Category: Featured

Harmon Ashton Oaks’ ‘Build-To-Rent’ Townhomes & Two Ridges Rd. Will Each Flank Established Community 

 Development to the left, development to the right. It doesn’t take a genius to understand that Wesley Chapel is one hot area, quickly being shaped by one project after another, and the residents of the Ashton Oaks community off C.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. are seeing that first-hand — as their small neighborhood of 203 single-family homes and 70 villas is literally being surrounded on all sides by new construction. 

About 1.5 miles east of Meadow Pointe Blvd. along C.R. 54 (which was called S.R. 54 until recently, when Pasco County took over the responsibility for the road from the state), two major projects are currently moving full steam ahead, flanking the established Ashton Oaks neighborhood and bringing both long-awaited infrastructure improvements and new residential growth to the area. 

Two Ridges Rd. Extension Moving In The Right Direction 

The first project will likely be something of a major relief for many Ashton Oaks residents, who have dealt with increasing cut-through traffic ever since the first leg of Two Ridges Rd. (see map) opened in early 2025. 

That initial 1.3-mile segment connected S.R. 56 to Grecko Dr., which created a temporary route between C.R. 54 and S.R. 56 for drivers “in the know.” While some residents viewed the shortcut as an unexpected traffic burden, the corridor itself was always envisioned by county planners, long before the first homes in Ashton Oaks were ever built. 

Now, the northern second leg of Two Ridges Rd. — approximately 0.7 miles in length — is rapidly taking shape (photo right). The extension will run north to the existing traffic signal at C.R. 54 and River Glen Blvd., across 54 from the main entrance to Avalon Park Wesley Chapel. 

Crews are currently performing grading, drainage and landscaping work across the corridor, steadily preparing the site for curbs, paving and final roadway construction. 

At the current pace, locals can likely expect the Two Ridges Rd. construction to be near or fully completed by the end of 2026. 

Once finished, the new extension will become the southern leg of the existing C.R. 54/ River Glen Blvd. intersection, opening access to future development opportunities on the southwest corner of the intersection, including a planned commercial parcel and the anticipated second phase of the nearby Valencia Ridge 55+ community (again, see map). 

According to county records, GL Homes — the developer of Valencia Ridge — is funding and constructing the extension of Two Ridges Rd. using developer dollars. 

Beyond local traffic improvements, the project also represents another major step toward the completion of a larger regional north-south corridor first detailed in our “…Road with (Too) Many Names?!” article nearly two years ago. 

That corridor, pieced together through multiple separately named roadway segments, is now quickly becoming reality: 

• 100% of the K-Bar Ranch Pkwy. segment in New Tampa is currently under construction 

• Approximately 90% of the Wyndfields South segment is under construction 

• Roughly 50% of Vida’s Way has already been completed (with the other 50% to start along with a future phase) 

However, one major section of this road with too many names will no longer move forward. As we reported last year, the entire Kirkland Ranch portion of the corridor was sold to the state for conservation purposes, removing that segment from future roadway plans. 

Most of the roadway sections are being constructed privately by developers as part of their associated communities. The only publicly funded portion currently planned is the southernmost 10% of Wyndfields South, the section along the west side of Union Park Charter Academy, which is slated for completion by Pasco County. 

Harmon Ashton Oaks Brings Build-To-Rent Trend To C.R. 54 

The second major project under way, to the east of Ashton Oaks, is Harmon Ashton Oaks (see map above & photos below), the build-to-rent townhome community rising on the southeast corner of C.R. 54 and Ashton Oaks Blvd. 

The 28-acre development will feature direct access from both roadways and represents another example of a rapidly growing housing trend across the Tampa Bay region: professionally managed rental home and townhome communities. 

The project is being developed by DRB Group Florida in partnership with Crescent Communities, which has previously developed several apartment communities throughout Florida, including the well-rated Novel Beach Park overlooking Tampa Bay in the Westshore area of Tampa. 

However, Harmon Ashton Oaks appears to be Crescent Communities’ first single-family-style rental community in Florida, despite the company already operating similar Harmon-branded communities in North and South Carolina, Texas and Arizona. 

Unlike traditional apartments, build-to-rent communities are designed to offer many of the conveniences of apartment living while providing features more commonly associated with single-family homes. 

That includes attached garages, private ground-floor patios opening onto lawns, larger floorplans, and increased privacy — all while still offering residents on-site leasing offices, professional property management and lease flexibility. 

The concept has become increasingly popular in Wesley Chapel in recent years, joining communities such as Vireo Wesley Chapel in Meadow Pointe III and Skymor Wesley Chapel off the end of Caroline Dr. 

According to the developer’s website: 

“Designed to blend the freedom of renting with the comfort and privacy of single-family living, Harmon Ashton Oaks will feature 115 thoughtfully designed 3- and 4-bedroom, 2-story townhomes averaging more than 1,800 sq. ft. Each residence will include modern finishes, spacious interiors, private yards and 2-car garages.” 

Plans for the community also include a resort-style pool, leasing office, amenity center and an adjacent 10,000-sq.-ft. open lawn and play area. Notably, every unit in the development is expected to include a two-car garage — an uncommon feature for rental communities. 

Harmon Ashton Oaks is currently expected to welcome its first residents in early 2027. 

Interestingly, while promotional materials for the project reference a future dog park, we were unable to locate that feature on the approved site plans or amenity drawings submitted for the development. 

Caught In The Middle 

Whether it’s new roads, new rooftops, or entirely new ways of living, the area surrounding Ashton Oaks is rapidly transforming, as Wesley Chapel’s growth engine continues pushing eastward along CR 54. 

While Ashton Oaks itself may not be the focus of the development boom, this established neighborhood now finds itself directly between two major projects that reflect the area’s continued evolution — one aimed at improving regional connectivity, the other introducing another modern housing concept to one of Pasco’s fastest-growing corridors. 

And with construction activity accelerating on both sides of the community, residents are getting a front-row seat to just how quickly Wesley Chapel continues to change.