The area near The Grove at Wesley Chapel has been busy, with both the new Target store, Woody’s Wash Shack and now, the Belk Market all opening recently. And yes, there have still been many changes in the KRATE at The Grove container park, too.
But, while it’s possible that neither of these projects — both of which are located across Oakley Blvd. from the entrance to The Grove (both also are in front of the Avasa West apartments) — will be completed before the end of 2026 (since only one of them has broken ground), we also wanted to tell you about them.
Oakley Place Skilled Nursing Facility
We’ve already mentioned the planned 202-bed Oakley Place Skilled Nursing Facility at the northwest corner of Oakley Blvd. and Grove Isle Dr., but we recently heard that the facility may be getting ready to break ground soon. Of course, we’ll keep you updated, but a large additional skilled nursing facility would be a welcome addition to the area.
We also recently saw that The Goddard School-Oakley — which will be the second Goddard School private pre-school in Wesley Chapel (the other is off Bruce B. Downs Blvd., across from AdventHealth Wesley Chapel — has cleared the land in preparation of getting ready to build on the southwest corner of the same intersection, across from the Goddard School.
New Clubhouse At Valencia Ridge
The upscale Valencia Ridge community being developed by GL Homes (next to the builder’s successful Winding Ridge community) is getting an equally upscale 29,000-sq.-ft. clubhouse on a 7-acre recreational complex. The facility will include on-site dining, a poolside bar, sports lounge, racquet club & pro shop, resort-style pools, a shaded yoga garden, fitness center, exercise studio, massage room and more.
Swig #2 Coming To Epperson
The day before we went to press with this issue, correspondent Joel Provenzano found that Swig Drinks had received its site development placard from the county in December, which means that construction of the area’s second Swig (the other, of course, is between Academy Sports & PopStroke on the north side of S.R. 56) could begin any day now off Curley Rd. Joel said that plans for the new Swig were not downloadable at our press time, but we’ll keep you posted.
Whole Foods & Lifetime Fitness
And of course, we also had to show a drone shot of the progress on the new plaza on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. north of Aronwood Blvd. in Meadow Pointe that will be home to both Whole Foods and Lifetime Fitness. We just provided a big update on this plaza — which also will have a Pop-Up Bagels, CAVA Mediterranean, Naked Farmer, Petfolk, Tox wellness spa & a nail salon in our Dec. issue or this would have been one of this issue’s biggest stories!
Feel free to let me know anything we’ve left out of this issue and we’ll try to cover it in our next edition! — GN
In 2025, the premiere residential ‘talk of the town’ in eastern Pasco County was Two Rivers — a community we covered numerous times in this publication, given its massive scale, located just outside the southeastern edge of Wesley Chapel.
Now that we’re in 2026, however, the excitement has shifted just outside of Wesley Chapel’s northeastern edge, to an even bigger development, the Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH) — and one new community inside VOPH has positioned itself to literally be at the top of housing market.
If you think our area is fully flat, think again. What if we told you that this new community, known as Pasadena Ridge, delivers not only the views one might expect — water and conservation — but also adds stunning (for Florida) high-elevation ridgeline views, all visible from the same lots!
Previously, some of the best new development views you could get were from the limited number of lots inside Epperson overlooking King Lake — truly million-dollar views. Those are all occupied now, but in our opinion, the views from Pasadena Ridge are on another level — and are coming available on a first-come, first-served” basis.
On Dec. 4, we attended an event for real estate agents at the adjacent Handcart Garden Center, which is providing all of the landscaping for the community. We were taken on a tour of Pasadena Ridge in buses that looked just like trolleys.
Located on the east side of Handcart Rd., north of the rear entrance to the Watergrass community, Pasadena Ridge is shaping up to be something very unique. Honestly, we were so impressed with the brief views from the tour, that we drove back on Dec. 12 to get proper photos to share.
Not What We Expected
The Villages of Pasadena Hills (VOPH) area is building fast, REALLY FAST, with multiple communities currently under construction.
Back in our September 2025 article, “Where Are The Villages Of Pasadena Hills & Why Should You Care?,” we first talked about Pasadena Ridge as an upcoming community in Pasadena Hills (Villages G & H), that was proposed to have 579 single family homes.
The ‘Ridge’ name has become very popular around Wesley Chapel; however, this “Ridge” community is not being done by GL Homes like the “The Ridge at Wiregrass,” “Winding Ridge,” and “Valencia Ridge” (all off S.R. 56), but is instead a new WestBay Community — with the creative tag line “Elevated Living.”
Very fitting, as Pasadena Ridge is located on top of a large (and somewhat steep) sprawling hill, which reaches a maximum height of 250’ above sea level. That might not seem like much to some from “up north,” but with the adjacent land to the north, east and west dropping away by 100’, new houses at the top of the hill’s ‘ridge’ will have the equivalent view of a 10-story building at sea level.
This means you can literally have a view that is unobstructed for miles — and those views are a breath of fresh air in what can seem like a monotony of perfectly flat new developments.
The community’s 250’ maximum height is actually pretty impressive, considering that the highest elevation in the entire region is only 305’ above sea level — a point on Clay Hill Rd, nearly 10 miles north of this Pasadena Ridge — and only 95’ shy of the state’s highest point, Britton Hill, located in the panhandle just south of the Alabama line.
The expansive ridge view photo (top photo) was taken at ground level, so you can imagine how much more impressive the view will be from a second story balcony, which is being offered by WestBay on some of their models (above photo).
The builder representatives at the event stated that these premium views will never change, as most of the land nearly a mile north of the development is protected wetland conservation (for the adjacent Buddy Lake).
If you’re interested in a house in Pasadena Ridge, you’ll definitely want to see the actual lots in person (not just on a map), as the elevations, grading and views from each lot vary wildly, but the best view we identified was looking north from the backyards of the lots along Peak Willow Trace — it honestly didn’t even feel like Florida.
The builder knows what they have, so their representative told us, “Expect to pay a substantial lot premium for the absolute best ones,” but unfortunately, pricing on those premiums have not been released yet.
What We Do Know
Pasadena Ridge offers homes by three builders — Homes by WestBay ($600k-$1M), Casa Fresca Homes ($300k-$500k) & Mattamy Homes ($300k+). Since this community is part of a VOPH model, parcels leading into the community off Handcart Rd. will be future commercial, and there is a future school site set aside within the development. The plan also shows a future Pasco County park site immediately to the west.
The development also promises to provide an amenities “club” and, while it does advertise a large resort-style pool, dog park, fitness center, pickleball courts, playground and event space, the cost of this club is not being absorbed by the CDD fee, as a separate club membership fee ($44.94/month) and club expenses fee ($115/month) will be charged once the club opens in 2027.
Add that to a $90.67 monthly HOA fee (which DOES include high-speed, 2-gigabit internet and trash) and up to a $217.66 monthly CDD fee for Casa Fresca, the only one we could currently find (Note-those fees could be higher for the WestBay homes, based on lot width), and monthly association fees could stack up quickly to $467/month ($5,610 annually), which is a little on the high side considering there’s no lagoon, restaurants or other standout amenities.
The only ones we’ve seen higher in a similar category, are the total association fees for Two Rivers West, due to the required “Landing Private Club” membership. But, when comparing, Two Rivers offers substantially more in a true club sense, including personal/poolside food & beverage service and a full restaurant, along with tennis clubs, spin instructors and other things not mentioned for Pasadena Ridge.
Former Pro Cricketer Says He Is Training The U.S. National Team’s Stars Of The Future!
(Above) Coach Vishal Jain (in back, with sunglasses) poses with the younger group of cricketers in his Excel Cricket Academy, which has been based at the Wesley Chapel District Park on Boyette Rd. since 2024. (Photos by Charmaine George)
I’ll be honest — I don’t understand the sport known as cricket. I know it is similar to baseball, in that it has pitchers, called “bowlers,” catchers called “wicket-keepers” and hitters, called “batsmen,” and that the object of the game is to score more runs than the other team.
But, how the teams score runs, how they record outs (there are three different ways) and why the batsmen run while still holding their bats after hitting the ball are all mysteries to yours truly. Even so, it is still a super-exciting game to watch, whether live or on TV.
One of Jain’s young players drives the ball while another (below right) shows how to execute a defensive shot. (Below left) Jain explains some of the basics of the sport to his young cricketers.
Fortunately for anyone in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and the entire Tampa Bay area whose child is interested in learning how to play cricket like the pros, Vishal Jain, a former pro cricketer, from the Indian capital of Mumbai, is now available to teach kids ages 8 and older all of the fundamental techniques and rules of this hugely popular sport. Jain’s Excel Cricket Academy meets every Saturday and Sunday on Field #2 at the Wesley Chapel District Park, which also hosted a cricket tournament the day I visited. And, Jain says, he hopes to be able to one day teach kids how to play cricket at the City of Tampa park now being designed that will one day open in K-Bar Ranch.
(Note-Although the city budgeted the money to design the park in K-Bar [which also will include other facilities, in addition to a cricket pitch], the necessary funds to build it are not yet in the city’s budget.)
Jain has all the credentials anyone who wants their child to learn how to play cricket could possibly want. He played for both Mumbai and Goa and won India’s premier first-class cricket tournament, known as the Ranji Trophy, which was named for K.S. Ranjitsinhji, the first Indian to play Test cricket. The Ranji Trophy is India’s oldest and most prestigious domestic red-ball competition, with Mumbai being the most successful team historically, having won the prestigious trophy more than 40 times.
Jain was trained by the esteemed Ramakant Achrekar, the legendary coach of Indian legend Sachin Tendulkar, widely regarded as the biggest icon in the history of the sport — which will be played for the first time since 1900 as a medal sport at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. And, in addition to playing cricket at the highest level, Jain (who also owns Excel Cricket Academies in Mumbai) also has been the head coach of the Mumbai Central Zone U19 and U23 teams.
His bio on the “Excel Cricket Academy Tampa Florida USA” Facebook page says, “Known for his expertise in diverse coaching methodologies, Coach Vishal is dedicated to helping players unlock their full potential. His approach emphasizes mindset, discipline and continuous learning, incorporating personalized training, workshops and motivational sessions.”
He also has battle scars on his hands and arms, from fielding the balls hit with the heavy cricket bats bare-handed. Only the batsmen and wicket-keepers usually wear gloves in cricket.
All I can tell you, after watching one practice with his younger Excel Academy group, he definitely has the attention and admiration of not only his young athletes, but also of their parents, many of whom travel from Brandon and as far away as St. Petersburg to have their children trained by Jain.
And, it was immediately obvious why. While “bowling” the harder-than-baseball balls to each Academy student, he not only told but also showed each one how to execute a defensive “shot” one moment, how to drive the ball the next and which foot to focus their weight on for each batting maneuver.
And, the kids and parents all really seemed to love him, and he certainly seemed to be in complete control of them, without ever raising his voice. When he tried to get his younger players all to pose for the picture above and some of them were acting up, all he had to do was point at them and say “Discipline” and they all got the message. Super impressive.
“And, if they ever still don’t listen, I will pack up their stuff, bring it over to their parents and tell them to take them home and come back next week. They get so embarrassed I’ve never had to do that to the same player twice.”
Training Future U.S. National Stars
It’s clear that virtually all of the young players Jain coaches are of Indian descent, but the Excel Cricket Academy is open to anyone who wants to learn the proper way to play this sport that continues to grow in popularity here.
“The U.S. National Team is one of eight teams (India, Australia, England, Afghanistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and the West Indies are the others) that qualified for the 2026 [ICC Men’s T20] World Cup,” Jain says. “In other words, cricket is growing in this country and I want to train the future stars of the sport here.”
And, best of all, he says, there are no set fees to train with Coach Vishal — who also offers individual coaching sessions for those who want them. “The parents usually agree to an amount to each pay me (for the team sessions),” he says. “I’ve already made money playing cricket. All I want now is to find and train the best players I can and help each one reach his or her potential.”
For more info about Excel Cricket Academy, call (813) 523-5871, email Coach Vishal at excelcricketacademytampa@gmail.com or stop by the Wesley Chapel District Park, Field #2 (7727 Boyette Rd.) any Sat., 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (Small Kids 10-11:30; Leather Ball Kids 11:30- 1:30) or Sun., 8 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (Small Kids 8-9:30; Leather Ball Kids 9:30-11:30).
The older group of Excel Cricket Academy players and their families are excited to pose for pictures with Coach Vishal. (Photo provided by Vishal Jain)
The new traffic signal at the intersection of Overpass Rd. & Epperson Blvd. has replaced the former four-way stop. (Photos by Joel Provenzano)
Residents and commuters traveling through the Epperson community are beginning to see long-anticipated improvements finally taking shape along Overpass Rd., the main east–west corridor connecting Epperson Blvd. to Curley Rd.
Construction is currently under way to widen this short, but critical stretch of roadway, a project that aims to significantly improve traffic flow, safety, and daily travel times for the growing northern Wesley Chapel area.
When finished, the work being completed by Epperson developer Metro Development Group will allow this portion of Overpass Rd. to transition from its current two-lane divided configuration to a four-lane divided roadway, with an additional through lane added in each direction.
This expansion reflects the rapid growth of the Epperson community and surrounding areas and the increasing traffic volumes, especially during peak morning and afternoon hours.
One of the most impactful changes is occurring at the signalized intersection of Overpass Rd. and Curley Rd. Additional eastbound left-turn lanes are being added so that two eastbound through lanes will be able to continue straight through the intersection.
This improvement will align the roadway configuration with the existing layout on the opposite side of Curley Rd. in the Watergrass development, eliminating a common bottleneck that has caused backups during busy times of day.
Additional turn & through lanes are being added at the intersection of Overpass Rd. & Curley Rd.
In conjunction with the widening project, a new traffic signal has been installed at Overpass Rd. and Epperson Blvd., replacing the former four-way stop located in front of the entrance to the Epperson lagoon. This signalization is expected to enhance safety and improve traffic operations at one of the community’s most active entrances, benefiting residents, visitors, pedestrians and bicyclists alike.
Perhaps the most welcome news for daily commuters is what comes next. Once construction has been completed, the existing eastbound right-turn-only lane along Overpass Rd. (approaching the new signal) will be re-striped and converted into an additional through lane.
This change will allow traffic to move more efficiently eastbound, particularly during peak travel hours, and should substantially reduce the delays that drivers have been experiencing.
While construction can, of course, be just as inconvenient, these improvements represent a major investment in the area’s transportation infrastructure — facilitated with private funds instead of taxpayer dollars.
The expanded roadway, improved intersections and upgraded signalization are designed to support continued growth while making everyday travel smoother and safer.
Motorists are encouraged to remain patient during the construction, follow posted signage and exercise caution while crews complete the work. Although we don’t know exactly when the work is expected to be completed, it will be in 2026, so residents can look forward to a more efficient and commuter-friendly drive through the heart of their Epperson community soon.
Bonchon Korean & Hummus Republic Added To The Hub At Lexington Lineup; Grand Opening Event To Be Announced
Have you driven by The Hub at Lexington recently? If it looks like it’s ready to open, your eyes are not deceiving you. But, before you think you’ve already missed something, co-developers Courtney Bissett-Hayes of Center Connect Development and her brother Paul Bissett say that now that the buildings themselves have been completed and turned over to the tenants, it will be several weeks before the first businesses start turning on their lights to several months for all of the previously announced restaurants — and two new ones recently added to the lineup — to be fully open.
“The first businesses could start opening this quarter,” Bissett-Hayes told me just before my deadline for this issue. “And we are planning a big Grand Opening event for a few months from now, but we will definitely keep you posted about the date for that event.”
The two new eateries are both growing national chains that have existing locations not too far from us.
The first is Hummus Republic, a counter-serve Mediterranean eatery offering customizable bowls, pita bread and wrap sandwiches that has an existing location at 7021 E. Fletcher Ave. (between USF and I-75).
Hummus Republic, which has more than 60 locations in 15 states, offers bases like rice, couscous and warm garbanzo beans, plus a variety of hummus flavors and other spreads, five different proteins (including falafel, chicken or mushroom shawarma, gyro meat and lemon chicken), more than a dozen toppings (from beets to kalamata olives) and six different dressings and you get to choose all of your favorites.
The other newcomer is Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken, which has a nearby location at 24814 S.R. 54 in Lutz among its nearly 150 U.S. and nearly 500 worldwide locations.
In addition to crunchy Korean drumsticks, wings and boneless options (below) with five different sauces (from Korean BBQ to sweet & spicy Yangnyeom sauce), Bonchon offers starters like pork, veggie, shrimp and even octopus (really!) dumplings, plus Bao buns, Korean tacos and edamame, main dishes like udon noodle soup, bibimbap bowls, bulgogi, chicken katsu and more).
And, don’t forget all of the other eateries coming to The Hub we previously announced:
• La Creacion Bistro, the sister restaurant to La Creacion Express in the KRATEs, which will be serving breakfast, lunch and dinner with a completely different menu than what they serve at the container park.
• Brew Bar Self Pour, which will share a space with Urban Crunch Creamery Café.
The Brew Bar/Urban Crunch combo will offer self-pour beer and wine, similar to what the Brew Bar offers at the KRATEs, plus ice cream, açai, coffee and perhaps most important of all, frozen drinks like daiquiris.
• The Landing Bar & Grill, which is where you’ll watch all of your favorite sports.
• The Monk’s Indian Fusion Cuisine, a “Desi-Chinese” eatery combining the different flavors of India and China in one location.
• Saigon Pho Wesley Chapel, which has a location called Banh Mi & Boba at The Hub at Bexley. Saigon Pho also will feature beloved Vietnamese fare, including pho noodle soups, grilled plates, banh mi sandwiches and more.
• Farmer’s Milk, which is a café and bakery with a sister location in Hollywood, FL.
• Cinnaholic Gourmet Cinnamon Rolls
• Island Grill Caribbean fusion restaurant
The other non-food businesses previously announced as coming to The Hub are :
• The Clubhouse golf simulator
• Headlines Barber Shop
• Suncoast Charging (for electric vehicles)
• Lexington Nail Lab, which is the only Hub business that had a sign on it as we went to press with this issue.
Of course, we will keep you posted about all of the openings as they happen, in these pages and on our Facebook & Instagram pages! — GN
