Brooksville : Development News

Frustrated that perceptions of the Tampa Bay community are not showing an accurate picture of the region, community leaders came together on September 23rd to announce a new community pride campaign: “Together Tampa Bay Shines.”

Resurrecting a campaign that the Tampa Bay Partnership initiated years ago, “Together Tampa Bay Shines” will become a broader community campaign where residents and visitors can participate to provide their own reasons as to why they think Tampa Bay shines.

“Whether it's specific to their individual community, an entertainment venue they like or an educational asset that they want to talk about, we're encouraging people to share something that they think has a really good 'shine factor',” says Betty Carlin, the Partnership's VP of marketing and communications. “There are a lot of good news stories out there that really need to come to the forefront to be able to build broader awareness within the community of the region's collective strengths.”

Starting off as a Facebook page, the campaign will grow into a website offering several ways for people to not only learn about Tampa Bay, but also share their thoughts and interact with other folks about the points of pride they think Tampa has to offer.

“A while back, some research studies were done showing that the perception within the region is not as positive as it is to those outside of the region,” says Carlin. “A lot of that is due to the fact that people aren't as aware of all of the great things that are going on in the area.”

Currently, the Partnership is trying to get as much support for the campaign as possible, engaging with a number of prominent groups within the area in an attempt to make “Together Tampa Bay Shines” a true community campaign; executives with Coca Cola Refreshments, IMG Academies and the Technology Conservation Group have provided examples of growth and expansion, reflecting on how Tampa Bay has been good for their business.

“We really want to build a sense of pride to show that not only is the area an attractive place for business, but a great place to live, work and play, as well,” says Carlin. “Hopefully, it's contagious and it carries over into all aspects.”

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Betty Carlin, Tampa Bay Partnership

Beginning Thursday, April 14, residents in the seven counties that comprise the Tampa Bay region will be able to participate in shaping the Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority's (TBARTA) master plan, the update of which will include the addition of freight and road networks, airports and seaports as well as the impact of new federal air quality regulations.

Residents of Pinellas, Hillsborough, Citrus, Sarasota, Manatee, Pasco and Hernando counties will be able to participate in six telephone "Town Hall" meetings by dialing a toll-free number that will be posted online at www.tbarta.com. The dates are as follow:

Thursday, April 14 - Sarasota County
Tuesday, April 19 - Hillsborough County
Thursday, April 21 - Pasco County
Monday, April 25 - Citrus and Hernando counties
Tuesday, April 26 - Manatee County
Wednesday, April 27 - Pinellas County

TBARTA spokesperson Amy Ellis cautions that the expanded plans will not overhaul what is already in place.

"With the master plan update, we are not 'recreating the wheel,' " says Ellis. "What we are doing is bringing all of the plans in the region together in one place. This way, we can ensure that all areas are covered and we can more easily identify the most important priorities. This includes the transit network, the roadways, freight network, airports and seaports.

"It isn't necessarily an expansion of these facilities, although there are some projects underway or in the works. The I-4 Connector, for example, is under construction and will connect the Port of Tampa to I-4, making it much easier for trucks carrying freight to travel to and from the Port. A similar project has been identified as needed in the Manatee area -- a better roadway connection to Port Manatee."

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Amy Ellis, Tampa Bay Area Regional Transportation Authority

With autumn upon us, farmers markets across the Tampa Bay region are readying to share the harvest. It seems nearly every municipality has at least one. A few are new, and a few have made some changes. Here's a thumbnail sketch:

Realize Bradenton hosts a farmers market downtown on Old Main Street between Manatee Avenue and 4th Street from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday from October to May.

"We have built a community of vendors, residents, businesses, and most importantly, a community of dogs," says Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton's executive director. "We have live music every Saturday. The first Saturday features a chef demo, the second raffles and prizes, on the third Saturday we join with Mainly Arts, showcasing artists and craftspeople and featuring art from a Manatee County elementary school. On the last Saturday of the month we do kids' activities."

Isham says the market has generated foot traffic and revenue for Bradenton businesses since it opened a little over a year ago. "Ninety thousand people came downtown last year," she says. half of them for the farmers market. Next year 135,000 are predicted, due to more events we've planned. That equals projected consumer spending of $3.1 million for 2010-11."

Wesley Chapel is opening a new market at the The Shops at Wiregrass at the intersection of Bruce B. Downs and State Road 56 the first Saturday of every month starting in November.

According to Tiffany Ferrecchia of Tampa Downtown Market, the Winegrass market will feature produce, plants and eco-friendly arts and crafts as well as products featured at existing Wiregrass stores and restaurants.

Lizzy Lenk is a vendor who sells her Bag It Conscience products at several Tampa Bay markets. "I like going to the markets because it gives me an opportunity to talk to people and encourage them to do simple changes that can go a long way toward improving and changing the environment for the better," she says. "I find it a wonderful, creative, meaningful and fun way to earn my living. People absolutely love coming out. It gives them an opportunity to meet with friends and be outdoors. They can buy handmade, home-cooked or locally grown products. Many love not buying from the big corporations but supporting local crafters. We are fortunate that we have lots of these kinds of markets happening almost every day of the week. It brings life to the streets."

Other area markets include St. Petersburg's mammoth Saturday Morning Market;  Gulfport's Tuesday Morning Market; Clearwater's Open Air market,  Dunedin's farmers market; Largo's Heritage Village and downtown markets, Tampa's downtown market, Ybor Market and Seminole Heights market; Parksdale Farm Market in Plant City; Brooksville's downtown market, Hernando Beach's Open Market; and Lakeland's Farmer's Curb Market and Farmer's and Flea Market.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Sources: Johnette Isham, Realize Bradenton; Lizzy Lenk, Bag It; Tiffany A. Ferrecchia, Tampa Downtown Market

On April 16, leaders from across Tampa Bay will meet to discuss sustainable growth. One Bay, the group hosting the meeting, has deemed the event the Congress of Regional Leaders.

The One Bay Liveable Communities Initiative is a "regional visional process" that grew from the Tampa Bay Partnership Regional Research and Education Foundation. It is committed to long-term thinking and planning to make the seven counties that comprise the Tampa Bay region a thriving and sustainable mega region by the year 2050. The counties included in the initiative are Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, Hillsborough, Polk, Manatee and Sarasota.

The April 16 meeting is a culmination of polls, surveys and workshops that resulted from the Reality Check of 2007. The data collected indicates a need and desire for a more proactive and deliberate approach to planning.

"When we looked at the data, it was interesting because there were common guiding principles across transit, water and environmental areas," explains Betty Carlin, a spokesperson for the Tampa Bay Partnership. "It's telling us these are the things that people think are important. People really don't want to see growth happen as it has in the past. We want to do it differently. So now we have to put community leaders together to share the vision and make it happen."

Dan Mahurin, chairman of SunTrust Bank and chair of One Bay, sees the meeting as a celebrated outcome as well as an exciting launch.

"This event is a celebration of several years of great input and hard work from across the community to develop a shared vision for Tampa Bay. It is also a turning point for us to bring leaders back together to begin planning how we can implement this vision."

The meeting will take place at the Tampa Convention Center from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Writer: Missy Kavanaugh
Source: Betty Carlin, Tampa Bay Partnership; Dan Mahurin, SunTrust

A larger, brighter Beall's Outlet in Brooksville is part of a general expansion across the Sunbelt for Bradenton-based Beall's and Burkes Outlet.

Beall's has 18 grand openings scheduled for Friday, Feb. 26, and Friday, March 19, which follows 18 openings this past fall. Beall's and Burke's Outlet, a division of Beall's Inc., operates in 14 states, including Florida.

Of the 18 openings in the fall, 14 filled space formerly occupied by defunct Goody's department store locations. Goody's closed its stores in March 2009.

Another round of store openings is scheduled for October, again filling space vacated by Goody's.

In Brooksville, the existing Beall's Outlet in South Plaza at 1266 South Broad Street has been expanded into a 21,910-square-foot facility. The store opened for business on Friday, Feb. 12.

The ceremonial grand opening that begins on Feb. 26 will include a $5 gift card for the first 300 shoppers on Friday, Feb. 26, and Saturday, Feb. 27. There also will be a drawing for a $100 shopping spree and a weekend coupon will be available.

Beall's and Burke's Outlet, with more than 440 stores nationwide, will expand by 900,000 square feet total, a 10 percent increase in floor space. The 36 new stores average more than 25,000 square feet.

The Brooksville store employs a dozen associates and one store manager.

Writer: Carter Gaddis
Source: Patti Alderson, Beall's and Burke's Outlet

Quarry Preserve, a proposed 5,800-home development north of Brooksville, cleared an important hurdle this month when the Hernando Board of County Commissioners voted 3-2 to send the plan to the Florida Department of Community Affairs for review.

Should the Quarry Preserve plan clear its review, it would return to the county commission for further consideration as soon as late spring or early summer.

The county commission's decision to transmit the request to amend the county's comprehensive plan followed a similarly narrow approval in December by the county's Planning and Zoning Commission.

This is the latest step in a process that began more than three years ago for developer Brooksville Quarry LLC.

"It's taken us that long to get here, but there were some challenges and opposition as relates to the property, so we've tried to put together a project that has all the right things associated with it," says attorney Jake Varn, who represents the developer.

The 4,280-acre limestone quarry was owned by Jacksonville-based Florida Rock Industries, which was
purchased by Vulcan Materials Company in 2007. Varn said mining activity continues on about 150 acres of the land, but the land is expected to mined out long before the Quarry Preserve project would break ground in 2014 or 2015.

The developer predicts the project will create about 5,000 jobs, with an annual average earnings of about $158.4 million.

The project is being termed a "sustainable development," with "smart growth" plans that include a golf course, grocery stores, banks, restaurants, retail shops and office space. More than 1,000 acres would be dedicated to greenways, pedestrian trails and wildlife habitat.

It has faced opposition from local environmental activists and was recommended by the board of commissioners for transmittal despite reservations about urban sprawl raised by the county's planning staff.

Writer: Carter Gaddis
Source: Jake Varn, Fowler, White, Boggs