Looking Back At The Top-5 New Tampa News Stories Of 2023! 

The cast of the New Tampa Players’ “Preview” performance at the New Tampa Performing Arts Center on March 25. 

Although there’s no doubt that there were (and still are) more major news stories coming out of Wesley Chapel in 2023 than there were in New Tampa, zip code 33647 certainly had any number of big news stories of its own the past 12 months. Below are the five that made the biggest splashes. 

1. The New Tampa Performing Arts Center Opens!
“Grease” officially opened NTP’s 2023-24 season in July of 2023. (Below) The group known as “Save Pebble Creek” helped get a redevelopment plan for the community’s shuttered golf course rejected by Hillsborough County. 

It took more than 20 years for it to become a reality, but the New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) did finally open in March of 2023, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and a New Tampa Players (NTP) “Preview”show. The NTPAC was dedicated to the memory and in honor of NTP founder Doug Wall, who passed away nearly six years before his dream of a local place for his theatre troupe to perform came true. 

I was in the cast of the first show of NTP’s 2023-24 season — “Grease,” which was true to the original Tony Award-winning Broadway version, but also incorporated songs from the hit 1978 movie starring John Travolta and the late Olivia Newton-John. The Performing Arts Center’s first-ever Fall Festival was held in September and was followed by “Shrek The Musical” in October. NTP will next host performances of “Dreamgirls” (see ad on pg. 5) in February. 

2. Pebble Creek Redevelopment Plan Rejected!

As 2023 came to a close, we still had no idea what will happen to the former Pebble Creek Golf Club golf course, which has been shuttered since July of 2021. 

The plan submitted by GL Homes to redevelop the 149-acre golf course property into 251 single-family homes was rejected on July 17 by the Hillsborough County Commission by a vote of 5-2, as Commission Chair and District 2 (which includes all of Pebble Creek)

Commissioner Ken Hagan told his fellow commissioners that the feedback he had received from the residents of Pebble Creek was overwhelmingly against the GL Homes plan, leaving property owner Bill Place with few options moving forward for his property. 

With three County Commission seats — including Hagan’s District 2 — up for grabs in a presidential election year, it’s possible that Place is waiting to see how the election changes the Board’s makeup before trying again to redevelop his land. 

3. Lotte Plaza Market Opens!
Lotte Plaza Market’s Grand Opening in November was attended by hundreds of New Tampa residents and continues to attract large numbers of people for everything from its Korean beauty products (below) to its Sijang Eatery food court. 

While the opening of the new Aldi supermarket in the former Ruby Tuesday location in New Tampa did receive some fanfare a few years ago, it was nothing compared with the expectations and reaction to the opening — finally! — of the new Lotte Plaza Market Korean/Asian grocery store in the former Sweetbay/Kash N Karry location next to Home Depot. 

The long-vacant 49,000-sq.-ft. store became the 15th link in the Lotte Plaza chain (the only other Florida location is in Orlando) of Korean/Asian superstores on Nov. 3 and immediately attracted large crowds of people (photos on next page) of all backgrounds and nationalities to its huge selections of produce, fresh fish, meat and groceries, as well as its unique Korean beauty products and its Sijang Eatery food court, which features a half-dozen eateries never before seen in our area. 

Although the crowds have died down somewhat since that opening month, there’s no doubt that Lotte Plaza Market’s opening is still one of the biggest 2023 news stories for New Tampa. If you still haven’t visited it yet, what are you waiting for? It literally has something for everyone! 

4. Live Oak Property Sale To Help Build Pride Park
The developer of Anand Vihar in Pasco County purchased an adjacent parcel of land in Live Oak from Hillsborough County that will help the county pay for its planned rec center at Pride Park. 

Hillsborough County has had a plan in place to build an indoor rec center and expand the outdoor facilities at Pride Park (just south of Pride Elementary) for some time. The county also has owned an unused 61.89- acre parcel of land intended to be a county park, but didn’t have enough money to construct facilities at either location. 

That is, until Anand Vihar (in Meadow Pointe) developer Santosh Govindaraju decided to purchase (for $6 million) the unused park site in Live Oak, which means the county will be able to begin construction on the Pride Park rec center early this year. 

5. Early Storm Causes Damage In New Tampa

he unnamed first major storm of 2023 hit New Tampa hard on June 4. Fortunately, no other major storms blew through our area (or Florida) for the remainder of the 2023 hurricane season.

Thankfully, 2023 was a relatively quiet hurricane season throughout Florida, especially coming on the heels of 2022, which saw two major hurricanes decimate portions of the Sunshine State. 

And, although Florida and New Tampa were virtually unscathed by any of the 20 named storms (including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes) that hit the Atlantic in 2023, our area received an early dose of hurricane-like Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera had to call for assistance to remove uprooted and downed trees in several New Tampa neighborhoods. 

Here’s How You Can Win FREE Dining In Our ‘Big Game’ Squares Contest! 

Although we have created this contest a week before the end of 2023 pro football season, last year’s ‘Big Game Squares’ contest was so popular we decided to run it back again for our readers. So, here’s how you can win FREE dining in our 2024 ‘Big Game’ Squares Contest. Simply click HERE and fill out the form by Friday, February 9. On Saturday, February 10, I will first assign random squares on the grid below for each entrant. Then, I will randomly assign numbers 0-9 along the top row under the AFC Champion’s name and in the far left column next to the NFC Champ’s name. Then, when the ‘big game’ is played, whoever’s name is in the box that matches up with the last digit of the score for each team wins a FREE gift card to the restaurant of their choice. For example, if the score is NFC 10, AFC 7 at the end of the first quarter and your name is in the box that corresponds to both NFC 0 & AFC 7, you would win a $25 gift card as the first quarter winner. If the score is 13-13 at the end of the first half and your name is in the box that corresponds to both NFC 3, AFC 3, you would win a $50 gift card. We also will offer a $25 gift card to whoever has the correct box at the end of the third quarter and a $100 gift card for the correct score at the end of the game, whether at the end of the 4th quarter or overtime. See all of our official contest rules and fill out the form for your chance to win by clicking HERE. — GN 

Family-Owned Absolute Air — Still Building On Two Decades Of Trust 

(L.-r.) Amber, Steve and Tammy DeRolf of Absolute Air Systems, Inc., with the company’s mascot, Hurricane. (Photos by Charmaine George) 

When Steve DeRolf started Absolute Air in 2001, he was working in the industry and saw customers regularly being sold things they didn’t need at prices that were extremely inflated. 

“They were getting $300 for a run cap back then,” he says, explaining that a run cap is an electrical part necessary to run an air conditioning unit. “Today – 22 years later – I only charge $250.” 

He says other companies overcharging customers still happens today. And, while he can’t keep other companies from taking advantage of customers, Steve promises that Absolute Air offers honest and reasonable prices to give people an alternative. 

He has lots of stories to prove his point — like the woman in a mobile home who was told she needed a new unit with a price tag of $18,000 for the system, plus $6,000 to replace her ductwork. 

“We told her the entire job would be $7,000 with us,” Steve says. And, he also told her she could keep using the system until it no longer worked, while the other company was pressuring her to replace the entire system immediately. 

Then, there was the man who called because he thought his mom was being taken advantage of by another company. 

“They told her that her heater was bad and it would be $1,500 to replace,” says Steve. “But, it was just a burnt wire, so for $200, we had it running again.” 

Nate Clements provides outstanding air conditioning and heating system services at the company’s always fair prices.

He says another common problem is that some companies won’t tell the customer that a part is still under warranty. Instead of dealing with the warranty to replace the part, they try to sell a whole new system. 

“It’s more work to do it right,” Steve says, “so they make it easier on themselves, rather than doing what’s best for the customer.” 

Steve’s wife, Tammy, has served as Absolute Air’s office manager since the company’s early years and now his daughter, Amber, is the assistant office manager. 

The DeRolf family loves being part of the community they serve. 

“I grew up in Zephyrhills when Wesley Chapel wasn’t even here,” Steve says. “All three of my kids went to schools in Zephyrhills.” 

Steve met Tammy when she was in the Air Force and he had just gotten out of the Army. They married 29 years ago. 

In addition to Amber, they have a son who is a Pasco County Sheriff’s Deputy and a daughter who lives in Palm Bay. 

“Our family’s goal is to always treat the customer right,” Steve says, “and to run our business with honesty, integrity and loyalty.” 

He says regular maintenance is essential, “like changing the oil in your car,” but you should be wary of companies who say they’ll do your maintenance for $29.99. 

Since it costs more than that — between labor and vehicle costs — for them to send a technician to your house to do the maintenance,” Steve says. “They will likely try to get more money from you by selling you something you may not need, or by charging too much for it. 

“Some of them are getting $2,500 for an ultraviolet light,” he adds, “but we put them in for $600.” 

Amber says those UV lights are important, though. 

“It’s something everyone should have,” Amber says. “It improves the life of your coils by keeping mildew out of them, and keeps your air cleaner.” 

She explains that Absolute Air also offers maintenance “memberships” for people who want peace of mind regarding keeping their air conditioning and heating units running properly. 

“If you join the membership program,” she says, “it’s $5 less for the maintenance and then you’ll get 10 percent off any service calls you might need for the whole year you’re on the program.” 

Amber says that Absolute Air’s phones are answered in the evenings and on weekends, because they understand that emergencies happen. They can even send someone out right away, although the cost is slightly higher for after-hours service calls. 

And, Amber says that Absolute Air promises that if the company can fix your system and keep it running, they will. 

“I have my word and my integrity,” Steve says. “We don’t scare our customers into buying something they don’t need.” 

In addition to the DeRolf family, Absolute Air includes vice president Mike Thornton, who co-founded the company with Steve and now handles commercial accounts and new construction installation, and long-time technician Greg Weatherspoon, who used to be a neighbor and whose dad once worked for the company. 

Long-time Absolute Air Systems technician Greg Weatherspoon.

“Our customers love Greg,” Amber says. “He’s honest, reliable, trustworthy and will even talk customers through things to help people over the phone, whenever possible.” 

One customer who agrees with that assessment of Greg is Mary Mosiello. When Mary and her husband, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Gerard Mosiello, moved into their home 10 years ago, they needed to replace an air conditioning unit. They asked around and one of their neighbors recommended Absolute Air Systems. 

They were so pleased, they also had Absolute Air take care of the units at their business in Tampa Palms, as well. 

“They are very dependable and responsive,” Mary says. “I appreciate that they’re so helpful and that they educate us as to the best ways to keep this very expensive product running.” 

Over the past 10 years, Absolute Air has built a relationship that Mary says is built on her confidence that the company and its technicians are trustworthy and reliable.

“It’s not an easy decision to have to replace something,” Mary says, “but it helps if you trust the people you’re dealing with. They know your home and business and what you need, and I like that for sure.”

And, while she says she’s happy to recommend Absolute Air to others, “I just don’t want them to get too busy where they can’t come see me,” she laughs.

Absolute Air Systems provides heating and air conditioning service for both residential and commercial systems. The company offers full system installs, service calls, preventive maintenance, emergency repairs, UV light installation, thermostat upgrades and any other heating and cooling needs.

“At least get your units serviced once a year,” says Steve. “Since we’re family owned and live in this community, after we come to your house, you’ll probably see us out in the community. Whether it’s at Walmart or Applebee’s or church, we’re out in the com- munity we serve and love.”

And, he says, he never has to worry when he sees his customers out and about. He has no qualms, knowing that he and everyone in his company has treated them with honesty and integrity.

To schedule an appointment for maintenance or service, call (813) 779- 0101. For more information about Absolute Air Systems, visit GetColdAir.com.

Jessica & Joel Provenzano Offer A Unique Real Estate Combination 

Realtors® Joel & Jessica Provenzano of Florida Executive Realty in Tampa Palms offer a unique combination of skills to help you buy or sell a home. (Photos provided by Joel Provenzano) 

Choosing a real estate agent when buying or selling a home can be difficult. But, what if you could get two agents working for you instead of one — and they are both locals of almost 20 years, who have lived, worked and raised a family in this growing and changing community? 

Jessica and Joel Provenzano are Realtors® licensed in Florida and they work together at Florida Executive Realty (FER)’s Tampa Palms office. FER, founded in 1992 at the former Tampa Palms Welcome Center (off Bruce B. Downs Blvd. on Amberly Dr.) by Doug Loyd and John Zielenbach, has now expanded to more than 100 agents in six offices across the Tampa Bay area, including Brandon and Lithia. 

“Jess and I are a team on every deal and for every client,” explains Joel. “We’ve been married for 18 years and found very early on that we actually work pretty well together, not just relationship-wise, but in professional settings, too.” 

“Our different skill sets complement each other,” Jessica adds. “I work more on communication and contracts and Joel does more research and is more hands-on with things like inspection reports and technical issues. But, we always work as a team for all of our clients.” 

The Provenzanos have been together since they were high school sweethearts who met as teens in Estero, FL. While dating, they worked at the same seafood restaurant, with Jessica working in the front of the house and Joel working in the kitchen. Despite their different roles, they found themselves constantly communicating on how to improve the service and flow of the restaurant. 

They moved to Tampa by 2004, got married and bought their first — and current — home in Wesley Chapel in 2005. While Jessica worked for several companies in sales and marketing and Joel worked as an engineer for 22 years, they still found ways to work together. For four years, they both worked at a local design and construction company, American Consulting Engineers (now American Consulting Professionals). They also volunteered together at Lifepoint Church in New Tampa, mostly in the kids and student ministry. 

Is this your idea of a dream kitchen? If not, let Jessica & Joel Provenzano help find yours, too.

About a year and a half ago, Jessica was the first to get started in real estate. She says she always had a strong interest in real estate because, as a child, she moved 18 times, due to her father’s job at Lowe’s, as he helped the home improvement warehouse’s underperforming stores. Thus, she became very familiar with both the moving process and financial challenges, such as dealing with multiple mortgages, which can happen when families move from home to home. 

Joel initially began working with Jessica only on weekends and after hours, but decided to leave engineering to work with his wife full-time in May. His transportation and land development engineering background, both for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and as a private consultant, gives him tremendous insight into, and the ability to research, new construction, roads, permitting, inspection reports, damage mitigation due to the Florida elements and more He also provides research for this publication. 

“We are more than happy to take buyers to the construction sites and describe the stages of construction or map out how an empty lot will be transformed when construction is complete,” Joel says. 

Now that they’re a team again, the Provenzanos are putting their work and life experiences to good use — helping prospective buyers find their dream homes and getting sellers the best offers in the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel areas and beyond. 

Ashley Sullivan shares her experience buying her first home with Jessica and Joel. 

Jessica and Joel can help you find the unique elements you want when buying a new home, or provide great photographs of those elements in your home when selling. 

“I had the pleasure of working with Jessica and Joel Provenzano when purchasing my first home,” says Ashley. “(I was) new to the area and they were the perfect fit to help me find my dream home. Not only did they give me a good feel for the different neighborhoods, they also told me all about the area. Putting in an offer was incredibly smooth and I felt supported all along the way. Even with some bumps in the road, they handled everything quickly and professionally. They really made sure I wasn’t left in the dark. I honestly don’t think I could’ve found a better realty team.” 

Another client, Sam Benoit, says, “Jess and Joel were extremely helpful and detailed in every way. They were available anytime we had questions and made the process painless. It was more about finding the right place for us rather than making a sale for them. I would recommend them to anyone looking to purchase.” 

The Provenzanos are uniquely positioned to help buyers and sellers in New Tampa, Wesley Chapel and the surrounding areas. They were in their 20s with a tight budget when they bought their home in the Meadow Pointe II neighborhood in Wesley Chapel. They bought during a housing boom, which quickly became a recession. This taught them about home loans, refinancing and how to negotiate with lenders. 

With two daughters, Kayla, 13, and Lily, 12, and changing jobs and careers, they understand financial planning for the uncertainties in life. Their involvement with their girls’ schools, their church and the North Tampa Bay Chamber of Commerce gives them awareness of the local community and helps them find business partners for inspections, appraisals and more. 

Jessica & Joel’s Tips For Prospective Buyers: 

• New construction has become extremely competitive, so this is one of the best times to buy a new construction home. In some cases, newly constructed houses can be more affordable than existing homes, even in the same communities. You will get better energy efficiency and upgraded finishes are basically standard now. 

• For many new communities, the builder’s lender has many incentives to keep their construction momentum going — more cash towards closing, interest rate buydowns and matching or beating rates from private lenders. Buyers should always work with a Realtor, especially with new construction, to get competitive loan offers. 

• Lenders crunch your numbers before offering loans, but that doesn’t always mean that their terms are comfortably within your means. While predatory lending practices have declined in recent years, it is important to have an honest conversation with a Realtor to make sure you get loans with terms that are flexible enough to fit within your budget. 

Tips for Prospective Sellers: 

• Our best advice for sellers is that the property must be priced correctly from the beginning. If it’s even slightly too high, it can lose momentum in this competitive market. You can always get more money for a property by getting the price right from Day One. 

• A knowledgeable Realtor will help you price your home for sale by performing market comparisons, also known as “comparables.” The Realtor will check on recently sold properties as well as properties currently for sale and how long they have been on the market. Then the Realtor can price the property appropriately to stand out among the rest. 

• Good photography makes a big difference. We do most of our real estate photography ourselves. We work with sellers to declutter and stage each room to look as appealing as possible to potential buyers. Unnecessary items can completely distract from the room being shown. 

Jessica & Joel Provenzano are with Florida Executive Realty (15802 Amberly Dr., Tampa Palms). Call or text (813) 956-4093, visit JProvenzano.FloridaExecutiveRealty.com for a free consultation today. 

Community To Benefit From City’s New Tampa Sports Pavilion At Liberty, Too 

City of Tampa and Hillsborough County School District officials came out in force for the ribbon cutting at the new New Tampa Sports Pavilion behind Liberty Middle School in Tampa Palms. (All photos provided by the City of Tampa) 

What used to be six old, underused tennis courts just for students at Liberty Middle School in Tampa Palms has been transformed into a new recreational area for the entire community. 

The tennis courts are gone, and what stands in their place will now be called the New Tampa Sports Pavilion. 

The Pavilion includes three basketball courts that also can be used for pickleball, tennis and volleyball. 

Next to the courts, a huge metal shade structure stands over an artificial turf field. At 166 feet by 127 feet, it’s larger than four school buses lined up one way and three school buses lined up the other. 

A building with offices and restrooms is located by the covered field, too. 

On November 15, City of Tampa and Hillsborough County School District officials held a ribbon cutting to officially open the new expansion, which will be used by Liberty students during the school day and open to the public whenever school is not in session. 

The new basketball courts at the Pavilion.

District 7 Tampa City Council member Luis Viera, whose son attended Liberty, says the idea was suggested at a 2020 town hall meeting by Tampa Palms resident Alexandra Gilmore. He championed the idea, saying it would add to the other recreational opportunities that have been brought to New Tampa over the last several years. 

“This is another big win for New Tampa and a really big deal,” says Viera. “It’s a $4-million expansion, and when you include the $3-million expansion of the New Tampa Recreation Center and multi-million-dollar All-Abilities Park, it represents a nearly $10 million investment in parks for New Tampa since 2018.” 

He’s referring to the playground that opened at the New Tampa Community Park one year ago, the first of its kind in the city that is designed for kids of all abilities, especially those who may not be able to play at typical playgrounds because they use a wheelchair or have other special needs. 

Viera says that investment has made a significant impact. 

Dist. 7 Tampa City Councilman Luis Viera speaking at the ribbon cutting.

“New Tampa has gone from being a city park desert, where all we had was a rec center that was busting at the seams,” he says, “to being home to the city’s first All-Abilities Park and now this additional expansion.” 

The new rec center expansion is located adjacent to the New Tampa Community Park on the property of Liberty at 17400 Commerce Park Blvd. 

The ribbon cutting on Nov.15 was attended by Viera, City of Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County School Board members Jessica Vaughn and Lynn Gray, and Hillsborough’s Superintendent of Schools Van Ayres. 

Viera says the public access to the courts will be scheduled after school ends each day, during school holidays, weekends, and summer. 

City of Tampa manager of athletics, aquatics and special facilities Heather Erickson says the New Tampa Sports Pavilion has experienced something of a soft opening and expects to be fully operational around January 1. 

She says security lights are in place, but the courts themselves are not yet properly lighted, so they currently are only open until sundown. 

Starting in 2024, the pavilion will be staffed for open basketball and pickleball nightly, plus scheduled activities. 

“Our obligation is to make sure it’s not just a hangout without supervision,” Erickson says. “We also offer classes such as sports readiness for girls and boys, fitness and agility.” 

For more information, she says check the City of Tampa website at TampaGov.net after Jan. 1. Navigate to “Parks & Rec,” then “Activities,” then “Athletics.” For questions about using the facility, reach out to Tampa’s supervisor of athletics Cedric Smith at Cedric.Smith@tampagov.net.