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Mall Still Stalled At I-75/S.R. 52 Junction

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By KEVIN WIATROWSKI, The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 9, 2007

Updated: 12/08/2007 04:44 pm

SAN ANTONIO - If things had worked out the way they had hoped, the developer of Pasco Town Center would have won county approval this month for its mixed retail-office project.

But road issues proved to be more difficult to navigate than anyone had thought. The county's Nov. 21 deadline for resolving State Road 52 and Interstate 75 came and went.

Now the developer, Atlanta-based Shailendra Group, has its sights set on getting county commissioners' final approval for the 950-acre project by late February.

As the project drags on, the developers also are focused on keeping potential buyers interested, hence the push in October for earlier county approval, said Ron Weaver, Shailendra's Tampa-based attorney.

The developer plans to turn the former McKendree family ranch into a project combining 2 million square feet of retail with 3.4 million square feet of office and light industrial space. There also will be 2,000 homes and 640 hotel rooms.

Shailendra has contracts with several retail companies, including the Chelsea Property Group, which owns Prime Outlets Orlando off Interstate 4. That complex features Dior, Versace, Tommy Hilfiger, Brooks Brothers, Banana Republic, Barney's and Nike outlets, along with restaurants and a food court. Weaver has said a similar outlet component is planned in Pasco, along with "every other kind of retail." One possibility is a Dave & Buster's, which offers games, restaurants and other entertainment.

So far, the developer's plans have been waylaid by the current state and future fate of the S.R. 52/I-75 interchange.

The interchange carries a large amount of heavy truck traffic because of the Flying J Truck Stop and One Pasco Center industrial park, both of which sit just north of the Shailendra property. A dirt mine a few miles away near Dade City puts even more truck traffic through the interchange.
State highway officials put off repaving the heavily traveled segment of road because that work had been required as part of the development of Bella Verde, a golf resort under construction just east of the future town center site.
Bella Verde officials have balked at the cost of the work, however. This year, they asked the county to absorb more of the cost in the form of impact fee credits, but County Administrator John Gallagher turned them down.

So the work remains undone and the road continues to deteriorate, much to the consternation of County Commission Chairman Ted Schrader and others who travel that way.

The Department of Transportation wants Shailendra to improve the interchange by adding a loop ramp in the northwest corner, making a smoother transition for westbound traffic going south on the interstate. Those vehicles now must wait at a traffic light to turn left.

The ramp could cost more than $25 million, said Bob Clifford, planning director for the DOT's Tampa office.

The Shailendra work can't go through if Bella Verde doesn't do its part, however.

Shailendra told the county Monday that it can't pay the $50 million or more it would cost to do both projects without building part of the town center or getting contributions from future projects in the vicinity, according to the meeting minutes.

"State Road 52's got to get multi-laned," Clifford said Thursday. "That's been up to Pasco Town Center and Bella Verde to work out."

The sides have met with county officials twice in the past week trying to reach a compromise.

"We're working diligently on an acceptable solution," Weaver said Thursday.

Reporter Julia Ferrante contributed to this report. Reporter Kevin Wiatrowski can be reached at kwiatrowski@tampatrib.com or (813) 948-4201.

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