Neighborhood notebook

By LOGAN MABE and MARLENE SOKOL

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 19, 2001

Developer wants Westchase center to look good

WESTCHASE -- Shopping center developer Edward Giunta II continues to make progress on a proposed retail and office complex in Westchase, and he continues to make progress reports to the people who will be spending their money there.

At Thursday's monthly residents forum, Giunta shared new architectural renderings of Village Plaza, a combined retail and office complex, on 7.2 acres west of Westchase Square. The complex will consist of an 18,000-square-foot center and two outparcels of about 7,000 square feet each.

"We wanted to have some character and feel to it," Giunta said. "We take pride in our centers. We want them to look good. But we've never had the ability to build something this nice."

Giunta expects to close the deal for the property and break ground on the building in early December, then turning space over to tenants by May. Businesses already under contract include a 2,400-square-foot Italian restaurant, a florist, a pool supply store, and an ice cream and cookie shop. Giunta is still in negotiations to bring a large coffee chain to the center.

But what has generated the most interest is the prospect of a McDonald's restaurant taking one of the two outparcels that will be leased. Giunta said he has received volumes of e-mails and comment cards for and against McDonald's and that no deal has been completed with the company.

"Do I think a McDonald's will do very well? Yes I do," Giunta said. "Does it make the economics of the project feasible? Yes it does."

Sheriff's station ready to open in Lutz

LUTZ -- The Hillsborough Sheriff's Office's newest community station will hold a grand opening Tuesday morning.

Top department officials are expected at the station at 14095 Crisis Center Plaza, near the intersection of Florida and Bearss avenues.

The station, which is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, is part of Sheriff's District I, which is based in the University of South Florida area. It will be staffed with two community service officers, Brian Sherman and Lauri Hofschneider; and civilian officer Denise Hillyard.

Tuesday's opening ceremony is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information about the office or the opening, call (813) 264-8575.

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