The Cake Girl Can Deliver Decadent, Fresh Baked Goods Directly To You!

If you’re like me, you probably have trouble trusting anyone who doesn’t love dessert. (Just kidding….sorta.)

OK, I know…fat, calories, gluten, sugar, etc. But, while I could still stand to lose a few pounds, I know that eating a delicious dessert releases endorphins that make me feel good and I’ve never been subject to sugar crashes.

In other words, although I didn’t know Kristina Lavallee when she first became The Cake Girl in 2010, I am thrilled that she now has her The Cake Girl LLC mobile bakery trailer that you may have seen parked at Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI), serving a delicious variety of freshly-baked cakes, cupcakes, brownies, cookies and even real ice cream.

Kristina credits her husband Kirby for finding and customizing her mobile unit last year so she could expand her budding bakery/dessert business and provide samples of her wares at festivals (like the recent Taste of New Tampa & Wesley Chapel at FHCI) and other special events like birthday parties and even weddings.

“I can literally bake and transport thousands of mini cupcakes in this mobile unit,” Kristina told me during our interview for this story. “The kitchen inside the unit is always immaculate and everywhere I bring the trailer, people get excited, especially kids.”

So, What About Those Baked Goods?         

But, no matter how colorful or attractive her mobile unit may be, Kristina wouldn’t be a success today if her baked goods weren’t delicious.

Although I’ve never had one of her custom birthday cakes (at least not yet), Kristina can create virtually any kind of cake your heart desires, from traditional round cakes to a cake shaped like a baseball bat or even a famous Disney character.

I will say that I have really enjoyed her mini-cupcakes, which also are available in a wide variety of flavors. My favorites (not surprisingly) are all chocolate and/or peanut butter-based, but she definitely has a way of keeping the cupcakes moist and the icing creamy and delicious, no matter what flavor you choose.

And, when displayed so beautifully in the window of her mobile unit, it’s even harder to decide on a cupcake variety.

In addition, although I’m not usually the biggest carrot cake fan, I will say that Kristina’s is again, noticeably moister than most and her sour cream icing is pretty much second to none.

When I interviewed her for this story, Kristina smartly remembered to bring me a big sample of my favorite item she makes so far. 

Kristina, who attended the University of Central Florida College of Hospitality Management in Orlando, offers a nice variety of brownies, blondies and “brookies” (brownie-cookies), although my favorites are her chewy, double-fudge brownies. I went crazy for them during the Taste and continue to bug her for additional samples on an ongoing basis.

And yes, she does also make gluten-free cupcakes and cakes, although I can’t personally vouch for them because I usually order mine with extra gluten.

Ice Cream, Too?         

Of course, it’s even harder for me to resist a delicious brownie topped with real ice cream, and Kristina doesn’t disappoint those of us who love a decadent brownie sundae. I’ve only sampled the cookie dough and vanilla flavors to date, but both were creamy and not overly sweet.

“The ice cream is made here in Florida and there are a lot of great flavors and toppings available,” she says. “We can even make you delicious banana splits.”

So, whether you want to host a great kids’ birthday party, or you simply want to order a magnificent custom cake for Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, a birthday, wedding or any other special occasion, you owe it to yourself to give The Cake Girl a try. And, best of all, Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News readers get 10-percent-off Kristina’s already-low prices on any order if they mention this story or the ad on page 50 of this issue.

To place an order or for more info about The Cake Girl LLC, call (813) 360-0909, or search “The Cake Gril, LLC” on Facebook or “TheCakeGirlLLC” on Twitter or Instagram. And yes, pickup and delivery are available.

The Villages at Hunter’s Lake Takes Another Step Forward

The project, approved 6-0 by the Council, will include 241 multi-family units, the long-awaited New Tampa Cultural Center and a strip shopping center.

The Village at Hunter’s Lake project, which is seeking to have the property located directly across the street from the main entrance to Hunter’s Green on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. rezoned from community commercial (CC) to mixed use (PD), passed its first hearing before the Tampa City Council.

The City Council approved a number of waiver requests by the developers, including the most important one — adding both a second and third access point from BBD into the development.

The second reading is scheduled for Thursday, June 1, 9:30 a.m., at the Old City Hall on Kennedy Blvd. in downtown Tampa.

If the project is approved, that will pave the way for developers Harrison Bennett Properties and Regency Centers to begin work.

The developers requested the rezoning change for multi-use on the 14 acres of developable land on the 80-acre parcel to accommodate a 30,000-sq.-ft. Cultural Center; a four-story, 241-unit multi-family project called The Haven at Hunter’s Lake; a green grocer; a retail shopping strip center; a restaurant (with a drive-in window) and a community park with a dog park.

At the May 11 meeting before the City Council, the Hunter’s Lake developers requested a waiver to reduce the number of loading zones and parking spots and some slight wetlands reduction, which didn’t spark any debate.

City of Tampa senior planning engineer Melanie Calloway, however, did object to the request for additional access points.

City Council member and Hunter’s Green resident Luis Viera voted to pass the Village at Hunter’s Lake project onto a second reading.

The main entrance into the Village at Hunter’s Lake will be directly across BBD from Hunter’s Green Dr. However, developers want additional access points south of the proposed main entrance (where there is currently a maintenance road) and to the north at Hunter’s Lake Dr., which already leads to Suntrust Bank and LifePoint Church on the east side of BBD.

Calloway pointed out that for the last 20 years, the City of Tampa has been very deliberate and consistent about granting access points on BBD to preserve capacity limits and limit anything detrimental to the roadway.

“We have spent a lot of money (on BBD),’’ she said.

Calloway also noted that other areas in New Tampa along BBD have been developed with fewer access points, like Tampa Palms Area 4 — which has 701 development units, 484 single family units, 400 hotel rooms, 85,000-sq.ft. of commercial and business office — and only three access points along BBD.

“This proposed property has 250 multi-family, 72,000-sq.-ft. of commercial, a cultural center and a dog park,’’ Calloway said. “And they want three access points. We find that being a little bit excessive.”

If an access point at Hunter’s Lake Dr. is approved, the left turn lane at that intersection would be lengthened to reduce traffic backing up. Without that access point, lawyers for the developers argued, drivers who miss the main entrance would have to make a U-turn and traffic would likely back up on northbound BBD. The other concern was that the existing HART bus stop on the southbound side of BBD would create a public safety issue.

“It (the bus stop) would be safer with the access we are proposing,’’ said Steve Henry, a transportation and civil engineer and president of Lincks & Associates. Henry pointed out that Walmart and other smaller locations already have two access points along BBD.

Jeff Cobb, the vice president of the Hunter’s Green Community Association, voiced support for the project, calling it a “Hyde Park-esque effort that will serve, support and enhance New Tampa.”

But, with 5,000 residents and 1,000 visitors a day (according to Cobb), he voiced concern that without a second access point, and the likelihood of traffic backing up at the only left turn into the project, would create problems.

Patrons, he said, would make the decision to turn right at the light at Hunter’s Green, and once inside, make a U-turn to enter the Village at Hunter’s Lake from Hunter’s Green.

“It’s a safety issue,’’ he said. “We think it’s critical you support this second left turn.”

Despite the city’s concerns about additional access points, the City Council ultimately voted 6-0 to approve them (and the rest of the project) and send it to a final reading and public hearing next month.

According to the New Tampa Commercial Overlay District Development Standards, a proposed new access point to BBD, “shall constitute a substantial change to the approved zoning site plan, as well as an amendment to the DRI, where applicable, both of which shall require approval by City Council.”

District 2 Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist, a Hunter’s Green resident,  has long championed the project, the jewel of which is the Cultural Center that will be home to the New Tampa Players (NTP), a local theatre troupe. In December, he told NTP that he hoped the Cultural Center could be open by 2019, and was working hard to secure funding.

NTP has been lobbying the county and city of Tampa governments for a Cultural Center since 2000.

The Harrison Bennett Properties proposal was initially approved by the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners by a 7-0 vote in December 2014.

“This has taken a lot of effort over three years,’’ said David Freeman, the president of Harrison Bennett Properties, which also developed The Walk at Highwoods Preserve.

Freeman sees this Village at Hunter’s Lake project as New Tampa’s downtown.

“We’ve got these communities, like Hunter’s Green and Tampa Palms, which individually are great master-planned communities but don’t really work together as a whole. We see this project really as the linchpin to bring everything together.”

Debbie & Robert Marvin Now At Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate

Long-time New Tampa-area Realtors Robert & Debbie Marvin are now with Coldwell Banker’s office in the New Tampa Center.

Conventional sales principles may be based on the ABCs of “Always Be Closing,” but the real estate team of Debbie and Robert Marvin, of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in New Tampa, opt for what might be termed the “ABHs,” or “Always Be Helping,” approach to doing business.

With 54 years of real estate experience between them, the married couple have built their business reputations and raised their profiles in the local real estate industry by working hard for their clients who are investing their money and lives in a home. Debbie says they know selling or buying a home can be an emotional time for people, and proceed accordingly.

“It’s always stressful when buying or selling a home, so we try to keep that to a minimum,” she says.

Robert adds that relationships form the foundation of a successful real estate deal.

“From the first meeting, you have to develop a sense of comfort and trust that things will come out the way you want them to,” he says.

After getting acquainted, the Marvins say the hard work begins of making sure a buyer ultimately moves into a house they’ll be happy to call home, or a seller receives the maximum financial return possible.

And, Debbie says, being there, and on time, for the client, whatever the hour, is part of their routine.

“Real estate doesn’t work 9 to 5, and it works weekends, too,” says Debbie. “We’ve gotten calls at 2 a.m.”

Robert adds that there are a lot of occasions when it’s important for the real estate agent to be present, to ensure a deal goes smoothly.

“Every transaction has a life of its own and we’re hands-on from start to finish,” Robert says. “Besides showings, you’ve got to show up for appraisals, inspections and when vendors come to make repairs.”

The Marvins say they each have their strong points and interests. They combine them to meet client needs and expectations.

“We do work as a team, and we each have our strengths,” says Debbie, who moved to Tampa from Maryland in 1990. “I love the listings and marketing side, interacting with the agents and telling them about the house.”

Robert, who lived in Ohio before coming to Tampa in 1974, says keeping an eye on the details is what he focuses on.

“Understanding the contract and negotiating from start to finish (is paramount),” he says. “There are times you have to negotiate repairs at closing time.”

The goal, Robert adds, is for everyone to leave the closing table feeling satisfied with the deal. “It has to be a win-win situation where the buyer, seller and the agent all feel good.”

He also notes that getting to the closing table requires flexibility.

“You have to go wherever the fire is,” he says. “Sometimes you have the day all planned and something comes up.”

However, Debbie says that’s not necessarily a bad situation.

“It’s what keeps it exciting, and that’s the good thing about having the both of us working together,” she says.

Repeat business from satisfied customers is one indicator of success in any business and the Marvins have their share of clients who call upon them as their go-to real estate team.

Reinaldo and Cassandra Jara of Wesley Chapel have sold three homes and purchased two using the Marvins as their agents and are in the midst of another house-hunting venture with them.

Reinaldo summarizes his reasons for doing business with them in three words: “Reliable, professional and caring,” he says, adding that Robert, “is a straight shooter who works hard for his client and is always available. He listens and lends his expertise.”

Debbie says that the couple has even worked with succeeding generations of families, as some of their clients’ children also have used them to buy or sell a home.

“We’ve sold to their kids, grandkids, cousins and business partners,” she says.

The Marvins, who live in Wesley Chapel, are members of the National Association of Realtors and are now affiliated with Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, located in the Publix-anchored New Tampa Center shopping plaza at the intersection of New Tampa Blvd. and Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd.

They are designated Luxury Home Specialists with Coldwell Banker but, as Debbie says, they work for clients throughout the housing spectrum. “From the low 100s to over a million dollars,” Debbie says, “with room for horses, on the water…we list it all.”

Managing Broker Karen Krotki says the Marvins are vital assets to Coldwell Banker’s New Tampa office.

“We’re proud to have them here,” Krotki says. “They’re a top-selling and top-listing team that provides a high level of service to their clients.”

As part of the Coldwell Banker organization, the Marvins are able to list homes to a global audience of potential buyers and can likewise access homes for sale from New Tampa to the United Arab Emirates and most everywhere in between. Coldwell Banker also has resources such as mortgage, title and closing services available to clients.

And, while the firm’s reach is global, Coldwell Banker and the Marvins also have a commitment to doing good things locally.

The Marvins hosted the Tampa Bay CaresWalk 2017 through its charitable foundation, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Cares.

Tampa Bay CaresWalk 2017, held in April, benefitted the Gramatica (as in former Tampa Bay Bucs kicker Martin and his brothers) Family Foundation, which partners with builders and developers to provide mortgage-free housing and other assistance to disabled military veterans.

The Marvins have each been working in real estate for more than two decades —  Robert for 30 years and Debbie for 24 — all in the New Tampa area.

When each of them began their careers in the business, BBD had more deer crossings than traffic signals. It was the City of Tampa’s Frontier Land, but they saw the potential and became involved in the New Tampa housing market from the beginning, going with the flow of brokerage openings, closings and mergers before signing on with Coldwell Banker in December.

Debbie attributes the growth of the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas to a mixture of location and investment.

“We’ve got it all here,” she says. “It’s convenient to downtown and the airport and we have a lot of restaurants and businesses that attract people.”

Not surprisingly, technology used by real estate agents also has changed during their careers. Debbie says that today, her cell phone is one of her favorite tools.

“My phone is always with me, so I’m always accessible,” she says. “Whatever they need, such as a copy of a contract, I’ve got it with me.”

The Marvins also have a website, DebbieSellsTampa.com, and a Facebook page, (search “Debbie Sells Tampa”) that offer real estate tips as well as current listings.

Even with all of the advantages that technology offers to work more efficiently, the Marvins stay connected to what they say really matters in their business.

“You still have to have that personal interaction,” says Robert. “You have to have that voice conversation.”

Debbie concurs. “You need to be hands-on with people and have a relationship with them…not just a Tweet.”

To find out how Debbie and Robert Marvin can help with your real estate needs, call them directly at (813) 892-3917, or at the New Tampa Coldwell Banker office at 19026 BBD Blvd. by calling (813) 977-3500.

Intrinsic Wellness Clinic Is More Than Just Chiropractic Care!

Cathy & Dr. Todd Di Leo of the Intrinsic Wellness Clinic in the Windfair Professional Center off BBD Blvd. in Wesley Chapel

Todd Di Leo, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic) is the owner of the Intrinsic Wellness Clinic, located in the Windfair Professional Center, across Bruce B. Downs Blvd. from Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC). Dr. Di Leo is a chiropractic physician and functional medicine specialist.

“In conventional medicine, you have a symptom, you see the doctor, the doctor tells you what medicine to take to stop the symptom,” he explains. “But, in functional medicine, we address why the body is manifesting this symptom. We ask, ‘What is the cause?’ Then, we address that cause.”

Dr. Di Leo has been in practice for 25 years. He earned his D.C. degree from the National College of Chiropractic in Lombard, IL, in 1992. He also holds two Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degrees, one in Human Biology, also from the National College of Chiropractic, and one in Human Kinetics & Exercise Physiology, from the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, Canada, in 1989.

He opened the Intrinsic Wellness Clinic nearly a year ago, saying that he’s pleased to be working in his own community. Dr. Di Leo and his wife, Cathy, who is the office manager for the practice, have lived in Seven Oaks with their two daughters for 11 years.

“I typically see people who are frustrated with having to take, ‘another pill for another ill,’” he says. “They’re tired of having five minutes with a medical doctor or a nurse practitioner and leaving the office with a new prescription or another increase in dose, which means now they’re dealing with side effects.” For example, “Maybe they’re sleeping nine or 10 hours at night , but they still feel fatigued.”

He says he can help those people who are wondering, “Why am I feeling this way? What is the root cause?”

Dr. Di Leo says, “My tools are different.” He explains his main tool is lifestyle management, which may mean managing a patient’s diet, stress and exercise, and the use of therapeutic foods, natural supplements and herbs to restore normal body function. He says patients are often willing to make changes, but they need to know how. “We can give them a 10-minute exercise — or maybe even a three-minute exercise — to help them relax, but they need to be educated to know that there are tools that are that easy.”

Cancer Support, Too

In addition to functional medicine, Dr. Di Leo also focuses on cancer support.

“We offer a state-of-the-art blood test that we brought to Wesley Chapel,” he says, noting that there are only about 400 practitioners offering this test in the entire U.S., and none in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa. People with a high risk for cancer can request the test, but more often, he sees patients who have recently been diagnosed with cancer.

“The test detects cancer cells circulating in the blood,” explains Dr. Di Leo, adding that it provides information about the number of cancer cells, and also the type of cells. “The lab does sensitivity testing to test the cancer cells against 50 chemotherapy drugs and 47 natural substances. It determines a ‘kill rate’ of how each substance kills the particular cancer cells in a patient’s blood.”

He says this is great information that patients can take back to their oncology team. While some oncologists will hesitate to leverage these results, because best practices in oncology may favor a different protocol, Dr. Di Leo believes that’s temporary.

“There is so much research happening in supplemental and complementary medicine, that I expect it to come to a point where this will be more mainstream,” he says. “For example, there is a ton of research supporting using mushroom extract to fight cancer.”

For people looking for a more natural and alternative approach, Dr. Di Leo explains that primary care also is part of the scope of the practice at Intrinsic Wellness.

He says an initial appointment with him usually takes at least 60 minutes. “We want to get a complete picture of who you are and what your body’s been through.”

Tina Danielson, who lives in Watergrass, is a patient of Dr. Di Leo’s who has benefited from the doctor’s approach.

Danielson explains that she’s taken medicine for hypothyroid — or an underactive thyroid — since high school. Recently, she had new symptoms, including blurred vision and dizziness, “and just a complete lack of energy,” she says. Her regular doctor said her new symptoms weren’t related, so that’s when she found Intrinsic Wellness.

She says Dr. Di Leo first tried things that didn’t work to cure her dizziness, such as chiropractic adjustments and changes to her diet, but then, “Dr. Di Leo continued to delve into it,” she says, and showed her exercises she could do. “The exercises took care of the dizziness within a few days. I don’t need to do them now, but if the dizziness ever starts again, I can just do those exercises again.”

She also says that the draw to Dr. Di Leo was knowing that he’s committed to finding the root cause of her problems.

“I don’t want to take medicine for the rest of my life,” she says. “I’ve already taken it for 20 years. Now, we’re doing bloodwork and working with my diet to find the root cause of this. I want to find what I can do to get better for the long haul, not just for the next month.”

Dr. Di Leo agrees, and he makes himself available to Danielson and all of his patients. “We are high touch and high availability,” he says. “I give my patients my personal cell phone number and exchange text messages with them.”

Dr. Di Leo also is an active athlete who has competed in Ironman triathlons and marathon road races, including his favorites in New York City and Chicago. He also is a certified strength and conditioning coach and USA triathlon coach.

In his practice, he often sees athletes, especially endurance athletes such as long-distance runners and triathletes.

“I always tell newbies that anyone can do it,” he says. “You need proper guidance and proper nutrition, but it’s worth it because you get an amazing sense of accomplishment. It’s a very elite accomplishment, because only a small percentage of the population actually accomplishes this.”

Dr. Di Leo often speaks to different audiences in settings such as “lunch and learns” and says he is available to talk about health and wellness to cancer survivors or other community groups.

The Intrinsic Wellness Clinic is located at 2808 Windguard Cir., Suite 101. It is open by appointment only. To make an appointment for a free 15-minute consultation, call Intrinsic Wellness at (813) 549-3551. For more info, visit IntrinsicWellnessClinic.com.

MAP: Wiregrass Ranch Present and Future

The Neighborhood News recently spoke with Wiregrass Ranch developer and owner JD Porter about his family’s philosophy in developing the land that has been owned by his family for more than seven decades, and some of the things that are coming to Wiregrass Ranch in the future. Here’s our story on Porter, and below is the map with descriptions of how Wiregrass Ranch might look in a few years.

1. TRANSPORTATION

Pasco County Public Transportation

JD Porter takes great pride in his family’s foresight. They paid $25 of $30-million to build out six lanes of S.R. 56 in front of the Shops at Wiregrass. “I give my uncles and dad a lot of credit,” Porter says. “Do it right the first time, it’s usually a lot cheaper and a lot more effective.”

And, while light rail may never become a reality, Wiregrass Ranch is ready for it. Porter says he doesn’t see it happening until the drive to Tampa takes people 2.5 hours. But, with so much traffic heading the opposite way, north from the University of South Florida area into Wiregrass Ranch, Porter has dedicated 3.5 miles of transportation right of way through the DRI, starting at FHWC, winding past the mall and Raymond James and up Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. towards the future town center.

“If not light rail, then rapid bus,’’ Porter says. Another touch: although they cost an extra $300-million or so, Porter says roundabouts are being built on Wiregrass Ranch Blvd.

2. ADULT LIVING

There are no over-55 active adult communities in sight — the nearest one to Wesley Chapel is still Tampa Bay Golf and Country Club on S.R. 52 in San Antonio — but Porter hopes to change that with Valencia, an 850-unit single-family residential development scheduled to begin construction later this year. In fact, he sounds downright excited to do so.

“We have a young demographic, and they are going to want their parents close to them,’’ Porter says. “We want Wiregrass Ranch to be family friendly.”

Porter also notes that having an A-rated adult community (and he says Wiregrass Ranch’s will be A+) has long been an integral part of his development plans.

3. OTHER RESIDENTIAL

Persimmon Park will be a 340-unit single-family development with villas and townhomes, and will be located within walking distance to the development’s town center. It will be located just south of Chancey Rd. and west of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. and is currently in permitting, but Porter says he has a number of builders already lined up. And, while many developers use many builders, Porter said he likes to rely on a small group, which currently includes Lennar, CalAtlantic and GL Homes.

4. PHASE II OF THE SHOPS AT WIREGRASS MALL

Not much new to report here, as Shops at Wiregrass general manager Greg Lennars says the mall is still looking for those “perfect fits.” He said that a handful of green grocers have expressed interest in being one of the anchors of the new site, and better offers roll in every week, but no decision has been made.

Securing a movie theater for the project — which has yet to break ground and continues to wait on permitting — is ongoing. Altis is being built right behind it. The four-story apartment complex is a $60-million project, and is expected to open sometime in 2018, with 392 units. It is part of the Porters’ effort to begin to grow the residential area around Wiregrass Ranch as new businesses move in.

5. TOWN CENTER

Porter is not fond of the town center concept as it has been developed in most places — a Publix and a few other stores — but his team has huge plans for the center he envisions and for which he has set aside 146 acres right in the middle of Wiregrass Ranch.

“Bigger than downtown Winter Park, bigger than downtown Tampa, really,’’ says Scott Sheridan. “It will truly redefine what a downtown is.”

Porter doesn’t see the town center as Wesley Chapel’s downtown, or even Pasco County’s downtown. What he envisions is “Northern Tampa Bay’s downtown.” He says he is content to let the area around it develop as Raymond James, Persimmon Park, Estancia and The Arbors mature.

“If we did it now, it would be great, but it wouldn’t meet our standards,’’ he says. Porter adds that a performing arts center might be a good anchor, but also has seen 2-3 other proposals he likes even better. “I look at it as being what Buckhead is to Atlanta,’’ he says.

6. ATHLETIC COMPLEX

The Porters donated 138 acres to Pasco County for a park, and then watched as the county failed to close any deals to do something with the land. “It sat there for eight years,’’ Porter says, and he has expressed frustration with the progress of that land in the past, calling it a nightmare. But RADDsports out of Sarasota has won the bid to build an indoor athletic complex with some outdoor fields, and while not exactly what Porter had in mind, he seems more hopeful. “I think we all feel things are moving in the right direction,” he says.

7. MEDICAL

When Sheridan and Porter look down the road, they definitely see more medical industry coming to Wiregrass Ranch.

Florida Medical Clinic just north of S.R. 56 on Bruce B. Downs opened recently, and next to that construction is ongoing on the $3-million, three-story 16,000-sq.-ft. Lismark Medical Office (photo), which will be located between the Florida Medical Clinic and FHWC. And, NTBH is expanding, too.