The Hub at Lexington, in front of the Lexington Oaks community (and Sentosa Lexington Apts.) on Wesley Chapel Blvd. has started to go vertical, but likely won’t open until Oct. 2025.
If you’ve recently driven by the Sentosa Lexington Oaks Apartments on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (in front of the Lexington Oaks community), you may have noticed that The Hub at Lexington — the 40,000-sq.-ft. dining and shopping center we first told you about back in Oct. of last year, has started to go vertical.
But, don’t get too excited just yet. Co-developer Courtney Bissett-Hayes of Center Connect Development, says that although the walls are now up on Building One and all six foundations for this six-building project are now in place, she still doesn’t expect The Hub at Lexington to open until October of 2025.
“The project will open as a whole, not in pieces,” she says. The build-out will take about 13 months and then the tenants will have six months to build out their spaces.”
Sadly, Courtney, who operates Center Connect with her brother Paul Bissett, also says that no announcements will be made regrading tenants until the end of the first quarter or the beginning of the second quarter of 2025.
Even so, she says The Hub at Lexington, like its predecessor, The Hub at Bexley off S.R. 54 near the Suncoast Pkwy., will provide, “Experiential dining & entertainment,” including 15-20 local and regional restaurants and retail shops. And, as we previously reported, there will be twelve artificial trees (photo from Bexley above) providing shade for the complex, twice as many as at The Hub at Bexley.
Courtney also says that even though Shanks Indoor Golf & Bar’s website still says the indoor golf experience is coming to the complex, she can neither confirm nor deny that at this time.
“What I can confirm,” she says, “is that our 6.5-acre, $24-million project has been designed as a neighborhood amenity, like the Lexington Oaks community’s clubhouse, so we are serious about providing something special for the area.”
She also says that Center Connect plans to build 10 “Hubs” in and around the tri-county area (Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough), with Bexley and Lexington being just the first two. “We will probably announce the third location fairly soon. All of the Hubs will be in front of well-established master-planned communities.”
For leasing info at The Hub at Lexington, call Courtney Bissett-Hayes at (813) 340-7936.
When you visit The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel, located off Wesley Chapel Blvd. in Lutz, you’ll meet the team of (l.-r.) Alexis, Megan, Scarlette and Maggie. (Photos provided by Primary Care of WC)
Scarlette Owens, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, has spent her entire career caring for patients. First, as a nurse in obstetrics and gynecology, then as a nurse practitioner.
With decades of practice in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel area, the word has gotten out that Scarlette is a knowledgeable, experienced primary care practitioner who listens to her patients and treats them with compassion and care.
When Scarlette found herself at a career crossroads, the timing seemed perfect for her to open a new primary care practice of her own.
So, Scarlette joined fellow nurse practitioner Megan Dudley, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, to open The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel just after Memorial Day weekend of this year. The office is located in the new Cypress Bend Professional Park, off Wesley Chapel Blvd., next to Harley Davidson of Wesley Chapel.
The letters behind their names mean Scarlette and Megan have advanced credentials and participate in ongoing training to treat both female and male patients, ages 18 and up. They have each received a Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree, earned credentials as an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse (APRN) and have earned Board certification as family nurse practitioners (FNP-C) by the American Association of Nurse Practitioners Certification Board.
Both Megan and Scarlette say they were looking for more flexibility in their work/life balance and thought that opening a new practice, with each of them as part owner, would give them that opportunity.
Megan, as the mom of 10-year-old twins, wanted a schedule that would allow her to chauffeur her kids to soccer games and figure skating practice. Scarlette, after 18 years in internal medicine as a partner at a local Florida Medical Clinic office, was looking to slow down with a schedule that allowed her to work just four and a half days each week.
As a member of the clinical faculty at the University of South Florida, in Tampa, Scarlette says she has trained many nurse practitioners.
“I made a big leap to leave all of that behind,” she says, adding that she had signed a contract to work for a company that was putting primary care practices inside of Walgreens pharmacies. At the last minute, that company pulled the plug on the practice and told Scarlette they no longer had a job for her. She attempted to return to primary care, but the right fit wasn’t available, so she started working in urgent care for Florida Medical Clinic.
“I loved the crew there,” Scarlette says. But, she also says that her former patients were tracking her down, asking her where they could see her for primary care again.
“It was very humbling,” Scarlette says. “You’re busy doing your job, so you don’t realize how much your patients appreciate you and want to see you.”
In addition to Scarlette and Megan, The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel has two employees who are both cross-trained as front desk staff and medical assistants, Alexis and Maggie. Scarlette says she expects them to become the leadership team as the practice grows.
Megan and Scarlette look forward to being your primary care providers, too.
There also are two other providers in the office. Fellow Advanced Practice Registered Nurse Patricia Moore, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, is a part-time provider who focuses on women’s health. While she’s trained as a primary care provider, Patricia can take the time to have more lengthy conversations surrounding women’s issues and problems, such as hormones, bladder issues and contraceptives.
And, occupational therapist Irfan Choudhry, OT/PTA, is expected to offer occupational therapy services at the practice starting in a couple of months.
Scarlette and Megan say they are both focused on being available, accessible and good listeners, proactive in decision making and taking care of people.
“So many people can’t get in to their primary care provider for six months,” explains Scarlette. Or, she adds, they may have an urgent issue — such as an infection or low blood sugar — and they’re told they can wait three weeks for an appointment or go to the emergency room, because those are the only options.
“They don’t feel cared for,” Scarlette says. “I saw it from the urgent care perspective. All these people were there because they couldn’t get into primary care.”
Telehealth Benefits
So, at The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel, the team has Telehealth appointments available every day. If someone is on vacation and needs antibiotics or has high blood pressure or is having an allergic reaction, they can speak to a health care provider right away.
“We are small, but that’s what makes us special,” says Megan. “We know our patients expect us to have knowledge and experience but we also want to have kindness and personal interactions. I hope people feel listened to, heard and valued. That’s what we’re here to do.”
Megan says she often has patients she recognizes from her kids’ school or activities in the community, since she and her husband have lived in Wesley Chapel for more than 10 years now.
“We live here, we’re raising our kids here, we go to church here and they go to public school here,” Megan says. “We’re entrenched in our community, and I love that I’m home from work in less than 15 minutes.”
Scarlette says it means a lot to her that her patients continue to seek her out.
“As a former OB nurse, I have patients who remember that I was the one who told them they were pregnant, and I’m still seeing them,” she says. “And now, those babies I delivered are all grown up and sometimes I see them, too.”
One of Scarlette’s long-time patients is Donna, who asked that we not use her last name. She says she first met Scarlette nearly 20 years ago.
“She is always so responsive and caring,” says Donna. “When I first became her patient, she spent so much time going through my chart, making sure she was very familiar with everything. She really listens and doesn’t just run in and out of the room.”
Donna says she’s already seen Scarlette at The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel for both an in-person well check and sick visits via Telehealth.
“The whole staff is so personable,” Donna says. “They seem so genuine and caring. And the office is beautiful.”
The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel accepts many major health insurance plans, Medicare and some plans from the “Obamacare” marketplace. Patients also can self-pay if they don’t have insurance.
The Primary Care of Wesley Chapel is located at 2935 Pearson James Pl., off Wesley Chapel Blvd. It is open Mon.- Fri., 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For appointments or more information, call (813) 991-4243 or visit PrimaryCareWesleyChapel.com.
If you’ve been thinking about enhancing the beauty of your home, call Budget Blinds of North Tampa & Land O’Lakes for an in-home design consultation. (All photos provided by Adriane Wonderlin)
As Florida summers seem to get hotter (and start sooner) every year, keeping cool inside becomes a growing priority for local homeowners. You can crank up the air conditioning, but what you may not realize is that a more efficient and stylish solution to the heat is getting new window treatments. These not only help regulate temperature but also enhance the aesthetic appeal of your home, both inside and out.
Mike & Adriane Wonderlin are the owners of Budget Blinds of North Tampa & Land O’Lakes.
When it comes to finding a company that meets all of your window treatment needs, Budget Blinds of North Tampa & Land O’Lakes stands out. Owned by Wesley Chapel residents Adriane and Mike Wonderlin, the local franchise on W. Fletcher Ave. (near I-275) in Tampa offers personalized consultation services. Whether you visit their showroom or invite a Budget Blinds consultant into your home, you can choose from the company’s huge variety to find the perfect window treatments that align with your budget and style preferences.
Adriane says, “Many people think blinds are expensive, but we offer a wide selection that can fit any budget.” Mike, with more than 30 years of experience in the business, and Adriane have expanded their service area from San Antonio to Palmetto and now Lakeland. Their showroom is a hub for exploring various styles, although in-home consultations remain a key part of Budget Blinds’ services.
“Our consultant will come to your home and help you pick out just the right style and material,” says Adriane.
Employing a team of about 40 people, the Wonderlins are looking to expand further by hiring additional administrative staff and installers in Tampa. Adriane encourages anyone reading this story to contact her (see contact information at the end of the story) if interested or looking for more information.
Budget Blinds can show you how easy and affordable it is to add hybrid pleated shades with drapes to your home.
The Wonderlins just came back from the Budget Blinds Expo called “Shaping Our Future Together” in Grapevine, TX, and shared that the most recent trends in the industry have not changed.
“Motorization is still one of the most popular features with customers,” Adriane says. “One older trend that is making a comeback, are draperies. In the ‘80s and ‘90s, the trend was draperies, but for many years since then, it’s been blinds or shades. However, over the last couple of years, draperies have made a comeback. The difference is that now, shades and blinds are accompanied by draperies — all of which are motorized.”
The landscape of the window treatment industry has seen some notable changes, especially with the rising popularity of motorized blinds. For example, “In Canada,” Adriane notes, “a law mandates motorized blinds for safety, prohibiting the sale of homes with corded blinds.” While the U.S. has not adopted this regulation, Budget Blinds educates customers on the benefits of motorized blinds, anticipating potential future legislation. For those who don’t want the expense of motorized blinds, but are still concerned about safety, Budget Blinds does also offer a variety of manual pull-down cordless blinds.
Adriane and her outstanding sales team are always happy to run down the variety of blinds available, including vinyl, wood, fabric, faux wood and aluminum. Adding draperies for accent can enhance the look with a pop of color. Budget Blinds’ drapery specialist Cheryl Visalli, who has a degree in interior design, assists customers in choosing the perfect drapes to complement their blinds or shades.
Budget Blinds of North Tampa & Land O’Lakes offers every major trend in the window treatment industry, from (above) hybrid pleated shades with drapes to (below) motorized shades and so many more.
Among those who appreciate not only Budget Blinds’ selection, but the service she has received, is customer Tina Marie, who says in one of the hundreds of 5-Star Google reviews the franchise has received, “We had our beautiful blinds installed today after about 6 weeks of initial contact with this company. We could not have been more happy! Luis was our installer and made it extremely easy from beginning to end! He was very professional, (we were) impressed with how quiet he was with the installation of all rooms and cleaned up like he wasn’t even here. Also very quick on installing the entire house, our home having 13 windows. I’m very impressed and excited and I will definitely recommend this company as they are the BEST!”
The Wonderlins actively market their services through advertisements (including in the Neighborhood News), highlighting the benefits of upgrading from builder-grade window treatments. The company offers a buy-one-get-half-off-deal, appealing to those looking to enhance efficiency and aesthetics, as well as 12-month interest-free financing.
For those who prefer shades, the many options include roller, pleated, Roman, woven wood, bamboo, sheer, solar, or graphic varieties, along with an assortment of panels, valances and drapes.
Also available are shutters, made from wood or composite materials, which remain a popular choice in Florida due to their durability and innovative designs like the invisible tilt feature, which offers an unobstructed view.
Even the motorization trend has new advancements that make these systems more affordable and quieter. “Smart Homes,” says Adriane, “benefit greatly from improved motorization features.” This technology is particularly useful for Florida homes with large or high windows, allowing homeowners to easily manage light and heat.
Businesses also benefit from motorized window treatments, which can be set on timers or controlled via smartphone, remote, wall switch, or voice command. About 70 percent of Budget Blinds’ orders now feature motorized options.
Budget Blinds, founded in 1992 in Orange County, CA, has grown to more than 1,000 franchises across the U.S. and Canada. The Wonderlins’ North Tampa franchise, purchased in 2018, earned Budget Blinds’ national Franchise of the Year award in 2020, marking the location’s third such honor since 2016.
Beyond business, Adriane and Mike are committed to community involvement. They partner with Homes for Our Troops, providing window treatments for homes built for permanently disabled military personnel.
To schedule a complimentary in-home Budget Blinds consultation, call (813) 968-5050. For more information, follow “BudgetBlindsofGreaterTampa” on Facebook and Instagram or visit BudgetBlinds.com/NorthTampa.
After nearly two decades in New Tampa, with one name change and a move to a new location, Saffron Indian Cuisine, located inside the convenience store at the Mobil gas station at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd., has permanently closed.
The restaurant, which was first opened in our area by the husband-and-wife team of Nimesh and Sunita Chheda in the Cross Creek Center plaza on Cross Creek Blvd. at Kinnan St. (that location is now occupied by the Nepalese restaurant Gorkhali Kitchen) more than 17 years ago, enjoyed some success, despite being located inside a gas station convenience store, but Nimesh had told me several months ago that he and Sunita were planning to retire, he just didn’t say when that would happen. Unfortunately, I was unable to reach either of them for comment for this story.
In the good news department, however, I spotted a new sign in the Pebble Creek Collection (at 19651 BBD Blvd.) that a new restaurant called Bamboo Sushi Bowls was moving into the space (Suite D1) previously occupied by 35 Below ice cream, which closed several months ago.
Although a Google search of the name said that the restaurant was already open, the website BambooSushiBowls.comstill correctly says that the restaurant is “Coming Soon” and is “Now Hiring.”
I will say that the pictures of the food shown on the website (and in the photo, above), and the menu itself, look quite promising.
Calling Bamboo “Your new go-to spot for delicious deconstructed (and customizable) sushi bowls that blend traditional flavors with a modern twist,” the restaurant’s menu has tempura-style sushi rolls, miso soup, fried chicken dumplings, edamame, summer rolls, create-your-own and named (like the “Twister,” with tuna, salmon, squid salad, icrab stick, cucumber, carrots, edamame, takun, bamboo sauce, mango and mandarin ginger dressing sushi bowls and more. We do not yet know Bamboo’s opening date, but we’ll keep you posted. Visit the website to get on their email list. — GN
Psychotherapist and hypnotherapist Dr. Martha Tapia, who has an office in the Medallion Corporate Park north of S.R. 56 in Wesley Chapel, can help children, adults, couples and families with a variety of issues, from PTSD to chronic pain, with her unique combination of experience and, she says, her faith in God.
Martha Tapia, Ph.D., and her Community Family Counseling provides family counseling to help with a variety of mental and emotional issues for children, adults, couples and families. She also is a certified clinical hypnotherapist who can help people dealing with post-traumatic stress, anger and depression. She approaches every case she handles holding firm to her deep commitment to her Christian faith. She brings her own unique background and training to her job and has helped many people in the three years she has worked as a therapist, since moving to Florida from New York in 2016.
When I say unique, I’m guessing that most psychotherapists in our area probably were not working as a New York City police officer when 9/11 changed life in the United State forever. But, Martha was at Ground Zero the day after the towers fell, only two years after joining the police academy.
“I missed the last police van to go to Ground Zero that day, so they kept me patrolling on Staten Island until the next morning,” she says.
“The things I saw and smelled those days,” she says. “No one should have to see that. The body bags, the devastation. There’s no doubt that I had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) myself after what I saw and went through because of 9/11.”
Like so many who worked at Ground Zero, Martha developed major health issues, including severe asthma, which she was diagnosed with in 2005, only three+ years later. She was pregnant with her daughter Marlene when she had issues with the pregnancy, especially great difficulty breathing. Marlene also has been diagnosed with asthma.
“A lot of the kids of those first responders are having health issues, too,” she says. “But that’s not something that most people talk about.”
“Breathing that air and eating food with white ashes that we would just wipe off, eat and keep working — we were all poisoning ourselves. Many of my fellow officers and firefighters lost their lives to the cancers and illnesses we were all dealing with.”
Martha did end up retiring from the police force, but not until 2008, while working at Precinct 50 in The Bronx, after trying to arrest a suspect and having multiple people end up on top of her, herniating two of the discs in her back.
“They put me on medication for my back, but it reacted with the asthma medication I was taking and I got more sick from it,” she says. “I went into a deep depression because I didn’t know how I would be able to take care of my kids. I just knew I had to survive for them.”
With her early retirement, Martha went on to become a leader of a Girl Scout troop and went back to church, where she became a volunteer in the women’s group. “I couldn’t just be retired,” she says. “I had to stay busy.”
Two years later, she met and married her husband John Bevilacqua, who worked for a labor union, but when he retired in 2016, they did their research and ended up buying a house in Wesley Chapel.
Martha and John have seven children and a grandson (named Zion) and granddaughter (Antonella) between them — Martha’s sons Matthew and Adam and her daughter Marlene. She also raised her niece Keren and nephew Phillip. Her other nephew Geovanny, who is a autistic, but high-functioning and in his 40s, and John’s daughter Madison also live with them.
More Trauma & A Life Change
“I understood what happened to me after 9/11,” Martha says. “What I didn’t know is how that trauma affected my older son Matthew. He was only 8 years old at the time and he had a panic attack because he was so worried about me. He was diagnosed with anxiety, so we put him in counseling, but eventually, they said he was fine.”
Unfortunately, Matthew’s anxiety resurfaced in high school and got even worse with each move the family made and worst of all when the family moved to Florida when he was in his 20s.
Dr. Martha can provide both traditional psychotherapy (above) and hypnotherapy (below) to help adults, children & couples.
“Matthew was having panic attacks all the time — he was afraid of dying —and all anyone did was put him on medication, which made him sick. I knew I had to find another way.”
That different way came in the form of Dr. Henry Castellanos, a Bible-based “Theo-Therapist” who was preaching at Martha’s Spanish-speaking church in Zephyrhills. Dr. Castellanos, an expert in what is known as EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) therapy, is from Puerto Rico and he teaches EMDR therapy at the Ecotheos International University Bible College & Seminary he owns in Toa Baja, PR.
“Once I learned about how EMDR therapy works from Dr. Castellanos and he tried it with Matthew, I saw how effective it was and I knew I needed to find out more.”
Martha asked people to hook her up with Dr. Castellanos so she could learn more about EMDR and she sat and talked about it with him at an event. “I told him I was desperate to figure out how to help my son,” she says. “He’s about to lose it and I’m afraid he’s going to end up in a mental institution.”
Martha ended up bringing Dr. Castellanos to her house because Matthew was still in her car having a panic attack. “He said his English was not very good, so he would need someone to be the translator between him and Matthew, so of course, I agreed to be the translator.” Martha is from Ecuador, so she was fluent in Spanish and, since she had lived in New York since age 16, she also is fluent in English and her Latin accent makes everything she says in English sound better.
She says that where eight other therapists had failed, Dr. Castellanos was able to get through to Matthew with EMDR. “We took a family cruise to Puerto Rico, so I told my husband to take the kids to the beach because I was going to take Matthew to see Dr. Castellanos again at the University. He did a few intensive sessions with him and I saw an instant change in my son. He totally healed him and Matthew has never had that type of anxiety since then.”
In 2019, she decided that since she was retired and was looking for something to do, she would enroll online at Ecotheos University to get her degree in Christian Clinical Counseling. She also attended two one-week sessions in person at the University, where she became certified in EMDR by Dr. Lucina Artigas, the creator of what is known in EMDR as the “butterfly hug,” which is used worldwide.
At the same time, Martha and John were opening Martha’s Grill & Bar in Dade City, but when that shut down due to Covid in 2020, she decided to fully dedicate herself to becoming a therapist. In Oct. 2021, she had earned her Ph.D. degree (graduating Summa Cum Laude) in Philosophy Counseling and Theo- Therapy Systemic Therapy. She also is certified with the International Reciprocity Board of Therapeutic Professionals (IRBO) Therapeutic Family Counselor II and has earned a Certificate of Completion as an EMDR Therapist for Children & Adolescents.
To enhance her skills as a therapist, she also began studying how hypnotherapy also can help patients and, in 2022, she was certified as a Hypnotherapist and Clinical Hypnotherapist by the Institute of Hypnotherapy in Tampa. Earlier this year, she also has added ZYTO Link scan services, which uses your smartphone to scan your face and read the biometrics and emotions that help people improve their wellness while working on their negative emotions that needs to be addressed.
“We recommend selective natural products that assist your body and lifestyle system to help your body feel healthier and have an energetic balance,” Martha says, adding that her daughter Keren Bolanos is the ZYTO Link technician, who handles the scans.
She wasn’t planing to open a private practice, “but my husband convinced me that I could do it,” Martha says. “And, here I am!”
Starting with counseling only for individuals, she says that she believes that God shifted her direction, “like he wanted me to do this. I wouldn’t be where I am if not for Him.”
“I wanted to specialize in helping kids, with EMDR and Play Therapy, that’s why I got my child EMDR certification,” she says. “But somehow, my practice has evolved into nearly 80% marriage and couples therapy. The Christian base helps a lot with that, as long as both partners are still wanting to stay together. I help them find common ground.”
With all of these tools at her disposal, Martha says she is proud to be able to help people, “one family at a time. It’s OK to feel angry. It’s OK to feel sad. It’s not OK when it lingers.”
As for her foray into clinical hypnotherapy, Martha says that, “Sometimes, you have to go deeper with people, reach their subconscious mind and hypnotherapy is a relaxation technique. Especially as a Christian, hypnotherapy gets a bad rap, but I have used it to help so many people. It allows me to get to a deeper level with them.” And, never fear, you never lose consciousness and Dr. Martha won’t turn you into a chicken or get you to bark on command.
“Some people do get stuck with EMDR, but hypnotherapy helps me get you un-stuck,” she says. “It’s just good to have many options to help people.”
Martha also wanted me to mention that she is very committed to her new church — the new Paradise Community Church on Boyette Rd. She also occasionally posts on Facebook that she hosts Christian-based events at her home. She also sponsors the annual “Dance Your Dream” gala hosted by Hope Services, a not-for-profit vocational service organization in Wesley Chapel that helps people living with disabilities find jobs. “My son Adam (who is developmentally disabled) and nephew Geo (who is autistic) have enjoyed attending the gala, too, “ she says.
I also can give a personal testimonial about Dr. Martha. Jannah had some PTSD of her own following the serious car accident we had in 2017. She had spoken with other therapists since then because driving on the highway since that day had terrorized her.
But, two hypnosis and EMDR sessions with Dr. Martha seems to have helped Jannah get over her panic while being a passenger in a car. Hearing how much better she’s doing made Martha very happy.
“I just love helping people,” she says.
Dr. Martha Tapia’s Community Family Counseling is located at 2604 Cypress Ridge Blvd., For appointments and more info, call (813) 803- 5968 or visit CommunityFamilyCounselor.com.
