Buddy Foster Chevrolet plans to leave its 28-year Zephyrhills site for a booming Wesley Chapel location.
By JAMES THORNER
Published February 6, 2004
WESLEY CHAPEL - Buddy Foster Chevrolet plans to close its Zephyrhills dealership and move to one of Pasco County's soon-to-be-sizzling intersections: Interstate 75 and State Road 56.
Foster and his business partners spent $4.6-million to buy 12.3 acres northeast of SR 56 and I-75 in July. The site is big enough for the Chevy dealership and a second undisclosed franchise Foster hopes to acquire.
The dealership confirmed it wants to switch locations in the next one or two years. Delaying matters is a legal challenge from competing General Motors dealers who fear Foster's prime interstate location will grab potential customers.
Foster's family-owned dealership has sold cars in Zephyrhills for 28 years. A second Foster Chevy outlet sits south of Dade City on U.S. 301. It will stay open.
The Wesley Chapel location promises sales well beyond the 100 cars and trucks sold each month by the Zephyrhills dealership, company vice president George Paskert said Thursday.
I-75/SR 56 is the first Pasco interstate interchange north of Tampa. The area serves both the Pasco and New Tampa markets.
Sitting across I-75 from the Foster property is the proposed site of Cypress Creek Town Center, a project anchored by a 1.5-million-square-foot shopping mall scheduled to open in 2007.
Foster is one of several auto dealers who considers Wesley Chapel a winner.
Heritage Ford shut its Zephyrhills dealership in 1999 to move to SR 54 east of the interstate. Century Kia followed last year.
And Nissan and Toyota have confirmed plans to open their first central Pasco dealerships on or near SR 54.
Foster bought the land on SR 56 from a group of owners who include Dade City rancher Bob Blanchard.
He paid about $375,000 per acre.
The property is part of a 350-acre development called Cypress Creek, not to be confused with the similarly named mall.
- James Thorner covers growth and development in Pasco County. He can be reached at 813 909-4613 or toll-free 1-800-333-7505, ext. 4613. His e-mail address is thorner@sptimes.com
