Category: Uncategorized

Saturday, October 25, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. – Community Shred Fest & Secure Electronics Disposal. At Downtown Avalon Park (33613 SR 54). This event is open to the public and provides a safe way to dispose of sensitive documents and approved electronics. A suggested donation is $5 per box, with proceeds supporting local non-profit organizations. For more info and a list of approved electronics, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com/news-events/calendar/# 

Saturday, October 25, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. – “2025 Oktoberfest!” At Christ our Redeemer Lutheran Church (304 Druid Hills Rd., Temple Terrace). Celebrate the 26th annual Oktoberfest – a beloved tradition filled with fun, food, live music and festivities for the entire family. Free to attend, there will be food for purchase. For more info, call (813) 988-4025 or email church@CORLutheran.org. 

Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. – 2nd Annual Wesley Chapel Craft Festival. At The Shops at Wiregrass (along Paseo Dr.). Discover unique handmade treasures as you stroll through the Shops at Wiregrass and explore a wide variety of jewelry, pottery, art, photography, plants, specialty foods, and more — all crafted by talented artisans. Free to attend. For more info, visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com/event/30968-2nd-annual-wesley-chapel-craft-festival. 

Saturday & Sunday, October 25 & 26, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber’s Wesley Chapel Fall Festival & Carnival. At The Grove (5854 Wesley Grove Blvd.). The 21st annual Fall Festival returns to The Grove. There will be a full carnival, food trucks, kids play zone & activities, pumpkin photo stops, “Trunk or Treat” on Sunday, costume contests (photo), local bands, community performances and more. For more info, call (727) 674-1464, email Drew@FloridaPenguinProductions.com or visit northtampabaychamber.com/2025-fall-festival. 

Monday, October 27, 7 p.m. – New Tampa Democratic Club Monthly Meeting. At New Tampa Regional Library (10001 Cross Creek Blvd.). Guest speaker Jack Forsth with Equality Florida. Free to attend. For info, visit NewTampaDemocrats.com or Facebook.com/NewTampaDemocrats. 

Wednesday, October 29, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. – Community Health Talk – What to Expect Before, During & After Surgery. At Blue Heron Senior Living (5085 Eagleston Blvd.). Hugar McNamee, DO, General Surgeon from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel will share helpful information about surgery. A light lunch will be provided while supplies last. Tours of Blue Heron available after the presentation. Free to attend, but you need to RSVP. For more info or to RSVP, visit AHWesleyChapel.com/Events or call (813) 929-5432. 

Wednesday, October 29, 8 p.m.-10 p.m. – Steinway Signature Series: Nikolov-West Duo: Under Four Hands. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). This special concert by the Nikolov-West Duo, featuring Viktor Nikolov and Jane West, brings a fresh perspective on the piano duo experience. This dynamic piano four-hands program will weave together beloved traditional masterpieces with bold, rarely heard gems. Whether or not you’re already a classical piano lover, this is one performance you should not miss. Tickets $17.50-$25 depending upon seat selection. For info, call (813) 829-2760. Or, to purchase tickets visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events/under-four-hands. 

Friday, October 31, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber’s “Final Friday.” At the Marriott Residence Inn at Wiregrass Ranch (2867 Lajuana Blvd, at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus). Join Chamber members as they engage and network in a relaxed environment. Free to attend. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit Business.NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events. 

Friday, October 31, 5 p.m.-11 p.m. – Halloween Party on the Rooftop. At Skybox Rooftop Bar at the Marriott Residence Inn at Wiregrass Ranch (2867 Lajuana Blvd, at the Wiregrass Ranch Sports Campus). There will be live music, games, costume contests and more. Register for the Grand Prize, a free 2-night hotel stay. Free to attend. For more info, call (813) 591-2915. 

Saturday, November 1, 10 a.m.-10 p.m. – 36th Annual India Festival. At Florida State Fair Grounds (4800 US 301, Tampa). Come experience dances that dazzle, food that delights and shopping that excites. For more info, visit IndiaFestivalTampaBay.com. 

Saturday, November 1, 1:30 p.m.-3:30 p.m. – Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries Author Event: Mary Roach. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Join the Tampa-Hillsborough County Public Libraries for a very special event as they welcome New York Times best-selling author Mary Roach to discuss her latest book, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law. The first 150 people in attendance will receive a free copy of her book. An opportunity to meet the author and have your book signed will follow the talk. Free to attend but seating is limited so please reserve your tickets in advance. For info, call (813) 829- 2760. Or, to reserve your seat, visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events/mary-roach. 

Sunday November 2, 7 p.m.-9 p.m. Pavlo Presents: Angelo Tsarouchas – The Funny Greek Live. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Angelo Tsarouchas is a standup comedian, podcaster and actor. You’ve seen him in cult classics like Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle and Fred and Vinnie. His extremely funny and adaptive show has kept him in high demand worldwide. Tickets $50. For info, call (813) 829-2760. Or, to purchase tickets, visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events/funny-greek-live. 

Tuesday, November 4, 9 a.m.-10 a.m. – North Tampa Bay Chamber Coffee & Conversations with AdventHealth Wesley Chapel. At Fairfield by Marriott Tampa Wesley Chapel (2650 Lajuana Blvd). Get an inside look at the exciting new addition to the hospital and what it means for our growing community. Free to attend. For more info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit Business.NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events. 

Thursday, November 6, 4 p.m.-6 p.m. – North Tampa Bay Ribbon Cutting for Fierce Flamingo. At North Tampa Bay Chamber Office (28329 Paseo Dr., Ste 195). Celebrate the ribbon cutting for Fierce Flamingo Boudoir Photography Studio. There will be light refreshments, product displays and a session raffle. Free to attend. For info, call (813) 994-8534 or visit Business.NorthTampaBayChamber.com.events. 

Friday, November 7, 8 p.m.-11 p.m. – Tampa Bay Symphony: Fife and Drum: A Veteran’s Salute. At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). The Tampa Bay Symphony consists of more than 80 musicians and has been described as “one of Tampa Bay’s hidden jewels.” Come and experience the excitement of live classical music! Tickets $25. For more info, call (813) 829-2760. Or, to purchase tickets, visit NewTampaArtsCenter.org/events/tbs-fife-and-drum. 

Saturday & Sunday, November 8-9, 2 p.m. – Wesley Chapel Theater Group Presents: War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast. At Starkey Ranch Theater Library Cultural Center (12118 Lake Blanche Dr. Odessa). Step back in time to 1938, when a radio drama shook the nation. “War of the Worlds: The Panic Broadcast” reimagines the legendary Orson Welles broadcast that famously convinced Americans that a full-scale alien invasion was underway. With live sound effects, vintage microphones and lots of drama, this production captures the excitement and the chaos of that fateful night. Tickets $22.13-$31.59. For more info or to purchase tickets, visit WesleyChapelTheaterGroup.org. 

Tuesday, November 11, 5 p.m. – Wounded Warrior Project Carry Forward 5K. At Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club (TPGCC) Fitness Center (5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.). Help raise funds to provide vital life-changing programming for America’s wounded warriors. The official 5K race will begin and end at the TPGCC Fitness Center. For more info or to register, email Kimberly.Howey@InvitedClubs.com. 

Friday & Saturday, November 14 & 15, 7 p.m.-8:45 p.m. & Sunday, November 16, 4 p.m.-5:45 p.m. – Tampa City Ballet Presents: “Cinderella.” At New Tampa Performing Arts Center (8550 Hunters Village Rd.). Tampa City Ballet reimagines the classic fairytale of “Cinderella” in a dazzling spectacle that will captivate your entire family. This isn’t just a ballet; it’s a magical blend of theatrical wonder and contemporary dance, bringing Cinderella’s timeless story to life with breathtaking artistry and innovative choreography. Tickets cost $45-$90. For tickets to “Cinderella,” or for more info about TCB (15367 Amberly Dr., Tampa Palms), visit TampaCityBallet.org or call (813) 558-0800.

A Recent Study Shows That Wesley Chapel Is Leading The Entire Nation In Self-Storage Growth, With More On The Way, But… 

Story by Gary Nager & Joel Provenzano 

Of course, it’s one of the most popular (albeit tiresome) running jokes in this community that Wesley Chapel is overrun by chicken places, car washes and yes, self-storage facilities. 

In fact, a RentCafe report published in the Business Observer newspaper shows that over the past 10 years, Wesley Chapel, “has seen its storage capacity skyrocket 672%, jumping from 76,000 square feet to 587,000 square feet. That leap lands it as No. 1 on the top-10 list cities for storage growth in the country between 2014 and 2024.” 

Of course, the report also notes that, “Wesley Chapel is not officially a city but considered an unincorporated census designated [place],” (or CDP) and it’s also not clear whether the RentCafe report uses the three Wesley Chapel zip codes (33543, 33544 & 33545) as its boundaries of “Wesley Chapel” or if the Wesley Chapel CDP boundary, which extends from I-75 west to Wesley Chapel Blvd. and includes the area around the Tampa Premium Outlets (but not some other communities located within the Wesley Chapel zip code maps) — but here’s the bottom line: 

We’ve got a crap-ton of storage facilities in our area — nine within zip codes 33543 and 33544 (but just one, at least so far, in 33545) and two along Wesley Chapel Blvd. with either a Lutz (33559) or Land O’Lakes (34639) zip code — and, sorry to say, more are on the way. 

By our calculations (see chart below), that adds up to 837,300 sq. ft. in 33543, 33544 & 33545, plus an additional 180,300 sq. ft. along Wesley Chapel Blvd. (or 1,017,600 sq. ft total), and at least two more under construction, totalling an additional 212,600 sq. ft., in Wesley Chapel “proper” — one on Curley Rd. just north of S.R. 54 (the second in 33545) and the other on Mansfield Blvd. near Wiregrass Ranch High (in zip code 33543). Without any additional facilities being built, our area will have 1,230,200 sq. ft. of these huge, most would say ugly, buildings “invading” our personal space. 

So, who needs them? 

Apparently, we all do — and they surely seem to be cash cows for those who develop and own them — or they wouldn’t keep building them. 

According to the RentCafe report, “In Wesley Chapel, the growth in storage space — like its growth in housing and retail — is being driven by more people moving to the area.” The report found that, “the central Pasco locality saw its population increase 53% between 2014 and 2023.” 

“It seems, the report’s authors write, that ‘every new household comes [with] a wave of belongings, and self-storage has stepped in to help manage this overflow.’ 

“The report notes one other factor in its findings on Wesley Chapel: The growth in storage space is unlikely to slow down anytime soon. The area currently offers about 4.6 square feet of self-storage per capita, which remains well below the national benchmark, ‘suggesting there’s still plenty of room for further expansion.’ (A RentCafe spokesperson did not respond to a question about what the national benchmark is.)” 

In other words, here in Florida, where there is no such thing as basements in most houses and attics are, in most cases, way too small to accommodate all of our “stuff,” these huge monstrosities are here to stay. 

And no, they aren’t cheap, either. Although we found that most storage facilities list units “starting” as low as $54 per month for a 4’x5’ unit and most list their largest units — usually 10’x20’ — in the low $200s per month, we know first-hand that some of those climate-controlled units fetch more than $400 per month. Ugh. 

Nationwide, the area from South to Central Florida was the hardest hit during the recession of 2008-09, in terms of housing foreclosures. Construction on nearly everything slowed for years, especially here in Wesley Chapel. 

But, the Wesley Chapel area, in particular, has been playing catch up pretty quickly ever since, with both residential and commercial development skyrocketing recently, as well as in the number of storage facilities, which took nearly a decade after the recession’s peak to start coming out of the ground again in our area. 

In a state without truly usable attics and no basements, Florida seems like a prime market for this industry, but there’s more to it than that, especially for a (literally) hot market, as most (but definitely not all) of the storage units are climate-controlled nowadays. 

The RentCafe article cited above says that Wesley Chapel is the fastest-growing self-storage market in the U.S. We confirmed this is likely true, but decided to pull the numbers ourselves (for both current facilities and those under construction), to give a more accurate representation of where our area stands today. In other words, are we actually “under-” or “over-” saturated with self-storage facilities? 

According to the data in our analysis, we calculated the jump in storage space over the last 10 years for Wesley Chapel to be exactly 700% (close to the RentCafe’s report of 672%), from 175,600 total sq. ft. in 2014 to 1,230,200 sq. ft. by the beginning of next year. Here are more numbers, and the answer to that pressing question: 

The average rentable storage area is about 75% of gross floor area, so: 1,230,200 sq. ft. x 0.75 = 922,650 rentable sq. ft., divided by an estimated 110,000 people (in our Wesley Chapel service area) = 8.4 sq. ft. (sf) per capita. 

The National Average for self-storage is 7-8 sf per capita, so with the two newest ones under construction on Mansfield Blvd. and Curley Rd. (see chart, right), Wesley Chapel is just now slightly above the national average, putting us on-trend to keep up with the area’s rapid growth, making us a “balanced market,” that is neither under- nor over-saturated. 

In fact, there’s almost no doubt that at least a couple of additional self-storage locations will almost definitely be needed — especially from Epperson and Watergrass north to Mirada/San Antonio — over the next few years to maintain that balanced dynamic, as more people continue to move to the area. So, as unpopular and maligned as they may seem, storage facilities provide important support for a healthy, thriving community. 

But, Why Are They Needed? 

Local social media comments on posts about self-storage facilities are quick to categorize them as “a blight on the landscape,” “a waste of space” or, at best, “a necessary evil.” But, are they really any of these things? 

The plethora of customers filling these facilities and the nearly perfect Google reviews for all of the ones built during or after 2018 seem to indicate otherwise, as most people who use them seem to be, overall, pretty happy with the experience, with one caveat — price. 

Self-storage pricing changes to match real estate trends — in other words, as housing, office and retail costs go up, so does the cost of self-storage. 

But, Who Are These Companies? 

Although many of the local self-storage facilities have changed hands recently — and several have changed brands multiple times — the largest current provider of storage space to rent in the Wesley Chapel area also is the #1 or #2 (depending upon which Artificial Intelligence search response you trust) largest such company in the U.S. — Extra Space Storage, which operates more than 4,000 storage facilities in 42 states and Washington, D.C. 

The second largest operator is Public Storage, with more than 3,300 locations across the U.S., Canada and Europe. 

Our Google AI search response also said, “It’s worth noting that Extra Space Storage’s recent acquisition of Life Storage significantly increased their store count, pushing them past Public Storage in terms of number of locations.” 

The trend towards more storage facilities isn’t just a local phenomenon, as StorageCafe says that, as of June 2025, there is now more than 2 billion sq. ft. of self-storage space in the U.S., with 62.3 million sq. ft. delivered in 2024 and 56.1 million sq. ft. expected to be added this year. StorageCafe also says that 1 of every three Americans rents a storage space in this country. 

The trend increased during and since the pandemic, as more and more people have operated home-based businesses, many of which require keeping inventory for those business somewhere other than in the peoples’ homes. 

Based on personal experience, the growth of hoarding also seems to have been a factor. 

But, self-storage also is a good business model in today’s world, with low numbers of employees, very little upkeep required and literally every available square foot making money for the business owners. Nationwide, occupancy rates peaked at around 92% during the pandemic, but even with slightly lower occupancy now (around 87%), that’s still higher than most apartment and hotel occupancy rates, with much less maintenance required. 

Some Local Insight 

While taking photos of the outside of one of the storage buildings, we saw a sign that said “Inventory Sale,” so we decided to check it out. 

On the second floor, we met Lisa Gillispie, a business partner with L&J Elite events, a highly rated local business which focuses primarily on weddings. She explained that her business was “needing to downsize” — selling some of the inventory items the company uses regularly to stage its events — everything from candle holders and imitation floral arrangements to fine dishes and silverware, all in storage containers on shelving units from floor to ceiling (photo). 

“Our biggest unit has been 10’x35’ and we need to downsize from our current five units costing $1,200 a month,” Lisa said. “We used to have four smaller units that cost $500 a month, but the price has almost doubled the last few years.” 

Although she lives in Dade City, Lisa said her business partner lives closer to Wesley Chapel and noted, “A lot of our business is in this area.” 

That helped us realize that many of the people who need these units often have a very specific reason for needing them, and for those folks, at least, it’s not really about storing some useless junk. 

We spoke with a long-term full-time employee at one of the local self-storage offices (who asked to not be named in the story) to get some insight into the business locally and the customers they end up serving. 

“There are a lot of small business owners, consultants, local medical supply companies and home stagers,” the employee said, “so storage is a vital resource for them,” adding that, “We do have a lot of unit turnover” — meaning that many self-storage customers are only using the units for short periods of time. “For people moving in from out of town or apartment residents, storage helps. All of the new construction is bringing customers in, people who are waiting for their homes to be finished being built or other sudden life changes.” 

The employee admitted that the cost of owning a self-storage business is pretty low. 

“Yes, I’m the only full-time employee, and we have a couple of part time employees, but we’re good neighbors. We keep a clean property (building) and parking lot, maintain our landscaping, and don’t create much traffic.” 

We also visited Morningstar Storage (behind the Audi Wesley Chapel dealership on S.R. 56), where we discovered that some local storage businesses do even more for the community, offering free or discounted storage units to charities and other non-profits, with ten nonprofits listed on a board in the business’ lobby, with even more that Morningstar offers for seasonal storers, like Toys-for-Tots. 

In other words, while you may hate the way they look and wonder why there have to be so f*@#ing many of them, self-storage facilities are pretty much a necessity in most communities, especially those growing by leaps and bounds, like Wesley Chapel. 

But, are they here to stay? We’ll have to see. 

News continues to be coming from AdventHealth, which has named Erik Wangsness as the new president & CEO of AdventHealth Tampa (located on Bruce B. Downs Blvd., north of E. Fletcher Ave.), which became effective on Dec. 15. Wangsness will report to David Otatti, president and CEO of AdventHealth’s West Florida Division. 

“Erik is a consummate servant leader who I believe will continue to enhance our quality of care, expanding access to services and building on the strong foundation established by the team at AdventHealth Tampa,” Ottati said. “I know that Erik will uphold and build our mission, leading our teams to provide uncommon compassion and whole-person care to each person who walks through those doors.” 

Wangsness most recently served as president and CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, where he guided the development of the facility’s new Graduate Medical Education program and provided oversight of a major expansion project currently under way. 

One of his last public appearances as AHWC’s leader was at the North Tampa Bay Chamber breakfast at Pasco Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch on Nov. 5, where Wangsness was the featured speaker (top left photo). 

“I am excited and honored for the opportunity to serve AdventHealth Tampa and the surrounding community, working alongside the incredible leaders, physicians and team members to provide whole-person care,” Wangsness said. “Together, we will make a profound difference in the lives of those we serve.” 

Wangsness earned his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Master’s degree in Health Care Administration from the University of Minnesota. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Pasco Economic Development Council (EDC). 

Good Luck, Ryan! 

Taking over for Wangsness as the new president and CEO of AdventHealth Wesley Chapel, effective Dec. 29, will be Ryan Quattlebaum (right photo). Quattlebaum will report to Jennifer Wandersleben, Heartland Region president and CEO, who also provides market leadership for Hardee, Highlands, Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. 

“Ryan is a passionate leader, and it is a joy to see him grow and step into this new role. His vision and leadership will be instrumental in driving our continued growth and success in Wesley Chapel, which is one of the fastest-growing communities in the West Florida Division,” Wandersleben said. 

Since 2022, Quattlebaum has served as the president and CEO for AdventHealth North Pinellas in Tarpon Springs. Under Quattlebaum’s leadership, the facility earned national accreditation from the Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery Accreditation and Quality Improvement Program (MBSAQIP), the bronze standard – Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department (GEDA) accreditation from the American College of Emergency Physicians and “A” Hospital Safety Grades from the Leapfrog Group in 2023. 

“I’m honored to return to AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and work with dedicated care teams, physicians and leaders who are committed to providing whole-person care,” Quattlebaum said. “As I step into this new role, I look forward to building and strengthening relationships in our Wesley Chapel facility and surrounding community to expand our faith-based care and services.” 

Quattlebaum has a Master of Business Administration (MBA) Degree from the Hough Graduate School of Business at the University of Florida in Gainesville and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from La Sierra University. He’s an active member of his community, serving as a committee member for the workforce improvement committee for the Florida Hospital Association and currently serves on the Policy Council of the Pasco EDC. — GN