Editorial: Raymond James Is Official; More To Come In WC…& On WCNT-tv!

Shortly before we went to press with our latest issue (which hit Wesley Chapel mailboxes Friday), it was announced on TampaBay.com (and on the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce website, WesleyChapelChamber.com) that Raymond James Financial had closed on 65 acres of property in the Wiregrass Ranch Development of Regional Impact (DRI).

The Times report says that the finalization of the long-awaited agreement came just days after Pasco County amended its incentive agreement with the company and Wiregrass Ranch Inc. to eliminate a deadline for construction to begin on Raymond James’ planned six four-story buildings totalling 1 million square feet. Combined, the state and Pasco County incentives total $14 million.

JD Porter, who is managing the development of the ranch for his family’s trust, was quoted as saying that now that Raymond James is officially in the fold after closing on the parcel located east of the Shops at Wiregrass mall on S.R. 56 at Mansfield Blvd, “I think a lot of other office uses will follow. It bodes well for everybody.’’

There’s no doubt that the Porter family is still at the forefront of the continuing development of Wesley Chapel, although Wiregrass Ranch isn’t the only part of zip codes 33543, 33544 and 33545 that is still booming.

In Wiregrass Ranch, as we’ve told you before, Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel (FHWC) and North Tampa Behavioral Health (see story on pg. 8 in current Wesley Chapel issue) both are in the process of expanding, with FHWC close to completing its upward expansion. In addition, Florida Medical Clinic is very close to opening a new 80,000-sq.-ft. campus on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. just south of the hospital, bringing many more doctors’ offices within minutes of all of our Wesley Chapel readers. As we’ve also reported before, the Shops at Wiregrass mall also is expanding, although at least one major retailer in the mall, Macy’s, may be closing.

The residential portions of Wiregrass Ranch also are expanding, as a new community called The Arbors (also see story on pg. 10) is now building new single-family homes and attached townhomes near the already-popular Estancia at Wiregrass subdivision off BBD north of FHWC. Also selling well are the luxurious GL Homes in The Ridge at Wiregrass Ranch subdivision south of S.R. 56 (see the ad on this issue’s back cover, pg. 48).

But again, there also is plenty happening as you head west along S.R. 56 towards I-75, as a new Wawa gas station and convenience store is getting ready to open just west of the intersection of BBD on S.R. 56. The much bigger news is that Florida Hospital Center Ice (FHCI), which is expected to open before Thanksgiving of this year, also will host the next “Taste of New Tampa” (and Wesley Chapel) on March 18, 2017.

And, continuing west on S.R. 56, the area around the Tampa Premium Outlets (TPO) mall also continues to be white-hot, as WCCC members recently got an update on the progress of the 150,000-sq.-ft. Costco being built next to TPO (see story on pg. 13), and both our future print editions and upcoming episodes of WCNT-tv will provide you with updates on the planned openings of both BJ’s Brewhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse near the outlet mall, as well as any progress on the just-beginning construction north of S.R. 56 between I-75 and Wesley Chapel Blvd.

And, Speaking Of WCNT-tv…

My partner and producer on WCNT-tv — Full Throttle Intermedia owner Craig Miller — and I (and everyone affiliated with the show) are so excited to announce that Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel, after completing its initial six-episode commitment to be the Studio Sponsor for WCNT-tv, has agreed to sponsor the next ten episodes of the show, which currently has seven episodes “in the can,” all of which are available on our own WCNT-tv YouTube channel.

Episode 7, which debuted on Sept. 16 (a week before you received this publication in your mailbox) features the exclusive first announcement of the Taste of New Tampa, Mollyana Ward’s interview with our Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce Featured Business — Kent and Cindy Ross of RP&G Printing — and my three favorite steakhouses in Tampa. There’s also three you-heard-them-here-first announcements of three great events coming up in our area, has gotten some of the best response we’ve had to date.

(Note-“Mollyana” is the correct spelling of her name, so apologies to our outstanding Chamber Featured Business host for anytime we’ve spelled it wrong in print before.)

Yes, we’re building momentum with this thing, so I hope everyone who reads this editorial either in your print edition or online will watch, like and share not only all seven episodes produced to date, but also Episode 8 (which will premiere on Friday, September 30) and every 8-9-minute-long show after that. We also re-release every episode as individual 2-3-minute segments, so we never take up too much of your time online. Our only goal is to continue to find new ways to inform and, hopefully, entertain you, too — and get you to frequent the businesses mentioned and mention that you saw them on WCNT-tv!

Look for new episodes every other Friday. In other words, when you receive this publication in your mailbox, a new episode of WCNT-tv will air one and three weeks later. And, look for more unique video programming from the producers of WCNT-tv in the future.