Avalon Park Wesley Chapel’s Downtown Taking Center Stage 

Research by Joel Provenzano

What started out as New River Township more than 20 years ago is finally getting ready to come to full fruition.

That original community from developer Beat Kahli (of Avalon Park Group) does still exist today — with about 400 single-family (SF) homes in four subdivisions — but the Development of Regional Impact (DRI) formerly known as New River Township has changed names twice since those first homes (and the adjacent New River Elementary) were built.

The new sections, with a separate entrance off S.R. 54, were at first known as “Avalon Park West,” as Kahli’s original Avalon Park development exploded on the southeast side of Orlando. Today, the local 1,800-acre DRI is being touted as “Avalon Park Wesley Chapel,” which is planned for 4,800 single- and multi-family units, part of which will be a walkable downtown area.

Stephanie Lerrett (left) of Avalon Park Group gives VIP tour attendees some information (Photos by Charmaine George)

On Aug. 17, the Neighborhood News was included in a hardhat and virtual-reality VIP tour of the Downtown Avalon Park area, which has a single building under construction and a few retail tenants already signed to fill the twelve total available spaces on the ground floor of a multi-floor “neotraditional” building that also will feature rental apartments on its upper floors.

But honestly, as exciting as the first building in the downtown area may be, it really is only the tip of an iceberg as Avalon Park Wesley Chapel begins to add thousands of additional units, just as the widening of S.R. 54 — the primary east-west thoroughfare serving Avalon Park Wesley Chapel — nears its completion.

VIP attendees also got to check out a Virtual Reality tour of the downtown area.

Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, which previously had been known as both New River Township and Avalon Park West, is stepping up the development of its downtown, and the Neighborhood News participated in the Aug. 17 VIP tour of the first “neotraditional” building under construction to the east of the existing single-family home development in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

Developer Beat Kahli of Avalon Park Group/Sitex Development has modeled his Wesley Chapel development after Avalon Park Orlando, his company’s successful 1,860-acre development neighborhood located in southeast Orange County that will have 3,400 single-family and 1,431 multi-family units at buildout. Meanwhile, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel encompasses about 1,800 acres with about 2,900 single-family and 1,900 multi-family units planned.

Despite a steady rain, the VIP tour helped introduce local business leaders to Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, which has its first three-story, 73,067-sq.-ft. mixed-use building well under construction. This building will include 40 multi-family apartments and 23,720 sq. ft. of commercial/retail space on the ground floor. 

The VIP tour of the first downtown building.

“This phase of construction really helps us move even closer to that vision of building a place where families can build memories and traditions together in a town they can call their own,” Kahli said in a recent news release. “And, while this may not be the most cost-effective time to begin construction, we feel like it is important to continue on to the next step in developing our vision for Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.”

The downtown area also will be home to a two-acre, dog-friendly community park with an amphitheater that currently is in permitting and will begin construction later this summer. The park will host community events such as the popular “Avalon Aglow” and annual Fourth of July celebrations, as well as community partners like Jazz Under the Starz and the Wesley Chapel Theater Group, who are already hosting events and activities in the community. Construction of both the park and the first mixed-use building are scheduled for completion by January of 2024.

“We have been working with Pasco County over the past several years to develop a program that will be a win-win for the entire Wesley Chapel community,” Kahli said. “Community partnerships are vital to our mission to change the way the world lives, learns, works and plays, by creating a place where everyone can feel like they belong.”

Upon completion, Avalon Park Wesley Chapel will include approximately 400,000 total sq. ft. of retail and 100,000 sq. ft. of office space in its downtown. The initial construction in Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel began in 2018 with the addition of the Pinecrest Academy K-9 Charter School. Pinecrest is also now under construction of its second phase, which will ad approximately 600 middle school student stations in a separate building. 

Before & after pictures of the first building under construction in the downtown area.  

Among the first tenants on the first floor of the 12-suite building include the previously announced Prime Barbershop, an unnamed Indian restaurant and an also-unnamed gym. The only other tenant announced at our press time is Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard.

We got to meet Rita’s franchise owners Antoine and Idalice Stokes, who also own the Valrico location, and they definitely seemed to be super-excited to be opening in Avalon Park Wesley Chapel.

With the first building in the downtown area expected to be completed only four months or so from now, we wanted to provide you with some updates on the development of Avalon park Wesley Chapel:

• A new traffic signal will be installed by the developer at Avalon Park Blvd. & S.R. 54.

• Avalon Park Blvd. will be extended diagonally through the downtown area from SR 54 to River Glen Blvd.

• The Zephyrhills Bypass right-of-way will be given to the county, but that road will not be constructed by the Avalon Park developer. When built, the Zephyrhills Bypass will eventually connect to the existing roundabout in Chapel Crossings to the west and to Eiland Blvd. to the east. 

• The Avalon Park Blvd. extension and residential unit development (just north of Pinecrest Academy) are currently in for county review (as of last month).

• The majority of the single- and multi-family homes going in the northern section of Avalon Park have already been approved and platted.

• New River Township was originally 1,800 total acres, but now includes about 400 homes in the existing subdivisions along River Glen Blvd., but the MPUD approved for Avalon Park in 2017 shows a maximum of 4,800 residential units total, which is still believed to be accurate and close to the actual number that eventually will be built. 

• On August 3, updated plans were submitted to show how Avalon Park Blvd. will hook around to meet up with River Glen Blvd.

For more information about Downtown Avalon Park Wesley Chapel, visit AvalonParkWesleyChapel.com. 

New River Library On 54 Is Open For The Curious

The New River Library isn’t officially open yet, thanks to a number of Covid-related delays, but Wesley Chapel residents are encouraged to swing on by and check out the new digs.

The library was closed for renovations in October 2019, and until an actual Grand Opening is scheduled, the library is hosting an ongoing soft opening for those who want to see the progress.

On the day we visited, the books hadn’t arrived yet but the renovated library was mostly complete, its makeover adding a fresh new vibe to Wesley Chapel’s only full-size library.

The lobby is larger and more inviting. There is a meeting room, and the old men’s and women’s restrooms with stalls have been replaced by four new family bathrooms.

The inside of the library also is more spacious. The children’s area has been relocated to the front of the building, where it is double its former size, with three touchscreen computers. There are two soundproof study rooms, which can accommodate up to four people, and one larger study room for up to eight. A large mounted television is ideal for presentations.

The teen room is stocked with a console gaming area on one side, and Alienware computers on the other.

The scanning and printing area, as well as the book self-checkout area, also have been upgraded.

A new outdoor study area leads to a new community garden that may attract those with a green thumb. While other libraries in Pasco County offer woodworking, theater or art besides in addition to traditional books and studying, the new community garden at New River has 28 planting beds, four water barrels and will eventually have a butterfly garden and sensory items for children who have autism. 

Patrons can check out a planting bed just like they would a book, to grow and maintain whatever they like, from wildflowers to fruits and vegetables. You can bring your own seeds, or take advantage of New River’s “seed library.”

“We’re hoping the garden and outdoor study area gets people active,” says branch manager Danielle Lee. “After Covid, people need something like that.”

You’re welcome to stop by the New River Library at 34043 S.R. 54, or call 813-788-6375 for more information.ialists.

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New River Branch Library To Close For Remodeling In October

In the more than three decades since the New River Branch Library was built on S.R. 54 in Wesley Chapel, the only improvement the library had seen — until now — was just a little paint.

That will change in a dramatic way when the branch closes in October 2019 for about six months to receive a complete overhaul.

While the structure of the building won’t change, a spokesperson for Pasco County Libraries says the improvements within the walls of the library will be significant.

The children’s area will be enclosed with safety glass, so that children can make noise inside and not bother the rest of the patrons.

“Parents will be more comfortable,” says Angelo Liranzo, regional manager for Pasco Libraries. “We get a lot of requests from parents who feel embarrassed when their children make noise.”

A teen area also will be closed off with safety glass walls.

“With the glass walls, staff can see in,” he explains. “If teens are in there working on crafts or projects, we can go in there and help them, or we can bring out activities and make sure they have the books they need.”

Another big change will be to the restrooms. There will no longer be large restrooms with multiple stalls, but instead the restrooms will be for individual use and family use. This allows more accessibility for those with disabilities and helps parents who may be pushing a stroller or need to take small children to the restroom.

The library’s meeting room also will be enlarged, by about five (linear) feet, to provide more space. 

A vending area also will be added to provide snacks and drinks for library patrons.

Outside, a new drive-up book drop will allow patrons to return books without getting out of their cars, a convenience for when it’s raining or when the library is closed.

The main area of the library also will be reconfigured to be more open and inviting, with new furniture that moves easily to create a more flexible and more comfortable space.

“Everything is being redesigned,” explains Liranzo. “The staff area will get a little bit smaller to make more room for the public.”

Changes Outdoors, Too

The New River Branch Library already has a community garden, where people can be assigned their own plant bed to raise vegetables, fruits or flowers. At certain times of the year, library staffers will bring out plastic “children’s beds” to fill with dirt and help the library’s youngest patrons learn how to grow their own plants, as well.

The remodel expands the library’s outdoor offerings by adding a learning space. This covered area will provide a place for any activities that are messy or difficult to do indoors, such as playing with sand or making slime, or something like shooting rockets, which can be taught on the patio and moved out from under the roof when it’s time to see the rockets in action.

Liranzo says he expects new plant beds will be added with the remodel, as well. Currently, there is one that is raised for anyone who can’t bend all the way to the ground to garden; he expects additional raised beds will be added, allowing more people the opportunity to garden at the library.

“It really is a community experience,” he explains. “People reserve the beds for as long as they want to use them. They can come anytime for their individual use, or can also come when we have an activity, such as a master gardener talking about different plants or soils.” 

Because the community garden is such an important part of the library, it will be reflected indoors, as well, with a “green wall” and greenery added inside the library interior.

Programs To Go Mobile?

While the library is being remodeled, its programs will still continue.

“We’re going on the road with our programs while the branch is closed,” explains Danielle Lee, the New River branch manager.

Library staff will provide programs and services by working with community partners who are local and easy to find, to continue activities such as book clubs for adults and story times for young children and a drop-off location to return books.

“We’re not leaving the community, just because the building is closing,” says Liranzo. “We invite everybody to join us.”

Some programs are already held off-site, such as a digital book club for adults held at the Zephyrhills Brewing Co. in downtown Zephyrhills one Tuesday a month at 7 p.m.

But others, such as a ukulele jam held the first Saturday of each month, will look for a new home during the construction. Lee and Liranzo think it could be a win-win for a business to bring some new faces into its establishment and for the library to reach people who don’t typically visit the branch.

“For example, we host a “Vets Healing Vets” program, where we use crafts from Healing Vets of America to help veterans with whatever they’re dealing with and take their minds off things,” explains Lee. “We have been facilitating that in the building, and we would like to take it somewhere to reach more veterans, such as a community partner that attract veterans anyway.”

Liranzo and Lee say they are currently looking for locations to hold all the library’s programs during the construction time. If a local business is open to hosting a library program, please call the branch at (813) 788-6375 and ask for Danielle Lee.

How It’s Being Funded

The renovations have been made possible through funding approved by voters last November, through the “Go 4 Pasco” bond initiative. 

“The library remodeling passed with overwhelming support,” explains Liranzo. “Now, we are set out on a mission from the taxpayers to get the remodels going.”

New River is one of the first two branches to receive improvements. The other is the Centennial Park branch in Holiday.

New River is still Wesley Chapel’s only library branch. While Liranzo says he continues to hear from more and more residents who want another Wesley Chapel location, he wants to make sure the residents understand that the planning for that second library is not part of this project.

The New River Branch Library will be closed beginning on October 1 and should reopen in May, of 2020.

“This is a major, major remodeling,” says Liranzo.