It appears as though the bustling New Tampa Recreation Center (NTRC) in Tampa Palms, which was expected to undergo an expansion this year, will remain at its current size for the foreseeable future.
Paige Kinsey, 14, (airborne) is one of the more than 7,500 annual participants who utilize the New Tampa Recreation Center, located on Commerce Park Blvd. in Tampa Palms.
In his 2014 City of Tampa Budget presentation on July 25, Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn announced that his recommended budget for the City is $830.9 million, with about $103 million devoted to capital improvement projects, which include government, transportation, utilities and parks & recreation projects.
However, the expansion of the 19,500-sq.-ft. NTRC, a hub for local gymnasts, did not make it onto this yearâs list of funded projects (although we mistakenly reported in our July 20 issue that the NTRC would be a funded project for 2013-14).Continue reading
Cross Creek Blvd. currently funnels down to two lanes just past the entrance to Cory Lake Isles.
Getting from Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to Morris Bridge Rd. by car could get a lot quicker in the next two years, as the City of Tampa plans to widen the portion of Cross Creek Blvd. that currently is still one lane in each direction, making the entire 4.5-mile stretch four lanes.
The project, which has been in the works for several years, could begin as soon as May 2014, according to city documents. Currently, Cross Creek Blvd. which links BBD to Morris Bridge Rd., is a four-lane divided road for two miles, beginning at BBD east to just beyond Cory Lake Dr. at the entrance to the Cory Lake Isles Professional Center.
You may not realize it, but the Pebble Creek Collection (PCC) on Bruce B. Downs (BBD)âBlvd. is the oldest shopping plaza in New Tampa. Built during the 1970s, the strip center looks as good as it ever has, thanks to an ongoing facelift provided by the centerâs landlord and owner, John Martinez, which has included replacing the entire roof throughout the plaza.
The Pebble Creek Collection shopping plaza on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just north of Cross Creek Blvd., is experiencing a rebirth.
Thatâs a good thing, because our office was in the Collection more than a dozen years ago, and roof leaks were an ongoing issue when we were there.
âWeâre also going to replace the plazaâs current monument sign on Bruce B. Downs with something a lot nicer,ââhe says. âIâm really happy with the way the center has filled back up.âContinue reading
The heat of summer is upon the New Tampa area, but with it has come the usual pattern of oppressive heat throughout the day, followed by thunderstorms in the afternoon and early evening. For this reason, the Southwest Florida Water Management District (aka âSwiftmudâ) has allowed the stricter watering restrictions implemented earlier in the year to expire.
According to a July 30 release from Swiftmud, the Districtâs Governing Board voted to let all Phase III water shortage orders â which limited lawn watering to once per week on specific days, determined by address, between the hours of 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. â expire on July 31, allowing residents to return to twice-per-week watering.Continue reading
North Tampa Behavioral Health (NTBH) is slated to open its doors on S.R. 56 in early October about one year after the opening of Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). However, instead of a facility devoted to physical wellness, NTBH will focus on the well-being of the mind for its patients. There will be an added benefit of increased prosperity for the local community, eventually creating more than 200 jobs.
North Tampa Behavioral Health, a psychiatric health facility, located on S.R. 56 east of the Shops at Wiregrass, will open to patients in October.
This summer NTBH bought the facility (located just east of Mansfield Blvd. on the south side of S.R. 56 in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact, or DRI) from United Medical Corp. NTBH was impressively constructed, in form and function, by DeAngelis Diamond Healthcare Group, LLC, to withstand Category 5 storms. DeAngelis is a Naples-based, nationally reputed construction company that specializes in building medical facilities.
NTBH will be both the newest and one of the most secure psychiatric hospitals in the Tampa Bay area when it opens in early October, says NTBH chief executive officer Jim Harris, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked in the mental health field since 1990. Surrounded by 14-foot-tall fences, the 53,000-sq.-ft., 75-bed facility sits on 16.46 acres of land on an outparcel of the Wiregrass Ranch DRI, but is surrounded almost entirely by conservation land. Construction began last November. The center is centrally located to serve several hospitals without psychiatric units, including FHWC, Florida Hospital Zephyrhills and Bayfront Dade City (Pasco Regional).
