Can 2023 Top 2022 In Wesley Chapel? Sure, Why Not?

Will Wesley Chapel ever stop growing?

Conventional wisdom suggests that, eventually, the area will just run out of available space for new development.

On the other hand, there’s currently still a lot of developable space and 2022 was packed with more eye-opening developments and announcements, portending a future that will continue to delight those eager for new “stuff” and infuriate those who don’t want to be stuck in traffic getting to that new stuff.

Here are five of the biggest things that went down in Wesley Chapel in 2022, with an eye towards 2023.

1. The KRATE at the Grove Container Park finally debuted in June, and we think it’s fair to say that while it’s not perfect, it was still Wesley Chapel’s No. 1 success story of 2022. The grand opening event of what is, at the very least, our area’s most unique and one-of-a-kind hangout, drew roughly 8,000 people, and its neverending stream of special events — like ‘70s Night, ‘80s Night, movie nights and more — routinely draw more than a thousand patrons at a time. 

Comprised of converted shipping containers with an Instagrammable flair, KRATE has a little something for almost everyone. It boasts 29 restaurants with a variety of ethnic offerings – many doing well in our annual Reader Dining Survey of Wesley Chapel and New Tampa eateries; results will be online next week — as well as 17 retail stores. The KRATE’s stage features some kind of live entertainment most weeks. 

And, the park continues to come up with innovative new ideas — like wrapping up 2022 with “Swiftmas Christmas” celebrating Taylor Swift with contests and Wesley Chapel performer Isabella Diaz singing the pop superstar’s hits — that provide just another taste of what we can expect in 2023.

Pop Stroke

2. The Pop Stroke groundbreaking was definitely one of the more buzz-worthy beginnings of a new project in or near Wesley Chapel in 2022. Sure, there are bigger and more consequential developments in the area, but a hip new place to do stuff in an area that has complained about a lack of it for years will be huge when it opens in early 2023.

With Tiger Woods’  backing, the unique mini-golf course is sure to draw big crowds to its location at the intersection of S.R. 56 and Wesley Chapel Blvd. If it also can draw, well, Tiger Woods, to its grand opening, wouldn’t that be something?

Heck, Pop Stroke might even be open before the more traditional, family-oriented mini-golf course at The Grove, which we expect to announce it is officially opening….any…day…now…

3. Saddlebrook Resort — which deserves maybe more credit than anything else for putting Wesley Chapel on the map as far back as the 1980s — was sold in 2022 for $15 million, and long-time owner Tom Dempsey told us that it was just the first step in an expansion and renovation of the storied golf resort and residential development.

Sure enough, buyers Mast Capital and Amzak Capital Management are prepping to get their money’s worth from the deal. On Jan. 5, the developers 

will present their plans to the public at a Pasco County Planning Commission meeting, with hopes of taking it to the Board of County Commissioners in February for approval.

Those plans include expanding Saddlebrook’s master-planned unit development (MPUD) by more than 400 acres and converting one of its two Arnold Palmer-designed golf courses and the resort’s driving range into a site that would potentially include commercial/retail, restaurants, apartments, homes and other uses — serving as something of a Saddlebrook town center.

4. New roads may not be that sexy of a thing to list in the year’s biggest news, but Wesley Chapel took a few giant steps (and maybe a short drive) forward in 2022.

The northbound exit at the DDI.

First, the diverging diamond interchange (DDI) is now fully open at the S.R. 56 and I-75 and, except for some clean up and road markings, has been completed.

Considering the issues the interchange had with its previous construction company, which caused a months-long delay, the completion of the DDI is a pretty impressive feat. And, while it may still be a little confusing to some people, there is little doubt the interchange has proven to be a success.

Any day now (maybe even by the time you read this), the Overpass Rd. Interchange at I-75 also will be open, another project expected to have a big impact on area traffic. Located halfway between the S.R. 54 and S.R. 52 exits, the new Exit 282 interchange will be a boon for those settling in the quickly developing northern part of Wesley Chapel, and heck, it might even also improve the S.R. 54 interchange, which likely has taken over the title from S.R. 56/I-75 as the worst area locally to be driving at 5 p.m. on a weekday.

JD Porter

Toss the widening of S.R. 54 from east of Curley Rd. to Morris Bridge Rd. in there, which also is making steady progress and should be completed late in 2023, and, all in all, it kind of feels like this year was a win for area commuters. And, next year also should see the opening of at least the first leg of the long-awaited Zephyrhills Bypass from S.R. 54 to Morris Bridge Rd.

5. Wiregrass Ranch, which has been simmering for the past few years, is starting to boil, too.

In 2022, it was announced that a second hospital (Orlando Hospital) was coming to the Ranch, along with Cooper’s Hawk Restaurant (which blew up our Facebook page more than any other story in 2022). A number of plans also were filed with the county to begin work on some of the other long-vacant parcels in the DRI, including the long-awaited town center.

With Wiregrass Ranch Blvd., which will serve as the spine to the entire development, just about complete, we’re expecting a slew of major announcements from developer JD Porter in 2023.

All Lanes Now Open At The Diverging Diamond

Photos: Florida Department of Transportation

The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) recently announced that, for the first time, all of the lanes at the Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) at S.R. 56 and Exit 275 of I-75 are now open.

According to FDOT, a fourth westbound land on S.R. 56 was opened on Oct. 31, along with a third left turn lane from the northbound I-275/I-75 exit ramp onto westbound S.R. 56.

Work is still continuing on the interchange as crews put the final touches on the $33.6-million project, so FDOT continues to urge caution for travelers making their way through the new intersection. Other than some clean-up items the DDI is considered complete.

The project began construction in Jan. 2019, far ahead of its original schedule, and despite the first construction company being dismissed from the project (and later going out of business), the new company, Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC, has managed to exceed expectations for finishing the job before year’s end.— JCC

Plan Your Weekend For SR 56 Disruptions

S.R. 56 will be closed to all traffic at I-75 from 11 p.m. Saturday, April 30 to late afternoon on Sunday, May 1 as crews prepare to place the interchange into the new Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) traffic pattern.

No traffic will be allowed to travel through the work zone across I-75. S.R. 56 traffic will be detoured a variety of ways:

Eastbound SR 56: Eastbound S.R. 56 traffic will be detoured to the northeast on Wesley Chapel Blvd. (C.R. 54) to Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., then south on BBD back to S.R. 56. Additionally, the right turn lanes on the south side of S.R. 56 at Grand Cypress Blvd. onto eastbound SR 56 will be closed and the left turn lanes at Grand Cypress Blvd. on the north side of SR 56 will be closed to prevent travel onto EB SR 56. The eastbound S.R. 56 ramp onto southbound I-75 will be open; any traffic traveling on eastbound SR 56 past Grand Cypress Blvd. will be forced to enter southbound I-75.

Westbound SR 56: Westbound S.R. 56 traffic wanting to cross I-75 will be directed north on BBD to SR 54, then southwest on C.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Blvd.) to S.R. 56.  Any westbound S.R. 56 traffic between BBD and Cypress Ridge Blvd. will be directed to U-Turn at Cypress Ridge Blvd. to head back east on S.R. 56 to BBD and follow the remainder of the route outlined above.

Access to I-75: Available at the S.R. 54/CR 54/Wesley Chapel Blvd. interchange north of S.R. 56 or BBD interchange south of S.R. 56. The only access to I-75 will be from eastbound S.R. 56 onto southbound I-75.

Northbound I-275 and northbound I-75 to SR 56: Access will only be open onto eastbound S.R. 56. The northbound I-275 (Exit 59) and northbound I-75 (Exit 275) exit ramps to westbound S.R. 56 will be closed. Drivers wanting to go west on S.R. 56 will continue north past S.R. 56 and use I-75 Exit 279 to SR 54/CR 54. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left and go southwest on Wesley Chapel Boulevard/C.R. 54 to S.R. 56 and S.R. 54, west of I-75.

FDOT says to expect periodic backups. on the Exit 279 ramp to westbound C.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Blvd.), so northbound I-75 drivers wanting to go west of I-75 on S.R. 56 might consider using Exit 270 (the New Tampa exit) to BBD and continue traveling north on BBD to SR 54/CR 54 (Wesley Chapel Blvd.) or take alternate east to west routes.

Southbound I-75 to SR 56:

  • Detour Route to S.R. 56, east of I-75: Use Exit 279 to S.R. 54/C.R. 54. At the bottom of the ramp, turn left and go east on S.R. 54. Turn right onto BBD and go south to SR 56.
  • Detour Route to S.R. 56, west of I-75: Use Exit 279 to S.R. 54/C.R. 54. At the bottom of the ramp, turn right and go southwest on Wesley Chapel Boulevard/C.R. 54 to SR 56.

When the traffic pattern switches to the DDI on May 1st, it will not be at full-capacity until closer to project completion (summer 2022) as the contractor will have additional work to do to open an additional through-lane on both eastbound and westbound S.R. 56 and an additional turn lane from the northbound exit ramp onto westbound S.R. 56.

During the above closure period, two ramps will be available to use at the I-75/S.R. 56 interchange: the eastbound S.R. 56 entrance ramp onto southbound I-75 and the northbound I-275/I-75 exit ramps onto eastbound S.R. 56. All other traffic wishing to use the I-75 / SR 56 interchange will be directed via detour signage to use the I-75 interchange at SR 54/CR 54.

Weekend Closure A Sign DDI Getting Closer

The Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) is nearing completion and, as a result, S.R. 56 will be closed to all traffic at I-75 from approximately 11 p.m. on Friday, April 1, to sometime during the day on Sunday, April 3.

No traffic will be permitted to travel through the work zone across I-75, according to the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). S.R. 56 is being closed to switch the roadway to the DDI traffic pattern. 

S.R. 56 traffic will be detoured using S.R. 56, Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd. (S.R. 581) and S.R. 54/C.R. 54 (Wesley Chapel Blvd.) as shown on the map above.

FODT says the DDI will not be at full capacity until closer to the expected project completion this summer. The contractor, Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC, has more work to do to open an additional lane on both eastbound and westbound S.R. 56, and another turn lane from the northbound I-275/I-75 exit ramp onto westbound S.R. 56.

While S.R. 56 is closed, two ramps will be available to use at the I-75/SR 56 interchange — the eastbound S.R. 56 entrance ramp onto southbound I-75, and the northbound I-275/I-75 exit ramps onto eastbound S.R. 56. All other traffic will be directed via detour signs to use the I-75 interchange at S.R. 54/C.R. 54.

You can access detour descriptions and a full-size map are available on the project web page at www.fdottampabay.com/project/262/430573-1-52-01.

DDI Work Restarts; Completion Expected By Summer ‘22

Construction crews, large machinery and those all-too-familiar bright orange cones have returned to the intersection of S.R. 56 and I-75, as work on the much-anticipated Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) has finally and officially resumed.

Superior Construction Company Southeast, LLC, was chosen by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and surety bond companies to replace D.A.B. Constructors, which defaulted on the project on July 1 and went out of business shortly thereafter. 

D.A.B. defaulted on six other projects in Pasco, Hernando and Citrus counties, including the S.R. 54 widening project from east of Curley Rd. to east of Morris Bridge Rd. 

D.A.B. told FDOT on July 28 it could not afford to complete the S.R. 54 widening, due in part to penalties incurred by missing benchmarks on the DDI project.

Superior began work to complete the $36-million DDI on Sept. 13, which included mobilization of labor, equipment and materials, erosion control, survey, jobsite cleanup of debris and office setup. Full maintenance responsibility was transferred to the new contractor on Sept. 20.

The project, originally scheduled for completion before the end of 2021, is now expected to be finished within 10 months, likely in the summer of 2022, said FDOT spokesperson Kris Carson in an email.

Superior also currently is working on the realignment of S.R. 52 in eastern Pasco County. Pasco Commissioner Mike Moore represents District 2, where the DDI is located, and he said he was happy with the choice.

“I’ve heard great things about them,” Moore said. “And they are actually ahead of pace on the S.R. 52 project, so that’s a good sign.”

Stepping into a new project that already was more than halfway finished is unusual but not unprecedented in the construction business, especially considering the effect that Covid-19 and staffing issues have had on the entire construction industry. 

“While this process is not how a typical FDOT project is executed, there are procedures in place for replacing a contractor,” Carson said. “It will take the new contractor some time (a few weeks) to clean up items from the previous contractor in order to complete the new work items. The new contractor evaluates the remaining work items and prices the items that are left to complete. Superior has already mobilized a staff and are in the process of mobilizing crews to complete the work.”

Meanwhile, the surety company put out an advertisement for bids for completion contractors on Sept. 9 for the $42.5 million S.R. 54 widening project, and were expecting to receive bids by the end of the month.

A subcontractor, Southern Precision, has been taking care of the S.R. 54 site in the meantime, with mowing, little control and filling potholes. Last week, work began on milling driveways and side streets, as well as some paving.