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Business 2005

Zephyrhills: City a hot spot for national chains

Another boon for Zephyrhills has been the Municipal Airport, which gained tenants after the Tampa Bay Executive Airport at Trinity closed.

By MOLLY MOORHEAD
Published February 13, 2005

ZEPHYRHILLS - The names are familiar: Lowe's, Ruby Tuesday, Sonic, CVS.

Though these national chains haven't been part of the landscape in Zephyrhills before, they're here now. And more well-known retailers are coming.

Business development in Zephyrhills continued on its swift pace in 2004 and promised more in the new year.

Next to the site where a Wal-Mart Supercenter opened to great fanfare in 2002, a Lowe's home improvement store became the second big-box shop on U.S. 301 on the booming north end of town. The 102,000-square-foot store drew a Ruby Tuesday restaurant, not far from the new Microtel Inn.

Just across the highway, developers envision similar shopping/dining/office options, if only with different brand names. Gore's Dairy, open since the 1940s, will close soon and give way to another unnamed large retailer and a crop of smaller stores.

The city is benefitting from the boom in its way too. Zephyrhills Municipal Airport, for years criticized for operating in the red, saw an influx of tenants after Tampa Bay Executive Airport at Trinity closed in October. The airport leases hangar and ground space to plane owners and aviation businesses, collecting rent money and boosting its profile as an attractive hub in the industry.

The most visible new tenant is JJ Aeronautics, an aircraft maintenance and repair business that took over a 12,000-square-foot building on airport property. Owner J.J. Franco said he invested $500,000 in making the move to Zephyrhills - a move that brought services like jet and helicopter maintenance not previously available at the city's airport.

And much to city officials' delight, business activity materialized not just in national chains, and not just on the edges of town. Zephyrhills Cinema 6, at U.S. 301 and Daughtery Road, announced plans to add four new screens and stadium seating.

Lolita's Cafe opened on U.S. 301 near downtown, and Little Angel, a Christian bookstore, set up shop on Seventh Street.

City planner Todd Vande Berg, who is working with consultants to craft a plan for downtown, said redevelopment at the city center is a slower process than new development.

"We'd like to see our redevelopment plan effort materialize," he said. "But until we get our ducks in a row ... it's going to be piecemeal. It doesn't just happen on its own."

[Last modified February 8, 2005, 16:43:07]