New shops, restaurants charge into New Tampa

From Stein Mart to Starbucks, several new stores and restaurants are set to open in the next few months.

By SUSAN THURSTON, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published January 6, 2002

NEW TAMPA -- The upcoming year will be another biggie in New Tampa in terms of places to shop and to eat.

Several new stores and restaurants are set to open over the next several months, ranging from big-name chains to one-of-a-kind boutiques. Be it for lobsters or lawn mowers, consumers won't have to look hard.

Many of the new businesses will fill out shopping centers built in 2001, including The Walk at Highwoods Preserve on Bruce B. Downs Boulevard. Others will carve out their own space from scratch.

Once opened, the stores will complete the last phase of commercial development in New Tampa -- at least for awhile.

One of the larger stores heading this way is Stein Mart in Tampa Palms' City Plaza. The department store has been in the works since 2000, and finally began construction in the fall. It will mark one of the first large clothing stores in New Tampa.

Farther north, developers are building The Pointe at Bruce B. Downs and Tampa Palms boulevard across from Lowe's. The Pointe will include Olive Garden, Red Lobster, McDonald's, 7-Eleven and a strip center with clothing boutiques, a gourmet pastry store and a gift store. Stonewood Tavern & Grill also is building at the location.

"We're creating a little village," said Gary Lewis, vice president of the Hogan Group, which is developing The Pointe.

Lewis, who lives in Tampa Palms, said he hopes the center will offer patrons unique shopping options close to home. Stonewood has several locations in North Carolina and Florida, but none in Tampa. Its menu features rack of lamb, pork tenderloin and salmon.

Construction on the 15-acre site started a few months ago, with store opening dates set for the spring. Crews began work on the roads, curbs and gutters in late December.

North of Interstate 75, workers are putting the final touches on a shopping center that will include Starbucks, Alltel and other businesses that have not been announced. Starbucks was scheduled to open around Christmas, but was postponed a few weeks.

The center is on Bruce B. Downs at Dona Michelle Drive, just south of Ruby Tuesday. Adjacent to it will be a bank and other retail space, including, possibly, Outback steakhouse. It will be a continuation of The Walk, which is nearing completion.

The Walk opened in 2001 with Circuit City, Linen 'n Things, Bennigan's, Panera Bread and others. Additional stores will follow in early 2002, most notably Michael's arts and crafts, the center's last major tenant.

Developer Chris Hack said the center did exceptionally well in its inaugural months and will likely get busier once all of the space is occupied.

"Everyone is continuing to find the market is deeper than they thought," he said.

At the northern end of New Tampa, Target will open a combination discount store and supermarket at Bruce B. Downs and County Line Road in Pasco County sometime in March. The SuperTarget will compete with the Wal-Mart a few miles south across from Pebble Creek.

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