Pasco developer has high hopes for Wiregrass park

Standing on the shore of what soon will be a 20-acre lake, it's difficult to grasp just how vast it's going to be. But Wiregrass Ranch developer J.D. Porter can visualize it.

"It's going to be spectacular," Porter said.

Construction is already well underway on the park, which is tucked behind the Shops at Wiregrass and the new hospital on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. By the time Florida Hospital Wesley Chapel opens its doors in the fall, these lakes will be filled with fresh water and native plants.

"When we did the site plan, we thought one lake would be 16 acres and the other one 20," Porter said. "Now we're thinking they'll be more like 20 and 22 acres. So the park itself will be between 45 and 60 acres."

They'll have picnic areas and will be surrounded by five miles of nature trails. Both of the lakes will be open for boating and fishing. "I've always loved fishing, so we're going to stock them with bass," Porter said. "There are so many different things we can do."

The Porters have worked this land for generations, and they consider this park their legacy project. They want it to be their gift to the residents of Pasco County, but they're not going to turn it over to the county, even though their development agreement requires that they donate enough land for a 40-acre regional park.

To be classified as a park site, the land must be dry and buildable.

"For me to do this and turn it over to the county, when it wouldn't even be counted as park land, doesn't make sense," Porter said. "And you never know if they're going to run out of money to maintain it. I'd rather make sure it's done the right way."

The lakefront park was supposed to be the southern segment of an even larger park complex, the Fields at Wiregrass. The 160-acre, privately owned park would include a dozen multipurpose fields that could accommodate soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, football, and a mix of nine baseball and softball diamonds.

The sports complex is designed to compete with ESPN's Wide World of Sports for traveling youth sports tournaments. Pasco commissioners have endorsed the concept – last November they voted to allocate up to $6 million of tourism tax money and $2.5 million of recreation bond money for the project.

The Porters have been meeting with county officials to negotiate the terms of the contract, but they don't want to relinquish ownership or control of the park. County Budget Director Michael Nurrenbrock said they haven't reached a solution yet.

"We've talked in general terms," Nurrenbrock said. "But for public funds to be spent, it has to be in public ownership."

And the Porters' decision to go ahead and build the lakefront park doesn't release them from an obligation to donate 40 acres of dry park land for public use, Nurrenbrock said.

Still, both sides hope to resolve the issues in time for the commissioners' joint meeting with the Tourist Development Council on Feb. 14.

"This is going to be a great amenity for Pasco County," Porter said. "This lake is 250 yards from the Shops at Wiregrass."

It's also just a quarter-mile from the future Raymond James campus. Last September, the company announced plans to build two 100,000-square-foot offices and bring 750 jobs to Pasco County. The brokerage and investment-banking firm also wants to reserve up to 1 million square feet of office space for future expansion.

The financial services giant is expected to close soon on property just off State Road 56. As soon as they do, the Porters will start building Wiregrass Ranch Boulevard, which will serve as the main north-south corridor through the community.