$69.4M Widening Of Wesley Chapel Blvd. To Begin Soon! 

David Nelson Construction Co. To Widen WC Blvd. To Six Lanes Between S.R. 54/56 & Old Pasco Rd. 

Research by Joel Provenzano 

The map (above) shows the full length of the $69.4-million contract to widen Wesley Chapel Blvd. from (mostly) two to six lanes between Old Pasco Rd. & where S.R. 54 & S.R. 56 meet. All of the existing and planned traffic signals are shown, with the planned “additional” signals outlined in yellow. Please note that the signal that is “planned” at the intersection of Stagecoach Village Dr. and WC Blvd. is already there, but that is considered to be a “temporary” signal that will be replaced. (Map: Provided by Pasco County, modified by Charmaine George & GN) 

Even though nearly the entire length of Wesley Chapel (WC) Blvd. actually divides Land O’Lakes (on the west side of the street) from Lutz (on the east side) and only actually enters Wesley Chapel’s 33543 zip code at Lexington Oaks, it is big news that Pasco County has finally awarded (on Apr. 23) the $69.4-million construction contract to David Nelson Construction Co. to widen WC Blvd. between S.R. 56 and Old Pasco Rd. from two (for most of this stretch of it) to six lanes. 

Although we are not the first to report this information, we are the only local news medium trying to find out whether or not vehicles will still be able to make left turns onto (or off of) WC Blvd. from the many entrances to communities along the full length of the project. There is a median for the widening project’s entire length, but how many curb cuts will there be along the 4.1-mile length of the project? Are there going to be U-turn lanes at any of the community entrances? With only two traffic signals being included (one of which, the “temporary” signal at the entrance to the Stagecoach community, at Stagecoach Village Dr., already exists), will people living in any of the nine residential communities along the project’s length still be able to make left turns across WC Blvd. to enter or exit their communities? Thanks to our Joel Provenzano, we believe we have those answers. 

As someone who has lived at the south end of this project the past five years, I (and Jannah) have witnessed two serious accidents caused by people trying to make left turns in or out of these communities who were hit by drivers going north or south on WC Blvd. We also narrowly avoided a left-turning driver whose vehicle did a full 360Âş spin in front of us following a collision. 

The intersection of Compark Dr., at the more northern of the two entrances to the Compark 75 office and warehouse park, will receive a new traffic signal under the WC Blvd. widening agreement. 

Here’s what we know about the “new” traffic signals included in the WC Blvd. widening contract: 

1) The only completely new signal included in the contract will be placed at the more northern of the two entrances to the Compark 75 warehouse park at WC Blvd. & Compark Dr. 

2) The existing traffic signal at Stagecoach Village Blvd. is a “temporary” signal that will be replaced with a permanent signal under the contract 

The issue to me, as someone who has lived off of WC Blvd. the last five years, is that there are so many other equally dangerous intersections along WC Blvd. (see list below) that aren’t getting signals. 

But, thanks to our research specialist Joel Provenzano, who was an engineer with the Florida department of Transportation (FDOT) for years and is much more “fluent” in reading such documents than I am, we believe we have the answers to my question about the planned median in the center of WC Blvd. that will prevent drivers most of the entrances to these subdivision/apartment communities from going across WC Blvd. to make left turns either into or out of (or both) of their respective communities. 

Here is that list of intersections that we believe are being addressed under the widening agreement: 

— Pondside Dr. at Old C.R. 54 – Median remains fully open. 

— Entrance to Harley- Davidson – Directional median opening (left turns in only) remains the same. 

— WC Blvd. at Grand Cypress Dr. (entrance to the Maeva Apartments/Cypress Bend Prof. Park – Directional median opening with left turns in only. 

— WC Blvd. at Hyde Park Blvd. (entrance to The Enclave subdivision) – The median will remain fully open in both directions at this location. 

— WC Blvd. at Wilshire Dr. (entrance to The Woodlands at Stagecoach subdivision) – No left turns out. 

— WC Blvd. at Bramblewood Blvd (entrance to the Cypress Estates) subdivision – Directional median opening with a U-turn lane. 

— WC Blvd. at Oaks Blvd. (entrance to The Oaks subdivision) – Full median opening. Note – Oaks Dr. and Bramblewood are connected at Tradewinds Dr., off WC Blvd. 

— WC Blvd. at Winding River Way (entrance to the Edgewater at Grand Oaks townhome community) – Full median opening. 

— WC Blvd. at Cloud Hopper Way (entrance to the Volanti townhomes) & Cobalt Dr. (entrance to the new Cobalt apartments) – No median openings at all at either location. Note – There will be an opening about 600 ft. south of Volanti for U-turns. 

— WC Blvd. at Pet Ln. (alternate entrance to Grand Oaks Plaza and Compark 75) – Directional median opening with left turn in only. 

— WC Blvd. at Magnolia Blvd. (at Marathon gas station & just north of Midgard Self-Storage & Ewing Irrigation & Landscape Supply) – Full median opening remains. 

— WC Blvd. at Players Dr. – Opening will be restricted to right-out turns only. 

— WC Blvd. at Tampa Downs Blvd. (by North Tampa Aero Park) – Left-in directional median opening only. 

The Presentation To The BOC 

Prior to the vote awarding the contract at the Apr. 23 meeting of Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners (BOC), Panos Kontses, the county’s assistant director of transportation engineering, made a presentation to the commissioners regarding the awarding of the contract to widen WC Blvd. 

The existing traffic signal at the intersection of Stagecoach Village Dr. and WC Blvd. is considered to be a “temporary” signal that will be replaced with a “permanent” one. 

“Typically, construction contracts are presented through the consent agenda,” Kontses said. “However, the size of the contract, the significance of the project for the county and also because of the history of the project, our county administrator suggested that we give you a brief presentation.” 

Kontses also noted that WC Blvd. provides access to many communities, as well as commercial businesses, “and also provides an alternate relief route to I-75.” 

First, Kontses gave the commissioners an overview of the existing status of WC Blvd. The north end of the project, between Progress Pkwy. and Old Pasco Rd., is 4 lanes, with a 45-mile-per-hour speed limit. It has 5-6-ft.-wide sidewalks and a 4-ft.-wide bicycle lane. 

The middle portion, between Old. C.R. 54 and Progress Pkwy. has a 55-mph speed limit and is almost completely two lanes with no sidewalks or pathways and just 4-5-ft. shoulders. The southern portion, from Old C.R. 54/Pondside Dr. to S.R. 54/56 is six-laned, with a 45-mph speed limit, and with a 5-ft.-sidewalk, an 8-ft.-wide pathway and 5-ft.-wide bicycle lane. 

Kontses also noted that the project has, “a long history…longer than we wanted…and also went through several project managers. I just happen to be the last one. And, we are very excited to bring this project to its last stage — its construction.” 

He then noted that the original route study was conducted in 2003, when WC Blvd. was intended to be a 4-lane rural road. But, even though the design phase for that original plan started in 2008, nothing else happened after the Tampa Bay Regional Planning model became available between 2008- 14, which showed that the original 4-lane plan would not be able to accommodate the expected traffic. 

“That area is going through explosive growth,” Kontses told the commissioners, “and the expected traffic volumes were almost double, so the recommendation was to make the road a 6-lane section, but keep it within a 150-ft. right-of-way. “That meant we had to condense the section to an urban road with bike lanes, 5-6-ft. sidewalks and an 8-ft. pathway.” 

The route study resumed in 2015- 16, with new design starting in 2016. 

“But, in 2017,” Kontses noted, “we got the updated flood plains from Swiftmud and we didn’t want any adjacent properties to end up being flooded, so our design team did a drainage analysis and found that no properties were likely to be flooded, so we were happy about that.” 

The WC Blvd. Construction Project Schedule & Cost shows that the $69.4-million project is expected to be completed by May 2027. (Source: Pasco County)

Permitting then began in 2017 and right-of-way acquisition between 2019-23. District 3 Commissioner Kathryn Starkey noted that it took “a long time — five years” for the county to purchase all of the needed right-of way, but Kontses noted, “We had to purchase 43 parcels from 25 different property owners, so that was an extensive effort for our resources.” 

He added that the plan also had to go through several revisions because of new developments that began building and additional reviews by the Florida Dept. of Transportation (FDOT), “because they contributed some of the funding for the project.” 

Bids were finally solicited in Dec. of 2023 and the bids opened in Jan. of this year. 

Comm. Starkey also expressed concerns about animal crossings at a wetland near Oaks Blvd., the entrance to The Oaks subdivision. 

After that, Kontses pointed out that the improvements also will include lighting along the length of the project, which will help improve safety a lot, because WC Blvd. is notoriously dark. 

District 5 Comm. Jack Mariano expressed concerns about not getting landscaping design included in the project, but Comm. Starkey noted that the landscaping for Little Rd. is only about 30% designed, “so they’re way behind on these projects.” 

If the BOC approved the agreement on Apr. 23, Kontses says the Notice to Proceed (NTP) could be given within two weeks, or before this issue reached your mailbox, and that the expected completion date for the 36-month contract is May of 2027. 

Kontses also mentioned that in addition to the main contract, there is an additional contract for independent Construction Engineering & Inspection (CEI) services for $4.5 million. 

“Four million to see if they built it right? That seems like a lot of money,” Comm. Starkey asked. “How about the contract just stipulates that they have to build it right?” 

But, Kontses said that the normal cost of CEI is, “about 10-15% of a project’s construction cost, so at $4.5 million, we’re getting a bargain.” 

Dist. 2 Comm. Seth Weightman, whose district includes the full length of the project, then moved for approval of the contract, which was seconded by Comm. Starkey and the motion passed 4-0. Dist. 4 Comm. Gary Bradford, who passed away the day before the meeting, was obviously not available for the vote. 

Regents Park Dr. & Pebble Creek Dr. Resurfacing Nears Completion 

Research by Joel Provenzano 

A portion of Regents Park Dr. that has been resurfaced. 

For many months now, the residents of New Tampa’s Pebble Creek subdivision have had to deal with the ongoing resurfacing of the community’s two main thoroughfares — Regents Park Dr. and Pebble Creek Dr. 

The portion of Regents Park Dr. near BBD Blvd. where the Roadway Resurfacing signs are located are the only portions of the roadway not yet resurfaced. 

As of the last few weeks, however, all but about 0.2 miles of the 2.3-mile stretch of the circular Regents Park Dr. — from its northern Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. terminus to its southern BBD connection — have been resurfaced, with only about 0.1 mile at each terminus of the roadway closest to BBD now completed. 

Likewise, all but a couple of hundred feet — again, the portion closest to BBD — of Pebble Creek Dr. also has been completed. 

According to Chris Wilkerson, a senior media relations strategist with Hillsborough County, the Pebble Creek Roadway Resurfacing project represents 4.78 total lane miles of the county’s 285 total lane miles and $1.995 million of the $35-million Roadway Pavement Preservation plan of county-maintained roads approved by the county commissioners in 2021. 

Although most of the actual repaving has been completed, Wilkerson says the remaining work on this project includes paving entrances, stripping and signage, tree planting and the installation of traffic beacons and that the anticipated completion of everything, minus the traffic beacons, is early December 2023. 

The cones shown above are now gone & the patches shown are now covered 

“There is a long lead time on the traffic beacons,” he adds, however, “so final completion will be early spring 2024.” 

The project also includes brand new bike lanes in the sections of the roads that are wide enough. Public works officials say that in sections where there isn’t room, there may be shared road markings for bicyclists. 

Although it has taken a while, the county has done a great job of resurfacing these two main roadways in Pebble Creek. If it’s been a while since you visited the community, it’s worth taking a drive to check out how much better the two roads are now. 

For more information about this and other county projects, visit HillsboroughCounty.org. 

Right Turn Exit Near Rock & Brews To Get On I-75 Being Studied 

As you drive eastbound on S.R. 56, past the main entrance to the Tampa Premium Outlets (at Grand Cypress Dr., between BJ’s Brewhouse and Cheddar’s), you may not realize that there is another mall entrance (above photo) that currently offers a right-in-only turn just before you reach Rock & Brews (below photo). Pasco County, FDOT, Sierra Properties & Raysor Transportation Consulting are looking into adding a lane that would provide vehicles with another way to exit the mall and get on I-75 southbound. (Photos by Charmaine George 

Although we went to press with this issue the weekend before Black Friday, I am among the few local residents who avoids the Tampa Premium Outlets like the plague during the holiday shopping season. 

Even though I hope both local shopping malls have a successful year, I just don’t have the patience to fight the traffic entering and exiting the outlet mall during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Case in point, despite the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) being pretty much fully open at S.R. 56 and I-75 last year at this time, the traffic getting both into and out of the Outlets was brutal. 

I remember wondering to myself, “Why can’t someone look into adding at least another way to exit the mall?” And the corollary, “Why can’t they improve the interior roads at the mall to better handle the traffic?” 

Well, it looks as though someone is trying the do something about it, which surely won’t be able to help the holiday traffic flow this year or probably even next year, but at least it’s becoming a possibility. 

Mike Raysor, the president/owner of Raysor Traffic Consulting, LLC, says his company has been retained to study the possibility of adding a right-turn-out exit from, adjacent to the right-turn-in entrance to, the mall. Raysor is studying the possible effects not only on mall traffic but at the DDI itself, since the exit from the mall would put those exiting vehicles in what is now two entrance lanes to get onto southbound I-75. 

Pasco County, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and Sierra Properties, which has developed not only the outlet mall itself but also the development both north and south of S.R. 56 between I-75 and Wesley Chapel Blvd., are all working with Raysor’s company to study the potential effects, not only on traffic flow but also on safety, since adding the new mall exit would have an effect not only on southbound I-75, but also on vehicles attempting to head eastbound S.R. 56 and even some trying to cross enough lanes of traffic to get on northbound I-75 once they’ve exited the Outlets. 

Raysor also has retained former FDOT transportation engineer Joel Provenzano to help with the traffic studies. Provenzano, who also provides editorial research for this publication, was unable to help with this story because of his new consulting position. 

Provenzano was with FDOT when the “Mall Entrance” sign shown in the photo above left was erected at the right-in-only turn near Rock & Brews, in an effort to keep at least some traffic away from the mall’s main entrance at Grand Cypress Dr. 

Unfortunately, Raysor says, that additional entrance hasn’t done as much as it possibly might have had there also been a right-out-exit at the same location. “A lot of people don’t even realize that entrance is there,” Raysor says, “but more people might recognize it as an entrance if there also was a way out of the mall in the same area.” 

We’ll keep you posted as to the outcome of the study. In the meantime, can someone please look into closing off the median and the left turn at BJ’s right after you enter at the light at Grand Cypress or at least cut the hedges at that median to increase visibility? 

It’s All On The Avenue We’re Taking You To (Or Near?) — 42nd St.!

Drone photo of Cypress Cay Blvd. (road at far right). In front are the Lantana apartments. The bluer buildings behind them are the Sage apartments & the orange roofs near the top are the Cottages at Cypress Cay. To the south, Cypress Cay Blvd. attaches to where 42nd St. meets Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (Photos by Charmaine George)

For years, whenever anyone headed southwest from Tampa Palms on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. towards the Lake Forest subdivision, there really wasn’t much between the two on the west side of BBD other than a gas station, a flower shop (A Special Rose Florist, now located in Tampa Palms), a do-it-yourself car wash, an Ob/Gyn office and the North Oaks condominiums.


(Top) For about 50 years, the for-lease Palma Verde apartments at the corner of Bruce B. Downs Blvd. & 42nd St. were the only buildings on 42nd St. But, eight years ago, the Angels Senior Living Assisted Living & Memory Care residence (middle and bottom photos) opened, and the beautiful lobby area has been welcoming residents to its 102 studio, 1- and 2-bedroom and 24 memory care apartments ever since.

Just north of North Oaks, a street labeled as 42nd St. already was home to the Palma Verde apartments, a small rental apartment development built in 1965 made up of ten one-bedroom units in five buildings.

Then, roughly eight years ago, Angels Senior Living at New Tampa Assisted Living & Memory Care, which has a sign at the corner of 42nd and BBD, near the Palma Verde apartments (which are managed by Martino Chillura Management), became the second establishment to open on 42nd St., and both Angels and Palma Verde have Tampa addresses in zip code 33613.

The 42nd St. location, which offers 102 beds and 89 total units (including 24 secured memory care apartments), is one of eleven senior living facilities the Angels Senior Living parent company operates throughout the Tampa Bay area. Photographer Charmaine George and I toured Angels and I will say that it is quaint, super-clean and provides its seniors with home health care, therapy, pharmaceutical services, adult day care, respite care and a lovely place to live.

What prompted me to write this story, however, was the fact that until more of the property on BBD began being cleared a couple of years ago, to add more than 750 total additional rental units (see below), I honestly didn’t even know Angels was there. Yes, we had published stories about the new apartment units that had begun construction at that time, but now, as you head north on 42nd St. from Angels, you realize that not only are there sparkling, new apartments for rent, but also that the street seems to change names to what is now called Cypress Cay Blvd. 

This mile-or-so-long stretch of Cypress Cay Blvd. actually does have a separate curb cut on BBD just north of 42nd St. In addition, even though Palma Verde and Angels are located in zip code 33613, the new apartment communities — the separate Lantana and Sage at Cypress Cay rental communities located north of Angels — actually have Lutz addresses in zip code 33559. 

Cypress Cay Blvd. continues past the 252-unit Lantana (which just welcomed its first residents a couple of weeks ago and is not yet 100% completed) and 304-unit Sage (which has been open for about a year) communities and winds its way towards a new multi-family development known as the Cottages at Cypress Cay, which will include 198 total additional rental units in 71 buildings.

Although we don’t yet have much information about the Cottages at Cypress Cay, based on the photo of its sign (below), it appears that, like Lantana and Sage, it also will be seeking to reach upscale apartment renters. Lantana and Sage feature 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments ranging from $1,800 to more than $3,000 per month. And, while they are located near USF, these are not your usual student apartments, with their beautiful lobby areas, upscale amenities and gated security.

Both Lantana and Sage are being developed by RangeWater Real Estate, which has developed dozens of apartment communities  in 11 states, including Ascend Grove West and Beacon Epperson in Wesley Chapel. We were told that Sage, which is nearing its capacity, is now under contract to be sold.

Meanwhile, The Cottages are being developed by Capstone Communities, which also has developed thousands of units in over half the U.S. (including 8 projects in Florida), but is making its debut in the Tampa Bay area.

And, just northeast of where Cypress Cay Blvd. meets BBD (see map on next page), there is an undeveloped commercial lot. We don’t yet know what is planned for that site, but will update that for you in a future issue.

Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. To Officially Open & Other Community Updates 


People have been driving past the barricades on Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. just behind the Walmart on S.R. 54, for months, but the word is that the roadway should officially open to traffic within the next couple of weeks. 

Considering how long people have been driving through the barricades “blocking” the nearly two-mile-long stretch of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. from north of Chancey Rd. to just south of the Walmart fronting S.R. 54, it would be nice if the road finally could be declared “officially” open. 

Well, a source close to the project who asked not to be identified has told the Neighborhood News that although no exact date can yet be revealed, Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. should be officially open to traffic within the next couple of weeks, with conveyance to Pasco County expected to follow shortly thereafter.” Our source has confirmed that the landscaping along Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. is what has been holding up the opening. 

I personally saw people moving the barricades both near Walmart and north of Chancey as long as three months ago, so being able to legally drive the important connector roadway will certainly be welcome by those who live in the Wiregrass Ranch community. 

The same source also provided a number of other updates, including: 

• The Wiregrass Ranch developers hope to start construction on the 4th (the eastern) leg of the roadway extending from the new (northern) Eagleston Blvd. signal (opposite the new Jacobs Mitsubishi of Wesley Chapel dealership) within about a year from now. Our source says that the construction of this portion of Eagleston is being held up by the drainage permit. 

• The developers also have begun work on the east-west extension of Chancey Rd., which should be done by the end of this year. 

The construction of the Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant has gone vertical. 

• Now that the construction of the Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant has gone vertical (photo above), the hope is that the long-awaited restaurant and wine tasting bar should be open by sometime this fall. 

The clearing of the ground for the Orlando Health Wesley Chapel hospital has begun.

• For those who haven’t been able to figure out yet exactly where Wesley Chapel’s third major hospital will be located, you now can’t miss the red silt fence (photo right) just east of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd. on S.R. 56 or the sign denoting that Orlando Health Wesley Chapel is currently under construction. 

Although the 300- bed hospital has not yet gone vertical, the ground has begun being cleared and we have been told that Wesley Chapel’s largest hospital (with more beds than AdventHealth Wesley Chapel and BayCare Wesley Chapel combined) should be completed by late 2024. 

Of course, we’ll keep you posted!