City’s Plan For Tampa Palms Blvd. Raises Some Eyebrows


This and other portions of Segment 1 of Tampa Palms Blvd. will be resurfaced and restriped, but city planners have bolder plans for the failing road, like reducing it from two lanes in each direction to one. (Photo provided by the City of Tampa)

Tampa Palms Blvd. is getting repaved, thanks to nearly $3 million in the City of Tampa’s 2022 budget, and planners would also like to put the failing roadway on a… well, diet.

That was the suggestion at a Sept. 28 virtual presentation and Q-&-A session, as the city kicked off the public input portion of the planned redesign of Tampa Palms Blvd.

Cal Hardie, P.E., the City of Tampa’s capital projects manager, said the best solution to the main concerns raised in past meetings about Tampa Palms Blvd. — namely pedestrian safety and speeding along the arterial roadway — would be to reduce it from four lanes to two lanes, while adding other safety enhancements.

“There is a need for traffic calming and there is speeding along the corridor,” Hardie said. “The fact that you can’t enforce the speed limit makes us look for other means of controlling speeds. With that in mind, we developed a concept to take out a travel lane (in each direction).”

According to a recent study, the average driving speed in the corridor is 47 mph, and 43 mph in school zones. The current speed limit is 40, which would be reduced to 35 mph under the new design.

The loss of a lane didn’t seem to sit too well with some of the residents on the virtual meeting call, where they were able to ask questions and make other suggestions.

Most of those who submitted questions offered other their own solutions, like keeping the four lanes and just narrowing them, worried that reducing the roadway to one lane would cause bottlenecks.

“The prospect of taking (a lane) away from Tampa Palms Blvd. seems to be something of a stretch,” said District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, who represents New Tampa. “But I’m certainly here to listen.”

Hardie said traffic calming could be accomplished by narrowing the existing lanes, “but it’s not nearly as effective as actually removing a travel lane.”

Tampa Palms Blvd. is being resurfaced in two segments – the south loop (or Segment 1, see map on next page), which runs from the north intersection of Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. to the south intersection through Tampa Palms Areas 3 and 1), and the north loop, or Segment 2, which runs from the south intersection of BBD to Ebensburg Dr. In Tampa Palms Area 2.

Both segments are great candidates for a “road diet” according to Hardie, based on current ADT (average daily traffic) numbers. Segment 1’s ADT number is 9,515 daily trips, a number expected to rise to 11,611 by 2040.

Segment 2, the shorter of the segments, has 3,455 daily trips and is projected to have 4,216 by 2040.

Hardie says anything under 10,000 is considered a great candidate for reduction, and 10,000-15,000 is considered a good candidate. Because Tampa Palms is mostly developed out, those numbers aren’t expected to fluctuate or change much, he added.

Hardie unveiled a rather expansive plan, called a Complete Street Project, that goes far beyond just repaving the cracking road from Ebensburg Dr. to the south intersection with BBD, and then continuing on to the northern intersection.

The portion of Tampa Palms Blvd. north and east of Ebensburg Dr. to BBD was previously resurfaced in 2012 and is not included in the project.

A two-lane Tampa Palms Blvd. will reallocate right of way space for buffered bicycle lanes, enhanced crossings, additional  school pickup lanes for Tampa Palms and Chiles elementary schools and even include roundabouts at the northern and southern intersections at Compton Dr.

Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFBs), or pedestrian-activated warning devices, would be installed at the highest volume crossings at Amberly Dr. (west & east of BBD), Treeland Ct., Tampa Palms Trail and the northern intersection of Compton Dr.

The intersections at BBD themselves would remain untouched.

Hardie is aware that there will be resistance to the initial plan.

“This is the beginning of our public input,” he said. “This is not the not final design. This is basically our first stab at what we think is possible, based off some of the feedback we initially received. This is just the beginning of the dialogue.”

And, by the way, none of it is funded, he added. Only the resurfacing and restriping of Tampa Palms Blvd. is accounted for in the city’s Fiscal Year 2022 budget at this point. Hardie said more meetings will be planned in early 2022, before the resurfacing begins.

New Theater Company To Take Over The Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment

The Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment

Dusted off, cleaned up and renovated by developer Mark Gold after landing on the bankruptcy heap due to coronavirus in 2020, The Grove Theater, Bistro & Entertainment has been turned over to B&B Theatres, which will take over operations of the complex.

The 16-screen theater will be renamed B&B Theatres The Grove 16 at Wesley Chapel. According to a press release, the new company plans on spending $1.5 million in upgrades, which will include replacing the seating in the downstairs theaters with reclining chairs similar to the ones used upstairs. Other renovations and amenities will be announced in the future.

Founded in 1924, B&B Theatres  is a family-owned and operated theater chain based in Liberty, Mo. It is the fifth-largest theater chain in North America, with 517 screens at 56 locations in Kansas, Iowa, Florida, Missouri, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Minnesota, Virginia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Texas, Washington, and Georgia. The Grove will be the fifth Florida location.

SideSplitters Comedy Club will continue to offer comedy shows and Cycle Cinema, featuring spin bikes inside the theater, still plans to open.

We will have more information in our upcoming Wesley Chapel edition on Oct. 26.

For more information, visit bbtheatres.com

I-75 traffic to be detoured weekend of October 15

Due to concrete beams being set for the new Overpass Rd. bridge on I-75 in Wesley Chapel, the Florida Department of Transportation says to expect detours this weekend.

Southbound detour

Southbound I-75 traffic will be detoured off the interstate at exit 285, or S.R. 52 between 9 p.m. Friday night, Oct. 15 and 9 a.m. Saturday morning, Oct. 16. Travelers who get off on exit 285 will turn right onto S.R. 52 and continue for approximately one-half mile. At the next traffic signal (Old Pasco Road), turn left and go south on Old Pasco Road for approximately 6.75 miles to S.R. 54/C.R. 54. Turn left at the traffic signal onto S.R. 54/C.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. and continue east about 7/10s of a mile to re-enter southbound I-75. 

Northbound detour

Northbound I-75 traffic will be detoured off the interstate at S.R. 54/C.R. 54 between 9 p.m. Saturday night, Oct. 16 and 9 a.m. Sunday morning, Oct. 17. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left onto S.R. 54/C.R. 54/Wesley Chapel Boulevard and continue west about 8/10ths of a mile to Old Pasco Rd. At the traffic signal for Old Pasco Rd., turn right and go north for approximately 6.75 miles to S.R. 52. Turn right at the traffic signal onto S.R. 52 and go east about 3/4 mile. After passing under I-75, turn left onto the entrance ramp to re-enter northbound I-75.

FDOT asks drivers to be careful on Old Pasco Rd., which is one lane in each direction and will be congested during the hours of the tour. Motorists are urged to plan plenty of extra time to drive the detour and return to the interstate or consider alternate routes. Law enforcement officers and traffic management personnel will be active along the detour route to assist with traffic flow, as well as detour signs and message boards.

Total Air Solutions Keeps Your A/C Cool, Clean & Running

Total Air Solutions’ technicians can solve just about any problem your air conditioning system may experience, and offer ways to keep it that way. (Photo: Charmaine George)

Floridians have to face a lot of dreadful things during the summer months.

Pesky pests. Stifling heat. Never-ending afternoon showers. Hurricanes.

But, if you really want to find a ticked-off Florida resident, find one whose air conditioning just went out on a summer afternoon. 

Don’t let that person be you. Before it is, you might want to give Total Air Solutions a call.

If the last year or two has taught us anything, it’s that being stuck inside is no fun, especially in the summer. And, the heat is just one reason.

Total Air Solutions offers a number of services, and as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, has evolved to provide its customers even more. With a premium placed on clean air like never before in our homes, schools and businesses, Total Air Solutions co-owner and co-founder Bill Albert says his company has seen a tremendous demand for Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) products. 

As IAQ experts, Albert says Total Air Solutions specializes in customizing solutions to best protect your home from these airborne pollutants. 

Another side effect of the pandemic has (in many cases) been a shortage of much-needed parts when your A/C unit does fail. 

“There has been an economic failure to meet the demand for HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning) products,” Albert says. “As a Carrier factory-authorized dealer, we have the first right to these units as they come out of the factory. You can count on us to deliver your repairs or new units faster than many of our competitors — and the last thing you want is to be stuck with no air conditioning and lacking the parts necessary for your repair.”

Total Air Solutions has been serving not only the Tampa Bay area, but areas up and down the Gulf Coast for the last 19 years. But, over most of that time, Total Air had mostly dedicated its business to commercial properties — from offices to medical clinics and more.

Three years ago, Total Air started servicing residential customers.

“We’ve been in Tampa a lot longer than people realize,” Albert says. “We hire local techs and we’re continuing to grow and very interested in growing in the Lutz, New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas.”

Total Air Solutions has made strides in its quest to become the go-to service provider for air conditioning in our area, especially with people spending so much time inside these days, when compared with pre-pandemic times, as well as rising temperatures.

“Everyone needs the service much more because the air is always running,” Albert says. “And, it’s Florida. So, it’s been a banner year for our residential side.”

Growing The Right Way

Albert figures that Total Air, which he started in his garage with fellow co-owner/co-founder Frank Decarlo, has nearly doubled in size over the past year or so.

Albert worked for six years as an HVAC distributor for Carrier Florida, first in Tampa and then in Orlando. Prior to that, he held positions in a solar hot water heating and installation company and at a home energy design system firm. 

Decarlo previously was the VP/general manager at a heating and cooling company in North Port, FL, for seven years, where he was initially hired as a service manager and grew that company’s annual sales fourfold. Prior to that, he was a service technician at an air conditioning firm in New York.

Now, 19 years later and having combined their efforts, Albert and Decarlo and have Total Air offices in Tampa and North Port and nearly 100 employees total.

“There are a lot of air conditioning companies out there, but there are very few qualified technicians,” Albert says. “We’re also Carrier-certified and (have won Carrier’s) President’s Award three years in a row, but we also can fix any brand because when you call us, we send you service technicians, not salesmen. There’s an industry term for that — an SID, or “salesman in disguise” — but that’s not what you get from Total Air. We’re not going to sell you things you don’t need. We try to find the total air solution for our customers.”

Keeping Eyes On Those Eyes

Albert says that Total Air is not only keeping homes cool and the air  clean, but also is in full hurricane season mode. While the Tampa Bay area has been fortunate so far this season, there are still two months remaining in the 2021 season. Any storm that hits the area could require a lot more service requests.

“We’re very conscious of hurricane season because we know there can be damage or people can be without air conditioning,” Albert says. “We want to help them get it back up and running as quickly as possible.”

And, Total Air does that very well and efficiently. It’s one of the reasons the company has been able to keep customers from the very start, and the majority of its Google reviews mention Total Air’s professionalism, responsiveness and punctuality.

“Total Air sent out Carlos, who was professional and knowledgeable about our system, even though they did not install the system,” wrote Greg MacPherson in a 5-star Google review, adding that the company that did install his system was “too busy” to help. “(Carlos) quickly found the refrigerant leak and soldered it, then tested and recharged the system. We had A/C again!”

Total Air has a number of different service plans, and recently added a premium maintenance plan called the “Safe & Healthy Neighbor Plan.” The new plan provides added benefits like a larger discount on replacement parts, high-efficiency filter upgrades and, most important, your annual dryer vent cleaning. Many companies, according to Albert, charge over $200 for this dryer vent cleaning service alone. But, Total Air’s “Safe & Healthy Neighbor Plan” is available for $46.99 per month (for 6 months).

Total Air also has a new, informative “System Health Report” with each of your maintenance appointments. This report gives you valuable insight into the condition of your A/C unit, plus any preventive recommendations to keep your system running at optimal performance.

Albert says the maintenance of an air conditioning system, even a new unit, is vital to keeping your house cool.

“Just because it’s running doesn’t mean it’s perfect,” Albert says. “I ask (customers), ‘Don’t you change the oil in your car, too?,’”

And, of course, Total Air Solutions also provides residential and commercial heating services, including installing heat pumps, as well as duct work services. You can even finance your new Carrier A/C. 

Total Air Solutions’ Tampa office is located at 1015 E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. For more info, visit TotalAirFl.com or call (813) 247-2665 or see the ad on page 45.

Kobé Steakhouse Moving Down The Road

Kobé Japanese Steak House’s move to its new location at the former Vuelo’s Mexican Grill on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (above) is expected to be completed by the end of the year.

Kobé Japanese Steak House, which has been located at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. and Pebble Creek Dr. since 2011, is moving down the road to the old Vuelo’s/Señor T’s/Romano’s Macaroni Grill site in front of New Tampa’s Home Depot.

According to Hien Nguyen, a spokesperson for the family-owned mini-chain, as soon as remodeling is completed on the former Vuelo’s, Kobé “will transition from our current location.”

Nguyen says the new location, “will be larger to accommodate our growing team and business. We aim to transition by the end of this year.”

The new site for Kobé is 7,000 square feet — giving the restaurant roughly 1,000 more square feet to accommodate a larger kitchen for it’s growing to-go business —and offers more parking.

The successful and highly-rated Japanese steak house, one of 12 located in Florida, is now going to try to succeed where others have not when it moves into the former Vuelo’s Mexican Restaurant location, which was previously Señor T’s and before that Macaroni Grill, which closed in 2013.

Señor T’s opened in November 2015 but was poorly received and scathingly reviewed by many. It failed to make it through even a year, closing its doors for good in July 2016.

The Mexican eatery was rebranded, redesigned and opened with a new, but still Mexican-based, menu as Vuelo’s a few months later, in November. But, whether it was the food or the location, Vuelo’s died out just over a year later and the restaurant has been empty since 2018.

Can another restaurant succeed in that seemingly cursed location, which can be difficult to get in and out of from BBD?

Probably, considering that Chili’s has had staying power right next door. Plus, Kobé has an established reputation and is popular in New Tampa (at least according to our annual Reader Surveys, which always give the restaurant high marks). And, according to 2,756 Google ratings, Kobé has a 4.7 out of 5 rating. Yelp reviewers give Kobé 4 out of 5 stars.

In addition, Kobé has been the most successful/longest lasting of all of the restaurants to have come and gone from its location in front of the Pebble Creek Collection. 

The saga began when Tampa Bay media personality Jack Harris leant his name to (and co-owned) Harris & Co., the original restaurant in Kobé’s location, which opened to rave reviews in 1997 but closed in 2000. But, Harris & Co. would just be the first of five restaurants in the building, which also has been home to Durango Steak House (2000-02, 2003), the Durango-owned Sammy Frogs (2004) and Wasabi Japanese Steakhouse (2006-11) prior to Wasabi selling its spot to Kobé.