Shopping center opening soon

Construction workers are putting the finishing touches on The Cypress, a new shopping center at the southwest corner of Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and County Line Road.

The scheduled opening this month of a Sweetbay supermarket and an LA Fitness, the two anchor tenants, shows signs of continued commercial growth in New Tampa despite an economic slowdown across the Tampa Bay area.

United American Realty, a Tampa-based developer, was approved to build 350,000 square feet of retail and office space, spanning 70 wooded acres just inside Hillsborough County, where New Tampa and Wesley Chapel connect.

The shopping center, expected to draw heavily from both communities, is opening on schedule, said Trent Comer, director of marketing at United American Realty.

"We had deadlines to meet dealing with both big tenants," Comer said.

United American also has signed up Five Guys Burgers & Fries, Hungry Howie's Pizza and Subs, Hardee's, China Wok, Pita's Republic, Hudson Cleaners, a nail salon and a hair studio as tenants, according to its Web site.

The opening of those businesses will be staggered, starting in midmonth, Comer said.

United American has been planning to build The Cypress since 2004.

Hawkins Construction Inc. of Tarpon Springs and WDG Construction Inc. of Wesley Chapel are the general contractors.

The retail segment includes two main sections with the big-box stores, LA Fitness and Sweetbay, facing a row of smaller storefronts. The complex also has several detached restaurant buildings.

Construction of the open-air shopping plaza, which began in October, was aided by drier-than-normal weather during the winter and early spring months.

LA Fitness expects to open about Monday, depending on final approval from Hillsborough County building inspectors, company officials said.

Amenities at the nearly 50,000-square-foot exercise and sports facility will include a full-size basketball court; a spacious area for free-weight equipment and exercise machines; a cycling room; yoga and Pilates studios; executive-style locker rooms; and a heated, indoor lap pool.

Sweetbay plans to debut a new health care service for customers when it opens June 27, Sweetbay Supermarkets spokeswoman Lynn Peterson said. In addition to a pharmacy, the 38,000-square-foot building will house an in-store wellness center.

It will be the first of the company's 103 supermarkets to do so, Peterson said.

Sweetbay is launching the program in partnership with USF Health, which will run the in-store health clinic. The supermarket chain chose The Cypress store because of its proximity to the University of South Florida campus.

"One reason we think Sweetbay and LA Fitness is a good mix is we hope the people who work out at LA Fitness will find our produce and meat departments match up well with their healthy lifestyles," Peterson said.

The Sweetbay opening is unlikely to have an impact on an existing store about three miles south at Bruce B. Downs Boulevard and Highwoods Preserve Parkway, Peterson said.

The company's goal is to open more stores near residential neighborhoods.