Tag: Wesley Chapel

Radiant Wellness Spa Offers Licensed Massage, Facials & More

Spa On S.R. 54 In Wesley Chapel To Highlight Its Services At Its FREE Health & Wellness Fair On Sunday, March 19!

Willie Williams has played basketball most of his life at a very high level (including the NBA’s “D” League) , and that grind produced a few injuries along the way that he can still feel today. He was recently in a car accident that has made his body creak and groan more than it should for a man only in his mid-30s.

However, Willie says his body only creaks and groans these days until Yuhanna Alahmary, LMT, MLD-C, CCT, CMT, gets her hands on him.

*Radiant Wellness Spa owner Yuhanna Alahmary*

The owner of Radiant Wellness Spa in the Brookfield Professional Park on S.R. 54 just west of Eiland Blvd., in Wesley Chapel, Alahmary has learned plenty of skills over the years related to massage therapy, and Williams says those massages are the only thing, including physical therapy, that can make him feel better.

“She’s the real deal,” he says. “I’ve had massages before, but the way hers make my body feel afterwards is something different. I’ve known her for three years and she has allowed me to get back to moving around, get out of bed and not be limping around the house all the time.”

After a decade of working as a Licensed Massage Therapist (LMT) at a local spa in Wesley Chapel, Alahmary decided to branch out and open her own spa in April 2022.

She may not be new to Wesley Chapel, but her business is, which is part of the reason she is reaching out to the community by hosting a Health & Wellness Fair on Sunday, March 19, noon-4 p.m. (see ad on pg. 34) with a food truck, businesses from the KRATE at the Grove container park (including 3 Eleven candles, Mythos Gifts and Blush Wine Room) and health-related vendors like Florida Pain Medicine, Humana and Double Branch Chiropractic Rehab. Alahmary says some of the vendors will be doing free health testing, and her spa will offer complimentary 5-minute massages.

More Than Just Massages

Radiant Wellness Spa offers a wide array of spa services, from massages to facials.

The massages include the standard Swedish, therapeutic and deep tissue, as well as couples and prenatal massages.

Hot stone and bamboo massages also are available, or try the “Sticks & Stones” massage, which is a combination of both.

Alahmary says she also has a therapist on staff who specializes in oncology massages for cancer patients looking for pain relief and relaxation.

And, cupping therapy, which decompresses the body’s tissues with suction cups, helps with a host of issues and is one of the spa’s more popular services. In addition to her other titles, Alahmary is a CCP (certified cupping therapist, CMMP (certified medical massage practitioner) and master post-op care provider and body contouring specialist.

*The acne and microneedling program at Radiant works wonders for high-grade acne skin, producing amazing results.*

When it comes to facials, there are many from which to choose. Alahmary says the enzyme and OxygenGLOW facials are the most popular among her array of offerings, and microneedling (also called collagen induction therapy) continues to be in demand for those seeking to firm and tone their skin, especially the arms and face. Alahmary says the Circadia brand products used at the spa are high-grade.

Body waxing services and sauna wraps also are available.

Alahmary says that Radiant’s staff aesthetician Tunde used to own her own spa in Budapest, Hungary, before Covid-19 forced her to close down and move to the U.S.

“She has 20 years of experience and she helps with a lot of European techniques I wasn’t really familiar with,” Alahmary says. Tunde has worked miracles on some of the faces that leave Radiant Wellness Spa with a big smile on them.

If you mention this story, you can receive $15 off your first visit. There are other specials, too — $10 off on Mondays for anyone, and $10 off on Thursdays for teachers, law enforcement, first responders, healthcare and postal workers (with work ID).

“I’ve always had a soft spot for vets and healthcare workers,” Alahmary says. “My dad was impacted by agent orange and nurses really were impacted by Covid.”

What separates Radiant Wellness Spa from other spas, however, may be Alahmary’s own personal specialty: post-op care.

She is certified by the Academy of Lymphatic Studies, which she says makes her a rarity in the Wesley Chapel area.

“So many people drive to South Tampa to get their post-op care done,” she says, “but we have it right here.”

Post-op MLD (or manual lymphatic drainage) care, in Alahmary’s case, often but not exclusively deals with treating patients who have recently had cosmetic surgery like a tummy tuck or liposuction. As a result, their bodies may be inflamed and they may suffer from lymphatic fluid build up.

A certified MLD-C massage therapist uses specific massaging techniques to help transport the lymphatic fluid from the swollen area to an area that is draining properly.

“If you want to heal right, you need some kind of post-op care,” says Alahmary. “It will cut down on fibrosis build up and help prevent fibrosis, which are those hardening knots in people who don’t get the proper (post-op) care.”

Alahmary also says she has spent hundreds of hours learning and taking tests to learn as much as she can, and earn as many certifications as possible. She has even traveled to Thailand and hopes to incorporate Thai massages into her spa in the future.

Alahmary’s commitment to her craft is something that actually helped prompt Williams to follow her to her new practice. For years at the previous spa where she worked, Williams would listen to her talk about pursuing her dream and perfecting her skills.

“She is a real student of her art,” he says. “She used to fly out to different classes to enhance her skill set, and that is something I really admired about her. She’s an expert.”

Alahmary’s daughter Nylah is a senior at Wesley Chapel High who is working towards her Associate of Arts degree from Pasco-Hernando State College, and helps out at the front desk, making Radiant Wellness Spa a family business. Everyone else who works at the spa has at least 10 years of experience, according to Alahmary.

“I’m not just an owner, I’m a therapist myself,” Alahmary says. “We don’t have memberships, so we’re not trying to sell you anything. And, having my own business lets me do what I love to do, and offer the services that I think will help people the most.”

The spa does not accept insurance, but does accept FSA and HSA payments.

Radiant Wellness Spa is located at 33905 S.R.. 54, Suite 101. The hours are Monday & Wednesday, 3:15 p.m.-8 p.m.; Thursday & Friday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; and 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday. For more information, call (813) 715-2099, visit Radiant-Wellness-Spa.com.

NTPAC To Debut This Month; B&B Theatres Unveils Improvements

The New Tampa Performing Arts Center (NTPAC) will hold its first event for the community on Saturday, March 25, with a performance by the New Tampa Players (NTP), following a dedication to the theatre troupe’s founder, the late Doug Wall.

The doors to the new 20,000-sq.-ft. Hillsborough County-owned facility — located across from the entrance to the Hunter’s Green community — will open at 6:30 p.m.. Doors to the theater open at 7, with the ceremony and a performance scheduled for 7:30.

While the grand opening for the NTPAC itself actually will come at a later date, organizers are using the dedication and NTP performance as a soft grand opening and an opportunity to honor Wall, a major driver of the arts in the New Tampa area prior to his death in 2017.

Wall founded NTP, which held its first production “They’re Playing Our Song” at both Tampa Palms Golf & Country Club and at Hunter’s Green Country Club, in 2002. NTP has survived as a gypsy-like troupe, putting on performances at a number of different locations while Wall and others fought for a permanent New Tampa home for the organization, which NTPAC will be.

After the dedication, NTP will put on a cabaret-style show that will give attendees an idea of how a performance is put on by the group, as well as how the troupe plans its seasons.

Shows already scheduled for this season include:

• “Beauty & the Beast Jr.: A Penguin Project Production” (Apr. 14-16)

• “Grease” (July 21-30)

• “Shrek” (Oct. 20-29) and

• “Dreamgirls” (Feb. 2-11, 2024).

For tickets to and more information about NTP and these upcoming performances, visit NewTampaPlayers.org.

MOVIE UPGRADES: Speaking of places to watch shows, the B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel (formerly the Cobb Theater) held a North Tampa Bay Chamber ribbon-cutting event on Feb. 15 to show off some of B&B’s remodeling efforts since taking over management of the theater in 2022. Among the new options at B&B Wesley Chapel are:

• Premium Large Format (PLF) Grand Screen, which provides a true wall-to-wall experience.

• ScreenX, which, according to B&B Theatres’ director of communications Paul Farnsworth, is the world’s first multi-projection platform, allowing viewers to experience select films in an expansive, 270-degree presentation, as the two sidewalls of the theater are utilized to give a more immersive experience.

• The Lyric, a smaller (32-seat) theater designed for a more intimate and upscale theatrical experience. The Lyric will be used for showing independent and art films — such as the poignant comedy “80 for Brady” — and offers other high- end touches, including seat-mounted tray tables and elegant waterfall curtains

• Max Relax — Located in another smaller (only 50+ seats) theater, Max Relax offers commercial-grade, electric, heated, fully reclining leather chaise lounge chairs that are great for movie watching….and, if the movie isn’t great, a nice little nap.

*Among the new features unveiled at B&B Theatres Wesley Chapel’s ribbon-cutting event on Feb. 15 included (left) the Cycle Cinema*.

• Cycle Cinema, which is being leased to owner Pascal Collard of the Sarah Vande Berg Tennis & Wellness center in Zephyrhills and three partners (Nick Walton, Andy Sorrentino and SVB co-owner Andy Green), which brings a Peloton-type shared workout experience to the big screen, with classes for everyone from total beginner to expert.

• SideSplitters at The Grove, the comedy club which already has been operational for more than a year before the Grand Reopening event.

For more information, visit bbtheatres.com or Facebook.com/bbtheatres. For more info about Cycle Cinema, visit TheCycleCinema.com.

B&B Theatres NTPAC Wesley Chapel

Thousands Get A Preview Of BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel!

Scooping his free Island Fin Poké Co. poké bowl into his mouth, Trey Walker paused for a second before answering the question of the day at BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel’s open house last month.

“I don’t like hospitals,” the Tampa truck driver said, smiling, “but if I ever need to go to one, I hope it’s this one.”

Walker was one of an estimated 4,000 people who took part in the area’s newest hospital’s open house on Feb. 18, which featured tours, food trucks, vendor booths and a kids area.

BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel was expected to open to at least emergency room patients today (Mar. 7). The 86-bed, state-of-the-art hospital is located on Bruce B. Downs Blvd. just south of S.R. 54.

BayCare Wesley Chapel president Becky Schulkowski was thrilled to finally unveil the hospital to the public.

“It’s just been extremely exciting, rewarding, and humbling seeing the response from the community,” she said. “I’m being thanked for coming to this community. It just feels like such a blessing…and we will live up to their expectations.”

*The new hospital features private rooms with Alexa-enabled services, and a Da Vinci Robotic Surgical System*. (*Photo: John C. Cotey*)

BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel boasts 318,000 sq. ft. of space, and will feature comprehensive medical services and health care resources, including an emergency department, an intensive care unit with virtual-monitoring beds, diagnostic services such as imaging and on-site lab services, and physical rehabilitation. BayCare is investing $246 million in the project, which will be the 16th link in the nonprofit’s chain, which has locations throughout Central Florida. The Wesley Chapel location will be just the second full-service BayCare hospital in Pasco County and will feature outstanding technology like the CT scanner and a DaVinci Robotic Surgical System.

The DaVinci robot drew a few oohs and aahs from those on the tour, its multiple arms coiled like a resting octopus. It allows for very precise incisions and techniques used by surgeons, including things like hernia repairs and colorectal surgery.

“So, if anyone with colon cancer needs to have parts of their colon removed, it can be done with the robot,” Schulkowski said. “The procedures with the robot really allows you to heal faster and get out of the hospital quicker. With some of those bigger surgeries, before we started using the robotic surgery, you would be in the hospital for five days (or more) after that procedure. Now, you can be home in one or two days.…and what most people want is to get out of the hospital and get home.”

Much of the planning that went into BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel was about comfort.

“We really thought about what it feels like to be a patient, and how much most people really don’t like to be in a hospital,” Schulkowski said. “So, we really tried to design it with that perspective in mind, and really make it a comfortable, healing environment.”

That means all of the patient rooms are private, and have integrated Alexa, a voice-controlled virtual assistant that allows you to call your nurse, dim the lights, raise the blinds or the thermostat and other things, with just your voice.

The hospital provides most general surgeries, orthopaedic surgeries, urology and a cath lab to diagnose any heart issues, Schulkowski said.

“We went all out to make sure we had the absolute best technology available for the community,” she added.

While 86 rooms may not seem like a lot, BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel is expandable. Schulkowski said the option is available to build a second tower directly above the ER if needed. “We can pretty much double everything,” she said.

Also planned is a 20-bed observation unit, which could be built next to the ER on the backside of the hospital, by 2027. “That will allow us to cohort what we call observation patients, patients that come in and maybe have chest pain, and we need to run a couple tests and see is it a heart problem? Or is it just really bad heartburn?,” Schulkowski said. “While you’re waiting for those tests, you don’t need to be up in the hospital, you’re just waiting on getting some test results. We’re gonna keep you comfortable, get those test results and then, hopefully, send you on your way.”

It was ten years ago that AdventHealth (then Florida Hospital) Wesley Chapel opened its doors, giving the Wesley Chapel and New Tampa areas newer (and closer) options for care. And, next up is Orlando Hospital Wesley Chapel, a 300-bed facility under construction on S.R. 56.

The nonprofit company that is opening BayCare Hospital Wesley Chapel understands that there are options. Schulkowski said her staff is ready to meet the challenge. In fact, one of her pet projects was the sculpture out front — five ribbons coming together. Each ribbon has one of the five BayCare values engraved on it: Trust, Respect, Responsibility, Excellence and Dignity.

“I wanted the very first thing that our community saw when they came onto campus (were) the BayCare values, because that’s what we bring to this community,” Schulkowski said.

For more information, visit BayCare.org.

BayCare hospital Wesley Chapel

The Volleyball Wildcats Are Loaded & Eyeing A State Title

When Wesley Chapel High (WCH) volleyball coach Brittany Collison looks at this season’s roster, it’s hard not to dream big.

Not only did the Wildcats put together their best record, 19-5, in the school’s history last year, they won their first District title in 20 years, won two Regional playoff games for the first time ever and fell just one victory short of a trip to the State Final Four.

And this year’s roster? Well, it looks mighty familiar.

“I only lost three seniors from last year, so really the bulk of my team is still here,” says Collison. “It’s going to be a good year. There are high expectations, not only for me but the girls really want it. They’re all really excited.”

Eight of the 12 players return from last year’s squad, including arguably the best player in school history in senior outside hitter Chloe Danielson. The 6-foot Danielson had a school-record 375 kills in 2021, and was named Pasco County’s Player of the Year.

She had plenty of help, however.

*(L.-r.) Brooke Ashkenase (2021 leader in digs), Chloe Danielson (kills) and Jenna Ly (assists) all return this season for Wesley Chapel High, a Region finalist last year.* ***(Photo: Mike Bitting)***

Juniors Lizzy Ekechi and Grace Korta each had more than 100 kills, and sophomore Emily Teets had 72. Senior Jenna Ly led the team in service aces and assists and junior Brooke Ashkenase led in digs and serves received.

The Wildcats have added some new firepower as well. Transfer Emma Letourneau, a 5-foot-11 junior, will make the WCH attack that much more explosive, after leading Pasco High with 198 kills last season.

“Last year, I think we did rely on Chloe a ton,” Collison says. “We are going to have a lot more options this year.”

In prepping for 2022, Collison says she has seen a lot of good signs that the Wildcats could make more history. The taste of coming so close last year has lingered throughout the offseason.

Collison said Korta and Ekechi have both grown as players, and Teets, Ly and Ashkenase have both markedly improved.

“When we came back for open gym this summer, and I saw how everyone had improved, I was like, ‘Wow, we’re going to be good,’” the coach said.

The Wildcats were traditionally one of the worst teams in Pasco County until Collison was hired in 2017. Before that, WCH had cycled through six different coaches the previous eight years.

However, Collison didn’t have immediate success. Her first two seasons at Wesley Chapel, her teams were 10-32.

Gradually, the ‘Cats started getting some standout players, starting with Jordan and Chloe Danielson. The sisters’ first season together was 2019-20, and they led WCH to a 14-11 season, the first time the program had ever registered double-digit wins. The following season, the Wildcats were 17-6 and went to the Regional playoffs for the first time since 2003, as the sisters combined for 400 kills.

Even though Jordan graduated in 2021, Collison was able to continue building her team around Chloe, thanks in part to the growth of club volleyball, which provides playing and training year-round. She says everyone on her team is a member of a club somewhere and competes year-round.

Collison has beefed up the schedule as well this year, with two high-level tournaments, in the hopes that if her team reaches the Region final again, it will be more battle-tested than it was in 2021.

“The majority of the team are kids that are go-getters, that want to get better,” she says. “They want to prove this year that this hasn’t just been a lucky two years in a row. Our goal is to win Districts first, but because we came so close last year, we are definitely looking at the State final four this season.”

Meanwhile, Cypress Creek High (CCH) also is looking for another good season. Last year, the Coyotes went 17-6, with half of those losses to Wesley Chapel. CCH made it to last year’s Class 5A, District 5 final before falling to the Wildcats, but as runner-up, still advanced to the Region quarterfinals.

Unlike WCH, however, almost half of the Coyotes’ roster has graduated, including most of their statistical leaders. The top returners are expected to be kills and blocks leader Sadie Walker, a junior, and setter and libero Laney Brinson.

At Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH), the Bulls are coming off a 9-10 season but have one of the best all-around players in Pasco County in junior outside hitter Haley Strawser.

Strawser had 191 kills and 54 aces to lead the team in 2021, and was second in blocks and digs and third in assists.

Gianna Ginesin, Victoria Vizciano and Delaney Moran all played key roles for the Bulls last season and are expected to return this season.

Volleyball season tips off tonight, when WCH plays at Zephyrhills (7:30 p.m. start) and Cypress Creek plays at Pasco High at 7 p.m. on Aug. 23.

Wiregrass Ranch hosts Brooks DeBartolo Collegiate High at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 24.

For schedules and stats, visit MaxPreps.com and search for each school.

Chloe Danielson volleyball Wesley Chapel

Two Nearby Projects & Nearly 10,000 Jobs, Get BOC’s Green Light

The Pasco Board of County Commissioners (BOC) was busy in June.

During meetings on June 7 and June 28, the commissioners voted unanimously, and without any debate, to approve performance-based incentive deals for two large projects expected to completely transform the one-time sleepy I-75/S.R. 52 intersection known previously for its truck stops.

The first deal approved was the big one — on June 7, the BOC paved the way for a new development on 965 acres at the southeast corner of 75/52.

The project, called the Pasco Town Centre, is expected to generate 5,988 jobs and will include 4 million square feet of industrial uses, 725,000 sq. ft. of office uses and 400,000 sq. ft. of retail uses, plus room for 300 hotel rooms and 3,500 homes.

According to the agreement, the mixed-use project will be, “The I-75 corridor’s gateway project into Pasco County.”

The county is contributing $55.8 million in incentives to project developer Columnar Holdings, $46.2 million from ad valorem tax rebates and $9.6 million from the Penny for Pasco fund. All of the payments will be deferred and accrued in a county escrow account for the company until 1 million square feet of industrial/office space has been built.

Thanks to the Pasco Town Centre project, the county is expected to gain more than $386 million in estimated property tax revenue through 2061 (40 years) and a total economic output of $604 million.

The benefits to the county are “profound,” David Engel, Pasco’s director of the Office of Economic Growth, told the BOC.

“This is the most productive agreement that I’ve brought forth to date to the Board,” he said.

Engel said this project comes in at $9.60 per square foot, while the Rooker project, two 200,000-sq.-ft. Industrial warehouses approved for I-75 and Old Pasco Rd. in San Antonio that broke ground in 2021, was $9.80 a square foot.

As part of the deal, Columnar will have to provide $70 million in infrastructure, like roadways and sewer and water lines.

“When you put it all together — the road, the utilities — that’s well over $200 million before the developer can even get $1 out of the escrow account,” Engel says. “That’s a very significant gesture and a commitment to the project the developer is making.”

County commissioner Ron Oakley calls the projects a “win-win” for the county.

Engel also said the new development will be a boon to the area and to companies that are looking to move to Pasco County. The county is eager to accelerate the project because, “We do not have suitable space for companies to come in to that area right now, and we have tremendous demand for that,” he said.

The Pasco Town Centre is within the Connected City at the north end of Wesley Chapel, and Michael Wolf of Columnar Holdings said the goal is to make his project synergistic with the Connected City when it comes to local travel.

“We think it’s so important to truly get that activation, to have folks be able to run, bike, golf cart, what have you,” he said. “If we don’t have those components, we won’t be able to activate that space.”

The Town Centre still has to go through the rezoning process, but Phase One is expected to be completed by June 30, 2024, with the final two phases finishing up by the end of 2026 and 2028, respectively.

Northpoint Project

A second, smaller project was approved by the BOCC on June 28, with commissioners voting unanimously in favor of a $6.3-million incentive package for a project on roughly 218 acres near the northeast corner of Interstate 75 and State Road 52.

Northpoint Development LLC is building a 1.4-million-sq.-ft. build-to-suit site expected to yield 2,400 jobs when completed.

Build-to-suit projects are typically facilities specially constructed to meet the specifications of a particular user, who currently is unnamed.

According to Clark Hobby, who represents Northpoint, the original site was smaller but the developer acquired an additional 56 acres to the north.

With nearly $10-million in costs just for road improvements, the developer asked for $6.3 million in assistance.

“This is an exciting project,” Hobby said. “It is being designed and will be constructed for a major regional distribution center that will include a significant number of jobs.”

If the end-user backs out, the county won’t lose any money. But, Hobby said his client is so confident in the deal, “we’re planning on starting construction in late August, to early September.”

Hobby said the building will be a half-mile wide, and Engel said the total size will be roughly equivalent to two football fields.

The county’s Office of Economic Growth calculates that the Northpoint project will generate $19.1 million in ad valorem taxes over 20 years, and inject $282 million into the Gross County Product (GCP) during construction.

Once completed, the county says the annual recurring benefits to the GCP will average $227 million, and the return on investment is 195:1 for every dollar the county is providing in assistance.

Both 75/52 projects are in Commissioner Ron Oakley’s District. He supports both projects and called them a win-win for the area.

BOC Wesley Chapel