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2005 was a growth year for business

The county got its slice of the economic pie this year. Observers see more of the same in 2006.

By PHIL DAVIS
Published December 31, 2005

Pasco's business keyword in 2005: "more."

More retail. More manufacturing. More houses. More business square footage. More pizza, even.

One of the many businesses that announced expansion plans in Pasco County in 2005 is Giordano's, a Chicago pizza chain famous for its gargantuan deep dish pizzas.

The company is renovating the old Hops Grill & Brewery at 10042 U.S. 19, with plans to open in March or April.

More signs of growth:

Last month, the Pasco Economic Development Council announced a record addition of 184,233 square feet of industrial space in the 2004-2005 fiscal year. That's a slight increase from 2003-2004, but a huge jump from the 108,850 square feet built in 2002-2003.

Morton Plant North Bay Hospital in New Port Richey confirmed in September it is considering plans to add a 30,000- to 40,000-square-foot facility and expanding existing emergency room, intensive care and operating room services. The planned expansion would be a turnaround for the hospital, whose proposed move to greener pastures in Trinity was blocked by a judge in 2002.

"We're still working on our planning process," said Beth Hardy, a hospital spokeswoman. "We are still not able to announce specific plans."

On the manufacturing front, Opinicus Corp., a flight simulator manufacturer, is setting up shop at Suncoast Crossings, an 80-acre office and industrial complex at State Road 54 and Suncoast Parkway. The company will bring about 225 new jobs with an average salary of $67,000 to the county when it moves into its new $2.5-million facility in January.

"Obviously, Opinicus is big," said Mary Jane Stanely, president of the Pasco County Economic Development Council. "That will be the impetus for a lot of improvements to that intersection. It's a key area for us."

Even with all the activity, Pasco still is only the seventh-fastest growing county in Florida, according to the Economic Development Council. Pasco is ranked 38th in growth among more than 3,000 counties in the nation, the council reported.

Stanley said some of the most important business development of 2005 went on in the background. She said the county's revision of its comprehensive plan includes development-friendly features such as improved permitting processing and protection of key areas for business development.

"We identified key employment center sites that should be protected so that all our main intersections and roadways don't get eaten up by residential development," Stanley said. "We are actually putting those locations into the comprehensive plan."

Meanwhile, some of Pasco's run-down real estate got a makeover.

Among the most notable transformations: DeBartolo Development's $20-million overhaul of Embassy Crossings, a 336,000-square-foot retail center at U.S. 19 and Scenic Drive. New storefronts, improved landscaping and big name tenants such as Bed, Bath and Beyond breathed life into the center, which went into decline when Wal-Mart pulled out in 2001.

The forecast for 2006: more of the same.

In New Port Richey, City Manager Scott Miller is preparing to send recruiting packets to 15 big name retailers with hopes of luring a few to aid in taming the retail tangle of U.S. 19. Targeted retailers include Anne Taylor, the Fresh Market and Panera Bread.

"There are 15 proposals here," Miller said, pointing to a thick stack of recruiting dossiers in his office. "If I can get five of them to come, that would be a major success."

[Last modified December 31, 2005, 00:47:16]