It may be hard to notice, due to the widening of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. in the same area, but a new RaceTrac gasoline station and convenience store will soon be going up in Area 3 of Tampa Palms.
Currently wrapping up the permitting process, RaceTrac will soon begin construction of a 5,928-sq.-ft. store with 18 gas pumps at the southeast corner of BBD and Cypress Preserve Dr. It will be directly across Cypress Preserve Dr. from the Chase bank and newly opened LA Fitness.
Note-There will be two entries/exits at the Racetrac off Cypress Preserve Dr., but none directly off BBD.
A 6,000-sq.ft. RaceTrac was opened late last year on S.R. 56, the first one ever built in Wesley Chapel. The one in Tampa Palms will be the 10th RaceTrac in Tampa.
Racetrac has more than 500 stores nationwide, and roughly 4000 in the south alone. It is headquartered in Atlanta, GA.
Bye bye Beef’s
After many years as a local staple for beer-drinking chicken wing lovers who would often fill the place on Saturday and Sunday for NCAA and NFL football, the Beef OâBradys located in the Cross Creek Commons plaza next to the Publix on the corner of Cross Creek Blvd. and Morris Bridge Rd., is no more.
The store, owned by Boyette Family Enterprises, Inc., has shuttered its doors and the Beef OâBradyâs sign out front has been removed.
Word is they hope to find another restaurant to fill the space.
Board Vice Chair Nilesh Patel (left) & President/CEO John Thompson of Central Bank, the community bank which has its only location on BBD Blvd. just south of County Line Rd. in New Tampa.
New Tampa and Wesley Chapel consumers who like to support their neighborhood businesses by shopping locally can also bank locally at Central Bank, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., just south of County Line Rd.
According to President and Chief Executive Officer John Thompson, thereâs a big difference between a community bank and a branch office of one of the national financial institutions.
âThe policy of a community bank is set by the management in that community,â Thompson says. âThe community banks are much closer to whatâs going on in their communities than larger banks.â
When Central Bankâs founders were going through the planning and regulatory process to open their bank 10 years ago, the areaâs economy was moving along steadily towards a prosperous future as people moved into new homes, followed by businesses to serve them.
According to Vice Chairman of the Board Nilesh Patel, the Central Bank team of financial entrepreneurs saw a need they could fulfill. The New Tampa location is Central Bankâs only full-service facility, although there is a plan to open a loan processing office in Dade City in August.
âIn 2005 and 2006, Florida had tremendous growth,â Patel says. âNew Tampa was chosen (as our headquarters) because there were not that many banks.â
But, there was a lot of construction under way and more being planned as the area on both sides of the Hillsborough and Pasco county lines continued to add shopping plazas and housing tracts.
Central Bank opened the doors to its standalone headquarters building on the south side of the county line in February 2007.
âJust in time to experience the economic chaos (of 2008-09),â says Thompson.
While the recession that started in 2008 rocked many banks, Central Bank stayed on its course.
âOur Board oversight has been on maintaining a well-capitalized institution,â says Thompson. âWe weathered the storm very well.â
Solid finances at its founding and prudent management during the challenging years that followed allowed Central Bank to go against the tide and position itself as not many other community banks could during the recession. âWhen the recession set in, it caused a lot of banks to get out of mortgage lending (nationally),â Thompson says. âWe got into it.â
When the local economy showed some signs of recovery, the economic engine driving growth in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel kicked into gear again.
The projected growth envisioned for Wesley Chapel that had been on hold is now under way. The Shops at Wiregrass mall found its commercial footing and is now poised for expansion; the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI) is setting the stage for major development in the area around S.R. 56; the Tampa Premium Outlets has opened, and major projects like the Florida Hospital Center Ice complex are nearing completion.
âIf you look at the growth all around S.R. 56, residential construction has picked back up,â Thompson says, adding that part of Central Bankâs business model of commitment to the local community and making decisions based on that is giving greater consideration to mortgage applications from people whose personal finances may have taken a bit of a hit during the recession.
âYou had a lot of good people affected by circumstances beyond their control,â Thompson says. âTheyâve gotten good employment again but have some blemishes. We view those people as acceptable risks.â
Patel notes that factors like the current price of housing and growth in land values help ensure that the numbers add up for the bank and make it possible to be a good neighbor as well.
âThe prices are right, the interest rates are right and the values are going up,â Patel says. âWe being community members, we try to find a place for them.â
High customer service standards also are part of the deal, Thompson adds. âWe try to give a quick turnaround.â
The Bank For Your Business?
Many small, independent businesses occupy a lot of the storefronts in the shopping plazas of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, and Central Bank is available to serve them in the same neighborly way it does individual consumers.
One of the small business owners Central Bank has earned as a customer is Beverly Zichy. Her Wesley Chapel company, Proforma C & B Elite, provides brand management and marketing solutions. Sheâs been in business for 10 years and has been with Central Bank from the beginning.
âIâve enjoyed a great relationship there,â Zichy says. âAll the employees are friendly and know me by name. I canât say that about any other bank Iâve used in the past.â
For consumers looking for a place to conduct routine personal banking business, Central Bank â which has current assets totaling $121-million, about twice what it started with â offers a variety of services, such as savings, checking, IRA and CD accounts (including a new Advantage Plus CD, which affords greater flexibility on deposits and rates of return).
Central Bank uses the Presto network of ATM machines, which means customers can withdraw money from any Publix store ATM without paying a fee.
The bankâs website (CentralBankFL.com) offers a variety of financial tools ranging from a simple calculator to switch kits that facilitate changing from another bank to Central Bank. Loan inquiries also can be initiated from the website. Other online services available to personal and business customers include online bill paying and access to statements, fund transfers and more.
A free Central Bank app also is available for both Apple and Android devices.
According to Thompson, providing online services offers great potential to meet the needs of customers efficiently. âWe are in the process of expanding our online account handling,â he says. âWe believe technology is the best way to expand.â
Central Bank is a small business itself, dealing with many of the same opportunities and challenges as many of the businesses it serves. The bank has 23 employees who handle everything from handling deposits at a teller window to overseeing cyber security and compliance with industry regulations.
And, like other New Tampa- and Wesley Chapel-area businesses, Central Bank is involved in community activities, with employees participating in projects like Paint your Heart Out Tampa (which has painted over 2,600 homes of low-income, elderly citizens the past 26 years), the American Cancer Societyâs Relay for Life, DARE to Rescue (which rescues and rehabilitates Dachshunds) and Habitat for Humanity, which builds homes for the needy.
Financial education is another area of community involvement for Central Bank.
âWe have employees who go into the schools and teach (kids) about banking,â says Patel, who is a resident of Live Oak Preserve and is serving as the chair for the sponsorship committee of the 29th Annual India Festival, which will be held in November at the Florida State Fairgrounds.
In fact, because many of the bankâs board of directors and founding members have strong family relationships with India, the bank is called Central Bank â the name of one of the oldest banks in India.
Whether itâs serving the banking needs of consumers and businesses of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel, or donating time and energy to worthy causes, Central Bank is staking its future on exemplifying what it means to be a community bank and a good neighbor, according to Thompson, who is active in the Rotary Club of New Tampa, which meets for breakfast every Friday at 7 a.m. at Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club.
âWe want to be a good community citizen and have a reputation for honesty and integrity to the public,â he says.
You can learn more about Central Bank by checking out their ad on page 27, calling 929-4477, dropping by for a visit at 20701 Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd, or by visiting CentralBankFL.com.
Over the past 12 months, the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club has grown quite a bit â from only about a dozen members to 21 members today. Valerie Casey has served as president over the last year and will stay in that role for the upcoming 2016-17 Rotary fiscal year. âWeâre continuing to grow and weâre always looking for new members who really care about the community and who want to be hands-on to have a positive effect on the community and the world around us,â Casey says.
In addition to Casey, the leadership team for the year includes Angie Garrett, treasurer; Barry Shuman, secretary; Belvai Kudva, executive secretary/director; Scott Hileman, foundation chair; and Gary Lefebvre, club membership chair.
As Casey talks about the New Tampa Noon Rotary, she explains, âWe all know each other, and support each other so much. We always say that if something is important to one member, itâs important to all of us.â
So, members who have a charity they are already involved with often find support from their Rotary Club that will allow each to do a little more for their favorite organization. Casey says the club really feels like family. And, for Casey, at least one member literally is family.
âMy niece, Taylor Dumke, is one of our newest members.â Casey explains, adding that while Taylor is just 21 years old and is physically disabled, she is contributing to her community through the Noon Rotary Club.
When asked why she was interested in joining the club, Dumke says, âItâs a lot of giving back to the people in the community.â Casey says Dumke is assisting with some of the clubâs secretarial job duties, and that she really likes the responsibility.
She says her niece is proof that, âEveryone can be a member of Rotary, and everyone can do something, regardless of their temporary or even permanent disabilities.
âAnd, we would love to have more younger members,â Casey adds. âItâs a good way for people in their 20s to give back to the world around them.â
For the upcoming Rotary year, Casey says the club will be working hard to host its annual golf tournament to raise money for Tampaâs Fisher House, a place for families of military veterans to stay while their loved ones receive treatment at the James A. Haley Veteranâs Hospital. The 2016 date for that event is set for Friday, October 28.
The clubâs signature event is its annual bike ride for veterans and first responders, which will be held next March. The 2016 ride through Flatwoods Park raised $3,500 to help benefit the Navy Seal Foundation, Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, Support the Troops, and the Stay In Step Spinal Cord Injury Recovery Center. In 2017, Casey says there are plans to add a run to the event, either a 5K or 10K, or both.
Beyond Chaotic performed at the Shops at Wiregrass mall in December of 2015.
Looking for something to do tonight? The kid rock band âBeyond Chaoticâ will headline a show tonight in Ybor City.
The doors open at 6 p.m. and Beyond Chaotic is expected to go on at 8 or 9 p.m.
The event is called âRock The Night Tampaâ at The Orpheum, located at 1915 E. 7th Ave. in Ybor City.
Beyond Chaotic is made up of five pre-teens who met at a rock band camp at Bigel Music, located on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. across from Wharton High (in front of Live Oak Preserve), in the plaza next to the MidFlorida Credit Union. The kids have continued to play together and have performed a number of gigs, including last yearâs holiday festivities at the Shops at Wiregrass mall.
The kids are Alex, who plays violin and keys; Cade is on drums; Dominic plays lead guitar; Devon plays bass guitar and Max is on vocals.
Opening bands for the evening event include Tears of a Tyrant, The Surfinâ Dead, Seek Well, Chris and Rob, and The Frenzied Passions.
Tickets at the door cost $15. Or, get them in advance for $10 by calling Cindy at 210-6685 or sending a message online via Facebook.com/BeyondChaotic.
Freedom senior Taylor Blair (second from the left, front row) went with 12 students and eight adults to Flint & Detroit, MI, with the Ryan Nece Foundation this summer to lend a hand.
Taylor Blair, a senior at Freedom High in Tampa Palms, recently traveled to Flint, MI, to work with local organizations trying to mitigate the cityâs ongoing water crisis and help residents of the area.
Blair was part of a group of 12 students and eight adults from the Ryan Nece Foundation, including founder Ryan Nece and CEO Shelley Sharp, and several board members. Nece, who played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beginning in 2002 and was part of team that won Super Bowl XXVII, started the foundation in 2006. Nece was released by the Bucs before the 2008 season, then played for the Detroit Lions for one season. The group from his foundation traveled to Michigan June 12-16 and, in addition to their projects in Flint, the students also volunteered in Detroit, about an hour away.
Blair says the first day in Flint, the group assembled rain barrels that collect and filter rainwater to make it useable for watering gardens. The next day, they delivered the barrels to residents affected by the water crisis and helped in community gardens by weeding and planting.
âIt was eye-opening,â Blair says. âIt was hard to believe, with all the luxuries that we have in our day-to-day lives, that in other parts of the same country, there are these types of communities where (so many) people are in need.â
Sharp says the students helped citizens and worked on sustainability projects, such as urban gardening. âWe worked with a wonderful organization called Edible Flint that encourages gardening,â Sharp explains, including fundraising before the trip to buy all of the materials and supplies for the rain barrels.
Blair says that after two days in Flint, the group spent the next day in Detroit, and she and her fellow students were shocked at the conditions they experienced. âTo an extent, some of the conditions were as bad as a third world country,â she explains. âFor example, we were in a neighborhood where there werenât very many grocery stores, because the people are so poor they canât buy enough food (to support the store). So, we worked with a program called Greening of Detroit thatâs helping people to start gardens to grow healthy food.â
Blair was touched by the examples of generosity they saw, such as the woman who appeared to be in need herself, however, âShe said that if anyone is hungry, they can come and take something from her garden.â
The trip was the final event in a year of learning and service that Blair and the other students had just completed as part of the Ryan Nece Foundationâs flagship program, called the Student Service Program. âItâs a two-year program for high school juniors and seniors,â explains Sharp, who says students apply at the end of their sophomore year and are chosen based on their leadership skills and commitment to service.
âAt the end of their first year, the program culminates with a service learning trip outside of our area,â Sharp adds. âItâs a real eye opener to the needs of the community.â
Blair says she heard about the program through the college and career counselor at her school. âIt sounded like it was very similar to my personal interests,â she says. âSo, I applied and, fortunately, I got in.â
Blair spent the last year learning about servant leadership and practicing skills she was taught through the Student Service Program at local service projects.
âWe focus on leadership and service,â Blair explains. âEvery month we have a class where we learn about one of the principals from the book The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (by Sean Covey, 1998). Business leaders from the community come in and teach us skills, and then we do community service projects.â
As a group, Blair says, âWe look for opportunities to give back to the community and help people in need, and we talk about the power of giving.â
She says her favorite local project was when the group worked with The Spring of Tampa Bay, a residential facility for victims of domestic violence. âFirst, we learned about domestic violence with both adults and teens, and how to identify when itâs happening,â Blair says, explaining they were taught how to identify âlittle red flagsâ that indicate someone might be a victim of domestic violence. She says the group then worked in The Springâs thrift shop to provide support to that organization, and filmed a public service announcement about teen dating violence.
Sharp says the highlight of each year is the annual trip outside of the Tampa Bay area. For the past couple of years, the foundationâs trip has been to the Dominican Republic. However, she explains that this year, concerns about the Zika virus prompted the group to plan a trip inside the U.S. instead.
âIt was a surprise to learn that we were going to Flint instead of the Dominican Republic, and saddening because we had heard so much about that trip from the students whoâve gone in the past,â says Blair, âbut then, we were excited because we would get to help people in a poorer community here in the U.S.â
When asked if the time she spent learning leadership skills and working on service projects was overwhelming for a busy high school student, Blair says, âIt wasnât too time consuming because it was so much fun and so interesting.â She adds that sheâll spend the next year serving as a mentor to the new students who were recently chosen for the program and will continue to participate in the foundationâs service projects.
Tampa Palms Getting A RaceTrac
Bye bye Beef’s
When asked why she was interested in joining the club, Dumke says, âItâs a lot of giving back to the people in the community.â Casey says Dumke is assisting with some of the clubâs secretarial job duties, and that she really likes the responsibility.
