If you thought we were done after last issue’s updates about some of the new businesses now open or still coming to Mansfield Blvd. in Meadow Pointe (and Wiregrass Ranch), guess what? We’ve got quite a few more for you!
Drive-Through Coffee & Self Storage
Ever since the end of 2023, when a 400’ long and 25’ tall dirt mound, perfectly shaped like a car jumping ramp, appeared along Mansfield Blvd. in the dirt lot near the new Enterprise car rental place, bets could have been made that more than a few passing motorists probably envisioned what it would be like to take a Dukes of Hazard or Evel Knievel-style jump off the end of it. It was just beckoning.
Well, if you didn’t do it — and we’re assuming no one did — you won’t get the chance again, as that dirt mound has been whittled away over the past few weeks and is being used to level out the rest of the roughly 21 acres of property owned by Wiregrass Ranch upon which it sits. The property is now being prepared for some new and future developments.
On the 1.6 acres immediately adjacent to Enterprise, it’s been long rumored that a drive-through coffee shop, specifically Ziggi’s, was going there. That is still a possibility, as site plans for the coffee shop were approved by Pasco back in June of 2023, showing a 1,947-sq.-ft. building, plenty of parking (23 spaces), and a long drive-through lane that could handle a 14-car queue from the window, which would put most Starbucks to shame.
It’s still not known for sure if Ziggi’s will still be the brand coming, or if what’s shown in the approved plan is what will be built at all. Time will tell after they’re done moving the dirt. Nothing else has been submitted yet for that parcel.
On the remaining 19.30 acres, there’s only one other development currently being proposed — and it’s likely to be the subject of still more jokes on local Facebook pages — a 102,600-sq.-ft., 3-story self-storage facility on the southern half of the property, furthest away from Mansfield Blvd. (near the school access road).
Plans for this storage facility were started months ago, but the most recent layout was submitted this month, making it a safe bet that this project is moving forward towards vertical construction. This would be the second self-storage place in Wiregrass Ranch, as a Morningstar storage (located behind the Audi dealership) opened in late 2018.
On the northern half of the property (closest to Mansfield), no business development plans have yet been submitted to the county, so Wiregrass is likely just making it “pad-ready” for future development with all those bulldozers — where the land is compacted, graded (leveled), zoned & platted, with approvals and utilities ready to go.
In these cases, specific building permits might be all that’s needed in the future.
Bay Paws Pet Resort
Back in our Apr. 16 issue, when we first announced Bay Paws Pet Resort was coming next to Wiregrass Ranch High, construction had not yet begun and building materials were being piled up behind a temporary chain link fence, in preparation for what will surely become a popular place for local pet owners.
Those materials have now taken shape, and the 15,000-sq.-ft. pet resort is coming together at a fairly brisk pace, with substantial and visible progress being made every week.
As the sign hanging outside states, Bay Paws will offer boarding, daycare and grooming on site (along with numerous other services). With it being located next to the schools, I’m sure many parents will be dropping off all their children (furry ones included) in one trip. The facility will offer a portal where customers can use cameras to monitor their pets throughout the day.
In addition to the building, there’s also going to be a generous 17,375-sq.-ft., fenced-in “outdoor turf group play area” and, according to the recently created Bay Paws Wesley Chapel Facebook site, this outdoor area also will include a “state-of-the-art splash pad” (there’s a cute video of what that looks like, with dogs enjoying it, on the Facebook page), like the one at the new Bay Paws location that just opened in Trinity. The page also says that a “Fall of 2024”opening is planned, with the exact opening date still to be announced.
MH Nail Studio
Two suites down from the new Enterprise Car Rental, and also in front of Wiregrass Ranch High, is the recently opened MH Nail Studio. While this isn’t the first nail salon in Wiregrass, it is the first one centrally located and closest to all the neighborhoods surrounding Mansfield.
The inside of the 1,800-sq.-ft. nail studio is a pleasant place to be, nice and bright (while still having soft lighting), with a very airy feeling, not too big or too small, with tall ceilings and everything appropriately spaced apart — MH has a well-executed and modern upscale layout with a welcoming staff.
Originally planning to open in August, some delays ended up pushing the salon’s Grand Opening to Sept. 12. Owner/operator Rubin Bao said that he lives just outside of Wesley Chapel, but decided to start looking for a location in Wesley Chapel, specifically the Wiregrass area, because he saw it as a developing and expanding area poised for growth.
Rubin explained that they signed this location in November of 2023 and had permits for construction in April of this year, and have worked diligently since then to get everything ready. Rubin credits his family and friends for helping him out, and getting him quickly past the learning curve of how to start and operate his very first Nail Studio.
He also credits and appreciates his customers for getting word out about their opening and says that being right near multiple schools has worked out pretty well, as staff from those schools, including one of the principals, has visited and told others about their experience.
And, since a lot of parents pick up their high schoolers from that plaza/gas station area, many have come in to check it out and decided to get their nails done together. He said it’s typically hard to find parking for about a 15-30-minute window each school day in the afternoon, but the exposure is a great upside!
When asked if he knew what was coming to the empty suites on either side of his nail salon, Rubin stated that he heard one might be a ramen noodle place. We’ll see!
Meadow Pointe II To Build On Empty Mansfield Blvd. Lot
A game plan has been formulated, and preliminary designs are finally moving forward for the large empty grass lot next to the Kids R Kids Learning Academy, on the southeast corner of the signalized intersection for Mansfield Blvd. (photo below) and County Line Rd., directly across the street from the neighborhood CVS Pharmacy.
This empty lot sits right in the heart of Meadow Pointe II, caddy-corner from the existing clubhouse, and is being planned as additional facilities for the community.
Justin Wright, the operations manager for Meadow Pointe II, says that, “The plan is to build a multiuse building for Meadow Pointe II. There are no plans [drawings] at this time as we just selected an architect to start the design process.”
The architect referred to will be Renker Eich Parks Architects, who were selected by community staff in August of this year. They are a local firm from St. Petersburg, who specialize in historic preservation and urban planning, but have done a number of public school and government building design projects, including for USF and the Pasco County School Board.
According to Wright, the uses of the future space are being specifically envisioned for maintenance operations, meetings and staff office space. The target year for construction to begin is 2025, and the community has currently set aside $900,000 for the building.
The additional land was purchased by Meadow Pointe II in November of 2018 from Trout Creek Properties for $850,000 (according to appraiser records). The total size of the parcel the community owns on that corner is now 5.32 acres, which includes the existing paved access road and the drainage pond behind (to the east of) Kids R Kids, and part of the wetland to the south. The buildable project area, that most residents see as the empty grass lot next to the signal, will be between 1.5-2 acres of the total 5.32 acres.
This current proposal might be a relief to many who have seen this lot sit mostly empty for 25 years, except for some rubble/rock piles and the occasional semi-truck that used to park out there.
The previous major proposal, that caused an uproar with the community residents in 2017-18, even leading to a signed petition against it and the eventual purchase of the property by Meadow Pointe II, was for a 7-Eleven gas station, which ended up going in front of Wiregrass Ranch High instead, at Mansfield and Hueland Pond Blvd., and which opened in 2022.