buy or sell a home.
She says her currently active listings go up to $850,000 right now, but sheâs also working with a client looking to purchase in the $180,000-$250,000 price range.
âWe have multi-million-dollar properties,â Roxanne says, âbut we have a wide variety, too. No matter what the price point is, I make sure the client has a luxury experience.â
Roxanne adds that if youâre considering selling your home, thereâs no reason to try to make that decision alone. âIf you are even thinking about whether or not to sell your house, contact me,â she says. âI can give you information to help with the decision, either way.â
She can help you understand the value of your home and have a conversation about where you want to go in the next season of life and how to get there.
She helps buyers who are relocating, those who are buying a first home, a bigger home or downsizing. Whether they need to know how to get electricity, what a CDD is, or how flood zones work, Roxanne says she can help guide buyers and sellers through all of their questions. She adds that she enjoys helping people find the special place that will become their home.
âIt is just a material thing, but itâs where memories are made, where we celebrate holidays and birthdays, and at the end of a hard day, itâs where we retreat from life,â Roxanne explains. âSo, we want it to be comfortable, whether itâs 1,000 square feet or 7,000.â
Premier Sothebyâs International Realtyâs Tampa office is located at 202 S. Moody Ave. For a consultation with Roxanne Simmonds, call her at (813) 613-3687 or send an email to Roxanne.Simmonds@PremierSIR.com. For more information, or visit RoxanneSimmonds.PremierSothebysRealty.com.
The Twisted Sisters, North Tampa Athletic Association 10-under softball All-Stars are headed to the Babe Ruth World Series after winning the State title July 2 in Lake City, FL.
The Twisted Sisters overcame a disappointing loss in Districts to make it all the way to the top.
After playing the District tournament at Madeira Beach and finishing second behind Bloomingdale, the New Tampa-based team came face-to-face with the Bloomingdale again in the State semifinals.
The rematch, however, went the Twisted Sistersâ way, as they knocked off Bloomingdale 4-1. In the championship game, the New/North Tampa team endured a rain and lightning delay â during which an impromptu dance-off between the teams took place â before beating West Volusia 6-1, to advance to the World Series.
In five games at the State tourney, the Sisters outscored their opposition 32-7 (all five were victories) in advancing to the World Series July 28-Aug. 4 in Jensen Beach, FL.
The team is coached by Otis Bass, with Jamie Ankers, Michael Connell, Devon Connell and Justin Horne as assistant coaches.
The Twisted Sisters are Chelsea Anderson, Jordan Ankers, Isabellarose Bass, Eliza Connell, Lola Coole, Hailey Horne, Allison McDuffie, Grace Mercado, Eliana Rivera, Willa Soorus and Skylah Stephens.
The team has set up a GoFundMe page to help pay for their World Series trip. If you would like to help, go to GoFundMe.com and search for âNorth Tampa Twisted Sisters.â â JCC
IMAGINE, IF YOU CAN, your husband or wife taking the kids for their usual bike ride together and waiting for them to come home. Everyone knows bicycles can be dangerous, but even those times that you get that feeling in the pit of your stomach because itâs taking a little longer than usual for them to return, it pretty much always turns out OK.
Doesnât it?
Then, imagine what the family of West Meadows resident Pedro Aguerreberry, 42, is going through today, less than three weeks since Pedro took his sons Lucas, 8, and Bennett, 3, out for a bike ride, never to be seen alive again by his wife Meghan or those young boys.
But, this wasnât just another tragic accident that, in an instant, changed forever the lives of the Aguerreberry family and everyone who worked with the always-smiling Pedro at Citigroup and their friends and neighbors in New Tampa.
Instead, it was an intentional act by a sadly mentally deranged young man who posted on Instagram the day before he made that quick U-turn in his car on New Tampa Blvd. (the main road that runs through West Meadows) to run down Pedro and his young sons that no one should blame him for what he was about to do. Instead, Morse said, âblame the devil.â
Yes, Morse, the former Freedom High student who was Baker Acted by the Tampa Police Department (TPD) on June 12, just two weeks earlier, only to be released â against the protests of his own mother â on June 19, a week after being held and evaluated, was obviously dealing with a serious mental illness. But, this isnât about whether or not the man charged with the first-degree, premeditated murder of Pedro should be declared not guilty by reason of insanity or not. Itâs about what happens after a happily married, devoted husband and father is intentionally taken from the arms of his loving family by someone he had never met.
Trying To Make Sense Of It
Even though I had never met Pedro or Meghan, I was one of more than 200 people who filled St. James United Methodist Church on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. on June 27 for his funeral. The next day, I also came out to take pictures of the 100 or so who got together to put on a memorial bike ride and run in his honor.
At the memorial service on Friday, I was stunned that the start of the service was delayed by an hour, as I was one of only maybe 30 people who were actually sitting in the seats. The other (approximately) 175 or so people in attendance made a circle around the outside of the seating area and every last one of them hugged Meghan and the boys (Lucas was able to get himself into a seat, but Bennett, who was more severely injured in the crash, was still in a wheelchair) and offered them all prayers and other words of love and encouragement.
I had never seen this done at a funeral before but I definitely felt this amazing energy flowing between every one of those well-wishers and the entire Aguerreberry family.
As if he hadnât already been through enough that week, poor Bennett simply couldnât handle the receiving line. After the first 20 minutes or so, he said, âMommy, please stop letting go of me,â as Meghan tried desperately to continue holding his hand while hugging every one of the attendees with her other arm.
Still 20 minutes later, Bennett pleaded with her again, âMommy, please stop hugging them.â I canât imagine that anyone who left St. James did so with his or her heart still intact after hearing this sweet childâs plaintive cries.
After that, it was difficult to focus on the beautiful, sweet words of remembrance from Brett, Oscar and Laura, Pedroâs friends and coworkers at Citigroup who spoke. Everyone who did mentioned Pedroâs smile.
âPedro was always happy and always had the greatest smile on his face,â Brett said. âHe was always saying, âHey, Brett, isnât this just the greatest day?ââ
Itâs still so hard to believe that someone like that could be taken away from the people who love him by such a senseless, heinous act.
Even so, I personally wanted to thank Loyless Funeral Homes for providing such a beautiful video memorial for Pedro, both online and during the service. All of the pictures of him and his family on these pages were saved from that video.
Honoring Pedroâs Memory…
It certainly isnât difficult to understand why so many people have felt compelled to try to help the Aguerreberry family. In addition to the memorial bike ride, a GoFundMe page has already raised tens of thousands of dollars to help them and The Fat Rabbit Pub in Tampa Palms and 900Âș Woodfired Pizza in the Shops at Wiregrass (owner Steve Falabella lives in West Meadows) were among those holding fund-raising events (Fat Rabbitâs was on July 8) to help.
As for the bike ride, cyclists young and old started at the BBD entrance to Flatwoods Park, turned right onto BBD and left onto New Tampa Blvd., pausing to honor Pedro at the makeshift shrine set up by his fellow West Meadows residents near where he was struck and killed by Morseâs car a little west of Wood Sage Dr.
Brett was among the handful of runners who said a little prayer for Pedro before taking off to run the parkâs paved loop together.
In a day full of appointments and deadlines, basic vehicle maintenance can oftentimes fall into the âIâll do it laterâ box.
At the 14-year-old flagship location of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube, located off Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of I-75 (in North Palms Village), you can move that maintenance out of deferment and into the checked box.
Whether itâs an express or full-service car wash, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is going to get you in and out on the hop.
âThe quality of the job a customer gets and the in and out time getting it done is something that sets us apart from other car washes,â VP of operations Scott Barone says.
Bay Breeze Car Wash is still expanding, too. The company plans to open a new Express Wash location in Wesley Chapel on SR 54 and Vandine Rd. by the end of this year.
Just how fast is Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube?
If itâs an oil change, Barone says most customers are in and out in 15 minutes once work begins on their car. Coming soon to the New Tampa flagship location, customers will be able to remain inside their vehicle when purchasing Express Car Washes, a new feature that will allow Express Wash customers to get in and out even quicker, as the location now has a much-improved Express Wash lane.
Express Wash lanes are offered at all seven Bay Breeze locations across the Tampa Bay area, including at the companyâs other New Tampa location off BBD, in the Trout Creek area of New Tampa, just a little south of Wesley Chapel.
The Express Wash aims at getting customers in and out in less than three minutes. Now, there even are payment methods in place so that the customer never has to leave his or her vehicle. âWe keep the express in express and this applies to both oil changes and washes,â Barone says. âYouâre not getting in and out in 15 minutes (for an oil change) if you go to the dealership.â
For vehicle maintenance, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube can do more than just oil changes, too.
Most standard vehicle maintenance services are available, including: windshield wipers, air filter, transmission/coolant/engine flush, light bulb replacement and fuel injection. Check out BayBreezeCarWash.com for a full list of available services.
Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube uses Mobil 1 oil and in the month of June and July is offering a free car wash (valued at $20) with the purchase of a full synthetic oil change.
Upgrading & Expanding
The Express Wash area (photo, right) at the flagship location has reopened with a new Express Wash menu, complete with a dedicated lane and easier-to-negotiate new exit from the facility.
And, while the revamped Express Wash lane will not have a free vacuum area included with each wash, the flagship locationâs renovation will include a towel dry for each Express Wash purchased, something Barone says is not offered at other Bay Breeze locations.
Along with the physical renovations, Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also is offering new membership options, ranging from as little as $20 per month to $50 per month. They hope to have a new Unlimited Full Service Membership available within the coming months as well. The $50 Ultimate Package includes a tire shine, application of a nano-polymer sealant and a triple foam polish. Both memberships include unlimited Express Washes.
Express Washes are done using the same spinning rollers that you remember as a kid; however, instead of the coarse bristled brushes, Bay Breeze uses 2nd Generation Envirosoft brushes, which are made from foam.
âItâs closed-cell foam technology where no particles get trapped,â Barone says. âItâs the best material on the market for the surface of your vehicle.â
Most Bay Breeze locations have between six and 10 employees. The flagship station in New Tampa, however, has 60.
âWe call this location (New Tampa) âBay Breeze Universityâ because itâs where we identify talent,â Barone says. âMost (of our) management staff passes through this store at some point.â
Ramoutar has 15 years of experience in the industry and ran the car wash at the New Tampa location prior to Bay Breeze taking it over in 2004.
Ortiz worked in detailing at Stadium Toyota prior to coming over to Bay Breeze 17 months ago, and helped open the location on BBD in the Trout Creek area.
Ortiz says he learned a lot about the company and managing it at the Trout Creek location.
âMulti-tasking, workload, employee relations, accommodating customers, the experience put me in touch with some of the problems you come in contact with at express locations,â Ortiz said. âWhen I transitioned over to full service, youâre dealing with many more employees and you have to learn to schedule weeks ahead and forecast things.â
Ramoutar was a greeter at the previous car wash and when the transition to Bay Breeze happened, he was elevated to supervisor and, eventually, to general manager.
âIt takes a lot of worry away, knowing these guys, knowing their history, how they work,â Barone says. âHaving them in key roles is important. Otherwise, it just doesnât work.â
Barone himself has worked his way up, too. He was the GM of the Brandon location (2007-13) and has been Bay Breeze corporateâs VP of operations for the last five years.
All three have the same sentiments about working in a family atmosphere.
âIn my experience, a family-owned company with a family atmosphere treats employees and customers the same way,â Ramoutar says. âIt feels like a family here. Thatâs why we have people that have been coming to us for 15 years.â
Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube also has gift cards available.
The flagship New Tampa location of Bay Breeze Car Wash & Lube is located at 17501 N. Palms Village Pl. (next to Steak & Shake) and is open Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 615-1333.
The Trout Creek location is at 20306 Trout Creek Dr. and its car wash services are available seven days a week, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. Lube services are available at this location Monday-Saturday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Sunday. For more info, call (813) 973-0033 or visit BayBreezeCarWash.com.Â
Local restaurant favorite OTB Delights Café, which currently is located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. across the street from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, is moving a few miles up the road.
