U-F Agriculture Students Receive $1 Million From Kirkland Ranch Property Sale

We receive a lot of press releases in our Neighborhood News inbox, but I honestly can’t remember ever having seen a press release saying that someone was donating a million dollars in a ceremony in Wesley Chapel we were invited to attend. 

So of course, when we were invited by the Community Foundation Tampa Bay to visit the Kirkland Ranch property on Curley Rd. on Dec. 8 because the Foundation was going to be presenting a $1 million grant “on behalf of the Marvin & Elizabeth Holloway Foundation to the Alpha Gamma Education Foundation,” I knew that I wanted to be on hand for it — even though I had never even heard of the Holloway or Alpha Gamma foundations before. 

And, while we never just run press releases, as it turns out, this is the best way to understand why the event was being held: “The philanthropic investment builds on the recent sale and permanent conservation of nearly 1,000 acres of Kirkland Ranch, a historic Pasco County property owned by the Kirkland family for generations. The State of Florida purchased the ranch earlier this year following a multiyear effort championed by Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Wilton Simpson and supported by the ranch’s leadership and shareholders. The sale preserved the land in perpetuity and generated more than $20 million in philanthropic assets now stewarded by Community Foundation Tampa Bay.” 

OK, but who are Marvin and Elizabeth Holloway? Elizabeth Kirkland Holloway, who passed away at age 103 in 2024, was the sister of Cicero Kirkland, who began developing the Kirkland Ranch in 1949 with his son Raymond. 

The release also said, “With the initial gift of the land to Community Foundation Tampa Bay, the Community Foundation was able to ensure the Kirkland and Holloway families’ legacy by converting a complex donation into lasting charitable impact that benefits agriculture, youth services, health care, and environmental education.” 

“The Holloway Foundation’s $1 million grant is a powerful example of how charitable giving can create meaningful, long-term impact,” said Marlene Spalten, president & CEO of Community Foundation Tampa Bay. “We are honored to carry forward the Kirkland and Holloway families’ philanthropic legacy and grateful that this gift will support the next generation of Florida’s agricultural leaders.” 

But, what is the Alpha Gamma Education Foundation? “This grant to the Alpha Gamma Education Foundation (Alpha Gamma Rho, or AGR, is the agricultural fraternity at the University of Florida in Gainesville) will support students in the [U-F] agriculture program, including scholarships that will help prepare them for careers in agriculture and related fields — an enduring priority for the Kirkland and Holloway families.” 

At any rate, on hand for the check presentation were (l.-r. in the top photo) Alpha Gamma Foundation pres. Steven Hall, Kirkland family & Holloway Foundation trustees Caesar Rinalvi and Bob Sharp, Dist. 54 State Rep. Randy Maggard, Spalten and Comm. Simpson. At right is a photo of Elizabeth “Betsy” Holloway and far right is the plaque presented in her honor to Rinalvi and Sharp by AGR, “in grateful appreciation of the generous gift remembering (Betsy’s father) Cicero, Jack & Raymond Kirkland (Betsy’s brothers) to create a lasting legacy for Alpha Gamma Rho and the future of Florida Agriculture.” 

How will the grant help AGR and its Education Foundation? 

Hall said, “Some of the money will be used to pay off the mortgage on the AGR frat house (in Gainesville). But, the bulk of the money will fund $20,000-$40,000 per year in scholarships for agriculture students at the University of Florida in perpetuity.” 

Congratulations to all! — GN, photos by Charmaine George 

New Wendy’s To Open Soon!

This location at 7803 Curley Rd. at Victory Crossing Dr. (near the Starbucks north of Overpass Rd.; see map) appeared to be ready to open (see photo) a couple of weeks ago, as the electronic menu boards were already operational. But, as of today, the new Wendy’s still looks no closer to opening. The restaurant, featuring a covered outdoor patio, is 2,239 sq. ft. and will have the usual Wendy’s fare, from breakfast items to burgers and chicken sandwiches to Frostys.

Portillo’s Construction Demolishes Rock & Brews!

For those of us still lamenting the loss of Rock & Brews, which has now been demolished (photo), there is some small consolation that Portillo’s, the 6,160-sq.-ft. (with a 415-sq.-ft. outdoor patio) Chicago-style hot dog, sausage and burger place, will replace the giant guitar on S.R. 56. Although there will be no full-liquor bar (sigh),  Portillo’s does serve beer to go with its Chicago-inspired fare. The Lutz/Wesley Chapel location will feature Portillo’s “Restaurant of the Future” design (rendering).

There currently are 77 Portillo’s locations in 10 states (including the closest location to us — on E. Fowler Ave. in front of the University Mall — and the company is in the process of an aggressive expansion plan to add approximately 920 more restaurants over the next 20 years, including both full-scale restaurants and pickup-only locations. Approximately 800 of these will be full-scale restaurants and the remainder will be pickup or drive-thru locations. We have no further information on when Portillo’s will open, but you can check Portillos.com. 

New McDonald’s Begins Construction On S.R. 54 at Curley Rd.!

Ironically located across S.R. 54 from the AdventHealth Meadow Pointe Emergency Room at the corner of Curley Rd. (map, left), ground was recently broken on a new freestanding, 3,859-sq.-ft. McDonald’s on a 1.76-acre site (see map and photo) and will have right-in, right-out driveway access to both Curley Rd. and Wesley Chapel Blvd., plus dual ordering boards. It will be the fourth McDonald’s in Wesley Chapel. For more info, visit McDonalds.com.

Tien’s Sandwich Is Coming To Wiregrass Ranch!

Coming to 2557 Mansfield Blvd. at Wiregrass School Rd., in the Mansfield Wesley Chapel Shopping Center plaza next to 7-11 that also has MH Nail Studio and Enterprise Rent-A-Car (see map), Tien’s Sandwich will be a 2,066-sq.-ft. shop that will bring “the authentic taste of Vietnamese bánh mì sandwiches to Wesley Chapel — “fresh, vibrant & full of heart” and also will feature coffee, boba tea and other comfort bites. According to its Instagram page, the Vietnamese sandwich place’s slogan is, “Good bread, good mood.” 

At our deadline, the vacant store still had a dirt floor, so there’s no telling how long it will be before Tien’s Sandwich actually opens.