Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s Downtown Taking Center Stage 

Research by Joel Provenzano

What started out as New River Township more than 20 years ago is finally getting ready to come to full fruition.

That original community from developer Beat Kahli (of Avalon Park Group) does still exist today — with about 400 single-family (SF) homes in four subdivisions — but the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) formerly known as New River Township has changed names twice since those first homes (and the adjacent New River Elementary) were built.

The new sections, with a separate entrance off S.R. 54, were at first known as “Avalon Park West,” as Kahli’s original Avalon Park development exploded on the southeast side of Orlando. Today, the local 1,800-acre DRI is being touted as “Avalon Park Wesley Chapel,” which is planned for 4,800 single- and multi-family units, part of which will be a walkable downtown area.

Stephanie Lerrett (left) of Avalon Park Group gives VIP tour attendees some information (Photos by Charmaine George)

On Aug. 17, the Neighborhood News was included in a hardhat and virtual-reality VIP tour of the Downtown Avalon Park area, which has a single building under construction and a few retail tenants already signed to fill the twelve total available spaces on the ground floor of a multi-floor “neotraditional” building that also will feature rental apartments on its upper floors.

But honestly, as exciting as the first building in the downtown area may be, it really is only the tip of an iceberg as Avalon Park Wesley Chapel begins to add thousands of additional units, just as the widening of S.R. 54 — the primary east-west thoroughfare serving Avalon Park Wesley Chapel — nears its completion.

VIP attendees also got to check out a Virtual Reality tour of the downtown area.

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, which previously had been known as both New River Township and Avalon Park West, is stepping up the development of its downtown, and the Neighborhood News participated in the Aug. 17 VIP tour of the first “neotraditional” building under construction to the east of the existing single-family home development in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Developer Beat Kahli of Avalon Park Group/Sitex Development has modeled his Wesley Chapel development after Avalon Park Orlando, his company’s successful 1,860-acre development neighborhood located in southeast Orange County that will have 3,400 single-family and 1,431 multi-family units at buildout. Meanwhile, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel encompasses about 1,800 acres with about 2,900 single-family and 1,900 multi-family units planned.

Despite a steady rain, the VIP tour helped introduce local business leaders to Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, which has its first three-story, 73,067-sq.-ft. mixed-use building well under construction. This building will include 40 multi-family apartments and 23,720 sq. ft. of commercial/retail space on the ground floor. 

The VIP tour of the first downtown building.

“This phase of construction really helps us move even closer to that vision of building a place where families can build memories and traditions together in a town they can call their own,” Kahli said in a recent news release. “And, while this may not be the most cost-effective time to begin construction, we feel like it is important to continue on to the next step in developing our vision for Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.”

The downtown area also will be home to a two-acre, dog-friendly community park with an amphitheater that currently is in permitting and will begin construction later this summer. The park will host community events such as the popular “Avalon Aglow” and annual Fourth of July celebrations, as well as community partners like Jazz Under the Starz and the Wesley Chapel Theater Group, who are already hosting events and activities in the community. Construction of both the park and the first mixed-use building are scheduled for completion by January of 2024.

“We have been working with Pasco County over the past several years to develop a program that will be a win-win for the entire Wesley Chapel community,” Kahli said. “Community partnerships are vital to our mission to change the way the world lives, learns, works and plays, by creating a place where everyone can feel like they belong.”

Upon completion, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will include approximately 400,000 total sq. ft. of retail and 100,000 sq. ft. of office space in its downtown. The initial construction in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel began in 2018 with the addition of the Pinecrest Academy K-9 Charter School. Pinecrest is also now under construction of its second phase, which will ad approximately 600 middle school student stations in a separate building. 

Before & after pictures of the first building under construction in the downtown area.  

Among the first tenants on the first floor of the 12-suite building include the previously announced Prime Barbershop, an unnamed Indian restaurant and an also-unnamed gym. The only other tenant announced at our press time is Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard.

We got to meet Rita’s franchise owners Antoine and Idalice Stokes, who also own the Valrico location, and they definitely seemed to be super-excited to be opening in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

With the first building in the downtown area expected to be completed only four months or so from now, we wanted to provide you with some updates on the development of Avalon park Wesley Chapel:

• A new traffic signal will be installed by the developer at Avalon Park Blvd. & S.R. 54.

• Avalon Park Blvd. will be extended diagonally through the downtown area from SR 54 to River Glen Blvd.

• The Zephyrhills Bypass right-of-way will be given to the county, but that road will not be constructed by the Avalon Park developer. When built, the Zephyrhills Bypass will eventually connect to the existing roundabout in Chapel Crossings to the west and to Eiland Blvd. to the east. 

• The Avalon Park Blvd. extension and residential unit development (just north of Pinecrest Academy) are currently in for county review (as of last month).

• The majority of the single- and multi-family homes going in the northern section of Avalon Park have already been approved and platted.

• New River Township was originally 1,800 total acres, but now includes about 400 homes in the existing subdivisions along River Glen Blvd., but the MPUD approved for Avalon Park in 2017 shows a maximum of 4,800 residential units total, which is still believed to be accurate and close to the actual number that eventually will be built. 

• On August 3, updated plans were submitted to show how Avalon Park Blvd. will hook around to meet up with River Glen Blvd.

For more information about Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com. 

North Tampa Bay Chamber Wins Its Second Top-Three Award In A Row!

Assn. of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) Executive Committee chair Carlos Phillips (far left) and ACCE president & CEO Sheree Anne Kelly (far right) pose with (l.-r.) membership director Jen Tussing, president & CEO Hope Kennedy & foundation chair Michael Berthelette of the North Tampa Bay Chamber, at the ACCE awards event last month, where the NTBC was again a finalist for Chamber of the Year. (Photo provided by Hope Kennedy).

Both this year and last, the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce (NTBC) has been named one of three finalists for Chamber of the Year in its category by the nationwide Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE).

Both years, the NTBC has come up short of winning the award, but that’s not stopping this busy chamber or its leadership team. “Win or lose, it’s such an honor to be a finalist, and no other chamber in any of the four categories was named a finalist the last two years,” says NTBC President and chief executive officer Hope Kennedy. “It was hard for us to come home without the top prize again, but we’re still so proud of the work we’ve done and the successes we’ve had.”

Kennedy says the application process, which the NTBC has gone through “for each of the last ten years or so, is extensive and difficult,” as the ACCE has more than 1,800 member chambers of commerce and business organizations of all sizes and locations across the country.

Kennedy also notes that the NTBC also was again the finalist with the smallest paid staff (just two — Kennedy and membership director Jen Tussing). By comparison, the Pearland (TX) Chamber, which won this year’s award in the NTBC’s Category 1 (for chambers with less than $500,000 in annual revenues), has a staff of six.  

Neither current NTBC Board chair Justin Keeney, the VP and senior portfolio manager of Fifth Third Bank, or immediate past chair Javan Grant of Slater Grant, was able to travel to Salt Lake City for this year’s ACCE 2023 Awards Ceremony on Aug. 1, so foundation chair and 2021 Board chair Michael Berthelette of Platinum Salon made the trip with Kennedy and Tussing.

“Even some of the larger Chambers in our area — including the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce — have applied to be Chamber of the Year the last two years without even being named a finalist,” Kennedy says. “We take a lot of pride in what we do and what we have accomplished.”

How You Can Get Involved!

Although being a finalist for Chamber of the Year is a big honor and is based on a variety of factors — including membership retention, advocacy, community involvement and more — the bottom line is that the NTBC also exists to help small businesses. 

The Chamber features a variety of ongoing activities, including the following:

• Breakfast-1st Tues. of each month

• Luncheon-2nd Tues. of each month

• Leading Ladies Network (formerly 

   WOW)-1st Fri. of each Month

• Final Friday-Last Fri. of each month

• Coffee Social-3rd Wed. of each Month

• Member Orientation-4th Wed. of each mo.

The NTBC also offers member businesses the opportunity to host ribbon cuttings at their locations, as well as a variety of  annual events, including the upcoming Wesley Chapel Fall Festival the weekend of Oct. 28-29 (co-sponsored by Florida’s Sports Coast and Penguin Productions). 

Also upcoming is the NTBC’s Celebrating Excellence in Business awards gala (on Thursday, November 16) and nominations for the Excellence in Innovation, Collaboration, Integrity, Inclusivity and the Community Hero award are now open. The Chamber also will host its third annual 5K Honor Run in February.

For more information about joining the North Tampa Bay Chamber, visit NorthTampaBayChamber.org or call (813) 994-8534.

Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit Opens This Wednesday!

Although we told you in our last issue that the new Wesley Chapel Contract Postal Unit (CPU) was expected to be open at 30124 S.R. 54 in the Freedom Plaza by the end of the first week of August, the CPU is now expected to open by Sept. 6, or after this issue went to press.  

New CPU contractors Jevon and Cindy Williams, the husband-and-wife team of Realtors based in Wesley Chapel with EXP Realty, told me that one important piece of postal equipment was holding up the opening, but that had now been received, so the CPU is ready to go.

“We even hired a former postmaster to help us get everything in order and ready to serve the Wesley Chapel community,” Jevon told me. 

Located between Bosco’s Italian-to-Go and Great Hope Preschool in the former location of the 3D Wellness Pharmacy, the pharmacy’s sign was still above the door at our press time, but at least the door of the new location (photo) itself now says “Wesley Chapel Post Office Contract Unit” and notes that the new CPU has shipping supplies and also offers fax, copy and Notary Public services.

Although it wasn’t yet open, Jevon was happy that the last piece of equipment had finally arrived and that the CPU was now ready to open for business with its planned regular business hours — Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday.

And yes, he says the plan is still to offer free coffee to the CPU’s customers.

Although the Wesley Chapel CPU is located several miles from parts of Wesley Chapel, it will offer an alternative to driving to the much-further away (for most) Zephyrhills Post Office and will feature regular post office pricing.

News Briefs — BayCare Seeking YMCA Approval, Home Sense Opens & A 911 Event

Former New York City EMT Stephen Spelman is bringing the framed Ladder 18 fire truck artifact from 911 to the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History for its 911 Remembrance Event on Sept. 9. (Photo by Charmaine George)
BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

As reported by Kelly Gilroy on her outstanding “Pasco County Development and Growth Updates” Facebook page on Aug. 24 — after no updates since representatives from the YMCA first started attending local meetings a couple of years ago — BayCare Health Systems is having a pre-application meeting with Pasco County staff to propose  52,391-sq.-ft. YMCA and a 100,000-sq.-ft., two-story medical office building. The plan includes parking lots, a “New Drive” roadway and a curb-cut connection at the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. and Eagleston Blvd., next to the new BayCare Wesley Chapel hospital. We’ll update this story once we have additional information.

Home Sense Opens Next To Bealls
BayCare Health’s proposed YMCA (two black outlines at center left) and medical office building (top rectangle close to BBD).

On Aug. 10, a new Homesense store opened in the Shoppes at New Tampa of Wesley Chapel, between the also-still-new Bealls Outlet and Flip Flop Shops stores in the plaza on BBD Blvd. south of S.R. 56.

Homesense — the off-price home store featuring high-quality furniture and accessories that is the newest retail banner of The TJX Companies, Inc. — now operates 50 stores in the U.S. TJX is the leading off-price retailer of apparel and home fashions in the U.S. and worldwide. The company operates nearly 5,000 total stores in nine countries,  including 1,304 T.J. Maxx, 1,189 Marshalls, 901 HomeGoods, 81 Sierra, and now 50 Homesense stores.

I visited the new store the day it opened and it was packed with not only people, but as-advertised great prices on everything from couches to wall art to Halloween knickknacks (photo above). For more information, visit us.homesense.com or call (813) 991-0249.

9/11 Remembrance In Zephyrhills 

On Saturday, September 9, at 8 a.m., the Zephyrhills Museum of Military History near the Zephyrhills Municipal Airport (at 39444 South Ave.) will host a 911 Memorial Remembrance Day event.

Former New York City emergency medical technician Stephen Spelman, who arrived at World Trade Center in his vehicle as the North Tower was getting ready to fall on September 11, 2001, will be bringing the piece of the Ladder 18 fire truck that he had been given to the event.

Spelman had previously loaned the ladder truck artifact to the Tampa Premium Outlets Rotary Club for the mall’s 911 exhibit, but decided to bring it to the military museum for an event that also will feature guest speakers — Lt. Col. Perry Blackburn from the movie “12 Strong,” as well as Craig Gross, a Gold Star Family member whose son, Cpl. Frank Gross was killed in Afghanistan and Pasco County Commissioner Seth Weightman. 

“We’re also going to have a plane full of parachuters dropping in at 8:46 a.m., the time that the first plane hit the North Tower,” Spelman says. “My son is going to ring a bell in remembrance of that time.”    

Spelman received the piece of the ladder from a former fire captain friend of his who also was part of Motts Military Museum in Groveport, OH, where Spelman was scheduled to speak at a 911 event in 2017 when Hurricane Irma hit Florida, so he couldn’t make the trip. 

A few weeks later, Spelman received the piece of the ladder truck in his mailbox. 

“Ironically, I was about 30 yards from that (fire) truck when the North Tower collapsed,” he says. “I tried to find a place where this piece of history could properly be displayed and the Simon Premium Outlets management agreed to include it as part of the outlet mall’s 911 display.”

For more info, visit ZMMH.org.

Tristans Amazing Bites — Changing How The World Sees Down Syndrome

Tony Carbone (left) with Tristan Snapp. (All of the photos supplied by Jay Snapp).

New Tampa has a lot of really good restaurants, but not many that specialize in breakfast and lunch and even fewer with as great a story to tell as Tristans Amazing Bites, the local food truck that is “Changing How the World See Down Syndrome, One Amazing Bite at a Time.”

Tristans Amazing Bites, which is based next to the Mobil gas station and Tampa Fire Rescue Station No. 22 on Cross Creek Blvd. every Tuesday-Saturday, 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., does more than just serve great food. It also helps tell the story of 26-year-old Tristan Snapp, who has not let being born with Down Syndrome stop him from living his dream of being the “front man” for his own food truck.

Tristan’s father and mother, Jay and Vickie Snapp, weren’t sure he was serious when Tristan first said he wanted to own a food truck. But, while his father admittedly loves to cook and Tristan likes working with people, Jay says that if Tristan showed he was serious about it, he and Vickie would support Tristan’s dream any way they could.

Tristan told his dad, a police officer with CSX Corp. (which is a leading supplier of rail-based freight transportation in North America), that his dad could be the cook and he could handle taking the orders and the cash register and at least help with the food.

Prime rib, which is available for special events.

“He seasons the meat, mixes the brownies and prepares the pudding cups,” Jay says.

Tristan received some of his early training at the Pro Kitchen Hub, a shared-use commercial kitchen in South Tampa that is located next door to Guthrie’s Chicken Fingers and provides training for those interested in starting a food service business. 

Following some training, Jay says Tristan started providing brownie bites and pudding cups for sale at the Bakery Box, a pop-up extension of the Pro Kitchen Hub with a service window next to Guthrie’s. In addition to working on his baking, Jay says, “that’s where Tristan learned how to use a POS (point of sale) system. He kept bringing up the food truck idea to us and we could tell he was definitely serious about starting one of his own.” 

That was back in 2020, when all Tristan had was an idea and the name Tristans Amazing Bites. He went to a crowdsource website where people compete to design your logo and Jay says that Tristan received “about 75 entries. He picked the one he liked best, his brother Tim designed his TristansAmazingBites.com website and, in 2021, the new logo was put on a food truck and Trisans Amazing Bites was born.”

Jay says he had to earn his Food Manager’s certification, a four-hour class that Tristan attended with him. In addition to the flattop grill inside the truck, Jay says, “We got a large rectec pellet grill and both Tristan and I earned diplomas from the rectec Academy following an intensive three-day course in Augusta, GA, led by actual TV pitmasters.

Tristan and Jay Snapp and Tristan got to meet Tim Tebow at a Special Olympics event. 

“Tristan likes to brag that even though we both graduated, he got the MVP award,’ Jay says. “We’ve done prime rib, BBQ ribs and more on the rectec. We can cater pretty large events with it.”

Jay says that he and Tristan originally only brought the truck to special events because, “since I have a full-time job that requires me to travel, so there was no way I could stay on a regular schedule with the truck.”

Before settling in to their current schedule on Cross Creek Blvd., Tristan and Jay brought the food truck to events like the annual fund raiser for Gigi’s Playhouse Down Syndrome Achievement Center on W. Hillsborough Ave., a fund raiser at Lutz Elementary (which caters to special needs children; Jay says, “We catered 1,000 brownie bites for them”) and a school in Brandon that wanted to cater a Teacher Appreciation luncheon.” The truck also recently provided a prime rib dinner at the Live Oak Preserve clubhouse. 

Tristan, who also works at the Publix in Wiregrass Ranch, graduated from the two-year “Stages” program at USF, where students learn both the school at HART transit systems. His Special Olympics softball team won a bronze medal at last year’s USA Nationals.

So, How About The Food?

Jay also says that he wouldn’t have agreed to a daily schedule for the truck if he didn’t have someone else who could do the cooking every day. So, when Tony Carbone, the former owner of the Wolf’s Den diner restaurant in Wesley Chapel that closed shortly after things reopened after the pandemic, said he wanted to get back into cooking for people, Jay knew he had found the right guy.

“I was a customer of Wolf’s Den,” Jay says. “And Tony had done just the kind of food we wanted to do.”

And, Tristan was sold on Tony, too. “He told me that although I’m still OK at it, Tony is now the Number One cook and I’m down to his Number Two.” 

The Breakfast Burger.
Try a delicious freshly made omelet and home fries from Tristans Amazing Bites on Cross Creek Blvd.

For breakfast, which is served anytime the truck is open, I’ve already enjoyed the fried egg & bacon (or sausage) Breakfast Sandwich and the breakfast burger. I’ve yet to try the omelet breakfast platter or biscuits and gravy, but Jimmy Gouveia, the co-owner of the nearby Grill at Morris Bridge, was picking up his order during my last visit. “I have to get my biscuits & gravy at least once every week,” Jimmy said. “It’s just so good.” The home fries (a huge order for just $4) are served with savory grilled onions and peppers.

There’s also a breakfast bowl, a meat lovers or pulled pork omelet on Cuban bread, a Rocco Jersey pork roll and even a breakfast wrap.

“What’s for lunch,” you ask? If you love BBQ pulled pork, try Tristans Amazing “Big Bite” Burger, with pulled pork and bacon on a delicious burger topped with sweet BBQ sauce. I also enjoyed Tristans Amazing Cheese Steak and the pressed Cuban sandwich.

Tristans Amazing Big Bite Burger.
A tasty pressed Cuban sandwich.
Brownie Bites.

Other options include regular or bacon cheeseburgers, BLTs on sub or Cuban bread, grilled chicken Philly subs and sandwiches and chicken or beef quesadillas.

And for dessert, yes, I also can vouch for Tristan’s brownie bites, although I’ve yet to try his pudding cups — but I’ve heard some of his regulars rave about them.

“The bottom line to me,” Jay says, “is recognizing that everyone has their own talents and abilities, and their own passions, and I am happy to support Tristan’s. If we can make the food truck work, maybe I’ll be able to retire (from CSX) early because I’d really like to be able to do something where Tristan and I can continue to work together. That’s my main goal.”

Tristans Amazing Bites is located at 10865 Cross Creek Blvd. For more information, visit TristansAmazingBites.com or see the ad on pg. 40. Event catering also is available. The truck also is on Instagram and Facebook, so send a message if you have a special order.