New store just in time for shopping season

Best Buy is the first store to open at the Grove at Wesley Chapel; others will follow soon.

By CHUIN-WEI YAP, Times Staff Writer
Published October 26, 2007

WESLEY CHAPEL - Central Pasco's first Best Buy store opens for business today.

It will be the first anchor to open in the new $175-million Grove at Wesley Chapel mall, just northwest of Interstate 75 and State Road 54.

The electronics store opens at 10 a.m., about 15 minutes after the store and Wesley Chapel Chamber of Commerce officials hold the ribbon-cutting ceremony, said Richard Hessler, the store's manager.

"We're giving away a $10,000 check to Big Brothers Big Sisters in Pasco," he said, referring to the nonprofit agency.

It might be less than a month before the next store in line at the Grove opens.

Catherine Gentile, a spokeswoman for Bed Bath & Beyond, said to expect a November opening, possibly by mid month.

"There won't be a soft or official opening," she said. "We'll just be open for business and go from there."

Meanwhile, Dick's Sporting Goods is planning a Nov. 11 grand opening, said Kristen Biance, spokeswoman for the Grove. Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us are also planning November openings, she said.

Two other malls are under construction in central Pasco.

Land clearing is going on at full bore at Cypress Creek Town Center, on I-75 and SR 56. Its developers, the Richard E. Jacobs Group, were before Pasco's top staff planners Thursday, where they got an approval to slightly bump up the mall's area to 930,475 square feet. It's still the biggest among the three rival malls.

Steel has gone up at the Shops at Wiregrass, a $105-million project backed by Forest City Enterprises and the Goodman Co.

Jim Richardson, Forest City's vice president, said Wednesday that he expects groundbreaking to take place soon, as the mall works to close tenancy contracts with its slate of tenants. But Forest City won't confirm a date before the deals are signed.

Both the Wiregrass and Cypress Creek malls expect to open for business by the end of next year.

Chuin-Wei Yap can be reached at 813 909-4613 or cyap@sptimes.com.

[Last modified October 25, 2007, 21:30:36]