Month: December 2019

It’s Easy To Look Forward With Our 2020 Vision!

The year 2019 has been extremely eventful for Wesley Chapel (and for yours truly) and the forecast for 2020 is (drumroll, please)…for much more of the same for the fastest-growing designated area in Florida.

So yes, a lot of new businesses and restaurants opened between S.R. 54 and S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel in 2019, but there’s so much more to come.

For example, while our area got its first green grocer — Earth Fare — this year, we will have a new (and perhaps even more anticipated) Aldi opening next year.

Although news about new openings along S.R. 56 dominated 2019, with the long-dormant The Grove shopping center just north of S.R. 54 being sold to aggressive new owner Mark Gold in the last quarter of 2019, you can be sure that the 2020 news coming out of our area won’t only be about 56. There are new businesses — and plenty of mom-and-pop-owned restaurants — coming to The Grove, many of which we can’t announce yet, but we plan to continue to be the primary source of news and information about everything coming to this suddenly revitalized commercial area.

On the other hand, S.R. 56, which was extended all the way to U.S. Hwy. 301 this year, isn’t going to get any less busy anytime soon, on both sides of I-75.

Although newbies like Walk-On’s Bistreaux & Bar and Bubba’s 33 (opening just after you receive this issue) have joined an already-crowded-with-restaurants area around the Tampa Premium Outlets in 2019, next year will bring The Main Event bowling & entertainment center, Rock n’ Brews and hopefully, Saltgrass Steakhouse.

Further east on (and just north of) 56, the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus of Pasco County is expected to open sometime next summer, and the county’s private partner, RADDSports, will bring not only thousands of hotel room nights with the indoor sports complex’s basketball, volleyball and cheerleading events on the weekends, but also will offer lots of great local leagues and events during the week, too. And, although the adjacent Marriott-branded Residence Inn may not open until 2021, it will be home to Wesley Chapel’s first rooftop bar.

Speaking of drinking, those who fancy craft beers will soon have two places to call home — as Florida Ave. Brewing will open what they believe will be Florida’s largest microbrewery at the former Sports + Field location on S.R. 56 and Double Branch Artisanal Ales will open at The Grove. Both local breweries made a big splash with local residents at the second annual New Tampa BrewFest (see pages 35-37) held Nov. 16.

And, while the first Crystal Lagoon by Metro Lagoons actually opened in Epperson in late 2018, it will soon be joined by an even larger (15-acres vs. 7.5 acres) Metro Lagoon at Mirada just a few miles to the north either by the end of this month or the beginning of January. And, based on a recent published report in the Tampa Bay Times, the first neighborhood commercial development may begin in Epperson as early as next year, too.

And, quite honestly, that is just a taste of what you can expect to see in Wesley Chapel next year. And of course, you know where you’ll get most of the news first about what’s happening in our area — and in adjacent New Tampa — the Neighborhood News print editions and NeighborhoodNewsOnline.net!

On A Personal Note…

The year 2019 also has been very special for yours truly. It started in January, when we were one of only 23 U.S. media companies to receive a grant from the Google News Initiative. I then celebrated 25 years of Neighborhood News in February (although our well-attended party was in April), Jannah and I got married in March, Jannah became the director of marketing for RADDSports over the summer and now, we have two new grandbabies who surely will make 2020 even more special for us.

Jannah’s daughter Lauren gave birth to Rosalie (Rosie) Carolyn Cione on Nov. 7 and she and her fiancé Albert Cione have been doing an amazing job with their 6-lb., 3-oz. (at birth) little bundle (above left). Then, on Dec. 2, my younger son Jake and his wife Meghan brought the equally precious 7-lb., 13-oz. Jackson (Jax) John Nager into the world.

So heck yes, Rosie & Jax’s “Grampa G” and “Grammy J” are kind of excited about 2020!

editorial

BayCare Plans BBD Hospital

Barring any other changes, Wesley Chapel will soon have two hospitals, as BayCare Health System has filed plans with Pasco County to build a new facility right up the road from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel.

The new 60-bed facility will be built on land BayCare has owned for more than a decade on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. at Eagelston Blvd., on the northern end of the Seven Oaks community, less than a mile south of S.R. 54, just south of the under-construction Blue Heron Senior Living Community (see map).

According to plans filed with the county, a pre-application meeting was scheduled to be held Dec. 9.

If a new BayCare hospital facility in Wesley Chapel sounds familiar, it should. The company originally met with county planners in 2018, looking to build a 60-bed acute care hospital on an 111-acre site it had planned to acquire in the northeast quadrant of the now-planned I-75 exit at Overpass Rd.

Despite receiving preliminary approval from the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA), BayCare’s efforts were opposed by AdventHealth, on the grounds that there was ample service provided to the area by its Wesley Chapel location, as well as its other hospitals in Dade City and Zephyrhills, both very close to northern Wesley Chapel.

The Florida Legislature, however, eliminated the requirement for a Certificate of Need last spring, expanding BayCare’s options.

BayCare purchased 34.6 acres of the planned new site for $15 million in 2006, and then paid $6.67 million for an adjoining 19.9-acre parcel in 2007, for a total of 54.5 acres, for a combined $21.67 million, according to county property records.

Also in 2007, BayCare purchased an 18.25-acres parcel of land across Eagleston and west of BBD for $9.4 million, so expansion could already be in the works.

BayCare’s current plans filed with the county show the acute-care hospital, an emergency department, observation rooms, medical office building and an ambulatory surgery center.

BayCare seven oaks

Recapping The North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Annual Awards Gala!

Although Jannah and I had to miss this year’s “Excellence in Business” Awards Gala, hosted on Nov. 7 by the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (for the first time), we had a pretty good reason — Jannah’s daughter Lauren gave birth to the first of our two new grandchildren — the precious Rosalie (“Rosie”) Carolyn Cione — at almost exactly the same time, on the same day, as the event.

But, even though we missed the gala, I still wanted to congratulate this year’s award winners. As a former “Small Business of the Year” award winner (in 2014) for the former Wesley Chapel Chamber, I know how nice it is to accept one of these awards:

Small Business of the Year – Advisor Magazine

New Business of the Year – Hilton Garden Inn Tampa-Wesley Chapel

Large Business of the Year – AdventHealth Wesley Chapel

Entrepreneur of the Year – Slater • Grant

Board Member of the Year – Michael Berthelette, Platinum Hair Salon

Volunteer of the Year – Cam Caudle, Shred 360

Congratulations to all of the winners and finalists! And, as always, the attendees were all well-dressed and ready to enjoy the party!

Thanks to David Alvarez of DCI Media for taking these great pics in our absence!

For more information about the North Tampa Bay Chamber, call (813) 994-8534 or stop by the office at 1868 Highland Oaks Blvd., Suite A-1, Lutz. — GN

Excellence in Business North Tampa Bay Chamber

Jonny’s Dream Of Playing Pro Soccer Will Take Him To Spain

Wesley Chapel resident Jonny Robinson talks almost as fast as he runs.

As the 10-year-old finishes up putting another ball in the back of the net during a camp at the Wesley Chapel District Park, he races over to his mother Alena to breathlessly tell her he scored a free kick, and a penalty kick, and five other goals.

A few minutes later, he is talking about how dribbling is his favorite part of soccer. When it’s pointed out that he couldn’t wait to tell Alena about his goals, he points out that, “Yes, but of four of those goals, three were from dribbling.”

Jonny is a whirling dervish of activity — chatty, happy and eager to keep moving around, a soccer ball always at his feet.

“He is always happy when he’s on the pitch,” says Alena. “I’ve never seen him not happy when he’s playing.”

Which is, well, pretty much always.

His dedication to the game has helped lead Jonny to what will probably make him happiest of all — a spot in the 2020 Real Madrid Foundation Clinics World Challenge in early April of 2020.

Jonny was one of two boys selected to represent the United States from April 2-10, 2020, on the grounds of the Real Madrid soccer team training facility in Madrid, Spain.

Alena says Jonny was named MVP of the camp in Orlando, where he was picked from a group of roughly 50 other 10-year-old kids to go to Madrid.

The Madrid tournament will cover four days, with 64 teams and 700 players from around the world competing.

“I feel very motivated and very excited,” Jonny says.

Ironically, Jonny’s favorite soccer team is Real Madrid’s most bitter rival – Barcelona FC.

When Jonny was 6, he happened across the 2015 UEF Champions League Final between Barcelona and Juventus (Italy), and he was hooked.

Neymar became his favorite player after scoring the last goal in a 3-1 win, and Barcelona became Jonny’s favorite soccer team. He wanted to learn how to play himself.

“I was playing tee ball, and didn’t really like it,” Jonny says. “My grandma said, “you guys got Jonny wrong, he’s supposed to be playing soccer.’”

At first, it was a difficult transition. Alena says that Jonny’s first season was nearly a disaster.

“He was just running after kids, having fun,” she says. “We told him to go take the ball away (from the other players), and one time he literally took the ball with his hands and said ‘Look, Mom, I got the ball!’”

Jonny stuck with it, however. A summer league at the Wesley Chapel District Park unlocked his fervor for the game, and ever since, he has been working hard at perfecting his skills.

Alena says Jonny will sometimes wake up and immediately run some shuttle cone drills (to improve his bursts of speed), go to his private coach, head off to camp, work on his shots at home in his front yard and then go to a team practice.

“He lives and breathes soccer,” she says. “He never once says he’s tired, or that he doesn’t want to do it.”

A fifth-grader at Watergrass Elementary, Jonny’s bedroom walls are decorated with pictures and posters of his favorite team and player.

“There is no room anywhere for anything else,” he says proudly.

Alena and Jonny’s father Sean have fed their son’s love of the game. They never miss an international friendly when one is played nearby, and two years ago, they took Jonny to Russia to watch Neymar play for Brazil, his native country, against Costa Rica.

“That was a joy,” Jonny says. “He scored a last-minute goal to win the game. I like that Brazilian style, where he dribbles the whole field and then there’s this crazy goal. Inside, I’m like, ‘Wow.’”

Jonny would like to follow in Neymar’s footsteps, which is why his trip in April is so exciting for him. He plays club soccer for Florida Premier, but thinks it would be awesome to play at one of the youth academies in Europe.

He will get more than a little taste of that next year in Madrid.

“We think this is a huge honor,” Alena says. “It’s a huge responsibility to represent your country, and such a unique opportunity. We are all super excited.”

Jonny nods his head in agreement.

Then he drops his soccer ball to his feet, and they are off, dribbling towards the next challenge.

jonny soccer

The Kilted Axe Prepping For January Opening

When it came to opening a new business in Wesley Chapel, Michael and Alicia Esenwein (photo) could have taken a nice, safe route.

Maybe a nice little coffee shop, a cozy family restaurant, or even a charming retail hot spot.

But no.

They chose…axe throwing?

“It’s kind of a weird story,” Mike says. “It wasn’t ever really a long-range plan…I’m not sure anyone ever plans (something like this).”

Once you talk to Seven Oaks residents Mike and Alecia, though, the story of The Kilted Axe — which will be a combination of a hip bar and hangout for axe-throwing enthusiasts when it opens on Saturday, January 18, 5 p.m., in The Grove — actually makes perfect sense.

After all, this is a couple that three years ago sold everything they owned — except for a Christmas tree Alicia says she couldn’t get rid of — and, with three young kids in tow, traveled the world for 18 months, with stops in Indonesia, Thailand, Italy and Costa Rica.

So naturally, the Esenweins’ adventurous spirit would lead to owning an axe-throwing business.

“We were living in North Carolina temporarily, and were looking for something to do and there were like 10 locations on the east coast there that had axe throwing,” Mike says. “Most of it was in barns, or a rugged setting, but there was one place in Wilmington that was upscale and had a bar and a restaurant. We just loved it. It was a cool place to hang out.”

It wasn’t until a few years after returning from North Carolina, after running some successful Under Armour flag football leagues as well as doing a little teaching — Mike was an online computer science professor for the University of Virginia and American Public University — that Alicia became restless.

“I want to do something,” she told Mike, and soon the idea for The Kilted Axe had flowered. It had been, after all, the one thing she had been asked about most by friends when they returned from North Carolina, thanks to some of her Facebook pictures.

They passively started looking at barns and warehouses for a site, but were also looking to buy a house, so they decided to put the business idea on hold until 2020.

A trip to The Grove, however, changed everything. Remembering it as a moribund center lacking zip, they drove by when they heard developer Mark Gold had bought it.

Gold, the high-charged developer with a big vision for his property, happened to be standing outside. They chatted. And Gold, who has axe-throwing places at some of his other properties, insisted they start their business as soon as possible.

“Most people wouldn’t rent a space like this for axe throwing,” Mike says. “They want restaurants. Mark knows, though. He loved the idea.”

After meeting some of the other business owners who had already signed leases with Gold, they were sold.

Axe throwing is a trendy, growing sport. The International Axe Throwing Federation (IATF) says there are more than 6,000 league members in more than 100 cities and six countries. It is a staple in lumberjack competitions and has been televised on ESPN.

Mike and Alicia compare it to throwing darts; it’s just a matter of getting the technique down.

The Kilted Axe will have three throwing lanes, all safely fenced in and manned by “Axeperts” there to help.

There also will be a lounge and balcony to hang out and have a few drinks or host an event. “Kind of like an old school pool hall feel,” Mike says.

And, because you have to be wondering — yes, mixing beer, wine and axe throwing can be safe.

“If you show up intoxicated and ready to throw axes, well, guess what? It’s not going to happen,” Mike says.

There will be men’s and women’s leagues, co-ed leagues, and even events for kids. Mike and Alicia have three kids — Jason, 14; Hailey, 12, and Hannah, who is 4. They all think axe throwing is pretty cool.

Alicia says she can’t wait for The Kilted Axe to open. Any fear that they were rushing into a crazy idea dissolved when they posted the news on Facebook, which lit up with enthusiasm.

More than 3,700 people say they are interested in attending opening night. Almost 300 say they are going for sure. A dozen or so people have signed up for leagues, a few nights are already booked for corporate events, and it’s one of the more buzzworthy new places set to open in Wesley Chapel.

“It was a crazy response,” Alicia says. “We’re anxious. Believe me, we’re anxious!”

For more information, visit TheKiltedAxe.com, or search for “Kilted Axe” on Facebook.

axe throwing grove Wesley Chapel