Wiregrass Ranch Developer Is Nonetheless Ready To Finalize The Settlement With Pasco County Earlier than Continuing With His ‘Downtown’
When it was introduced again in December that Pasco County had reached an settlement in precept with Wiregrass Ranch developer JD Porter and his Locust Department LLC growth firm on Part 1 of Legacy at Wiregrass Ranch — the 30-acre space put aside by Porter to function his uniquely city downtown — Porter and his chief working officer Scott Sheridan thought that it might solely be a matter of weeks earlier than they’d be capable to start shifting filth.
However now, greater than six weeks (at our press time) after that settlement in precept was reached, Porter and Sheridan — in an unique sit-down with yours really — stated they’re nonetheless ready.
“We have to get Part 1 of Legacy at Wiregrass going now,” Porter stated. “We’re attempting to time the opening of the downtown space — with all of its workplace and retail — with the opening of the Orlando Well being hospital (the biggest in Wesley Chapel, which is anticipated to be accomplished in early 2026). We estimate that if we get began instantly, Part 1 of Legacy might be accomplished inside just a few months after the hospital’s opening.”
Sheridan added, “The excellent news is that we have already got a lot of the infrastructure wanted for Legacy in place. We’re prepared.”
For anybody who hasn’t heard, Pasco’s Board of County Commissioners unanimously accepted the “time period sheet” for Legacy at Wiregrass Ranch — the place the monetary plan for what Fee chair (and Dist. 3 commissioner) Kathryn Starkey known as “Pasco County’s downtown” on Dec. 10.
A part of the settlement introduced in December are advert valorem tax incentives for the developer of $50 million complete, unfold over 30 years, to offset the $85 million in Wiregrass Ranch’s funding in public infrastructure for Part One alone. Sheridan and Porter estimate that the development prices for your complete Legacy undertaking are between $400-$500 million.
Sheridan stated that Wiregrass Ranch, the 5,100-acre cattle ranch owned by Porter and his household, which is lower than 40% developed at current, already gives a tax base of $1.5 billion, with practically $11 million yearly in county working income. At buildout, he says, that tax base is projected to be as a lot as $6 billion, with about $50 million in annual revenues for the county.
Among the many parts deliberate for Legacy’s first part (of 130 acres complete put aside for the 2 phases of Legacy) are 150,000 sq. ft. (in two 75,000-sq.-ft. buildings) of workplace house, adjoining to the 150,000 sq. ft. of workplace house (in a single 90,000-sq.-ft. and one 60,000-sq.-ft. constructing) now below building on Orlando Well being’s campus, subsequent to the hospital. “Fairly truthfully,” Sheridan stated. “That 300,000 sq. toes of workplace will seem like one giant grasp growth.”
Sheridan additionally famous that Wiregrass Ranch and an unnamed associate is also growing a further 100,000 sq. ft. of workplace house in two buildings to the west of Wiregrass Ranch Blvd.
One of the crucial essential elements of the primary part of Legacy is a $37-million, five-story parking construction with about 1,500 areas to serve the workplace buildings, retail and 150,000-sq.-ft. “eatertainment” complicated, all inside strolling distance of one another, in addition to of a deliberate 150-room resort and 820 multi-family residences. If you happen to’ve ever been to the brand new Midtown Tampa, Legacy at Wiregrass is about 30% bigger. The resort and house buildings are also anticipated to be 4 and 5 tales tall.
“This sort of density is certainly city,” Sheridan stated. “It’s not suburban sprawl, as a result of we’re doing on 30 acres what Pasco normally places on 100 acres.”
‘Eatertainment’ Galore!
The a part of the settlement for Legacy introduced in December that yours really is most enthusiastic about is the 150,000-sq. ft.. “Eatertainment” complicated. Sheridan says that this space will embody an Armature Works-style meals corridor, upscale retail shops, some “jewel field” standalone eating places, a live performance corridor with about 1,500 seats instantly adjoining to the parking construction, plus a resort, convention middle and public artwork.
And, though neither Sheridan nor Porter have been prepared to call any of the potential tenants or operators they’ve spoken with to place eating places in Legacy, each talked about having conversations with operators of eating places on Water St. in downtown Tampa, Seaside Dr. in downtown St. Pete and different upscale eating areas.
“Legacy has been designed by Torti Gallas + Companions,” Sheridan stated, “the identical agency that designed GasWorx in Ybor Metropolis, the Silversaw residences (subsequent to the Hyatt Place Tampa-Wesley Chapel resort) and most of the most lovely mixed-use tasks throughout the nation. And, they advised us that Legacy at Wiregrass is exclusive in its location, planning and design.”
Porter added, “More often than not, when tasks like these are accepted, the developer first has to place within the infrastructure, however most of that’s already in place in Legacy. We’re prepared to start constructing as quickly as we get the ultimate phrase from the county that we are able to start.”
To which Sheridan added, “We don’t want one other County Fee vote. All we want is for the Planning & Financial Growth division to finalize the settlement.”
He additionally famous that till the settlement with the county has been finalized, “We are able to’t finalize offers with the tenants we’ve been speaking with for the retail and restaurant areas. However, as quickly as we’re in a position to shut these offers, we all know the group goes to be enthusiastic about them.”
To which Porter added, “These will not be going to be the identical retail strip facilities with the identical sort of tenants that you simply see in every single place else in Pasco.”
Sheridan additionally says that residents within the multi-family residences is not going to be parking in the primary storage construction. As a substitute, they are going to have their very own parking construction. On the Dec. BOC assembly, Dist. 5 commissioner Jack Mariano requested that a few of these rental models be transformed to townhomes for “workforce housing,” however nonetheless voted to approve the Legacy settlement in precept with none such conversion being promised by Sheridan or Porter.
“And, though they’d should cross S.R. 56 to take action, Porter stated, “college students and workers from the Porter Campus at Pasco Hernando State Faculty may even stroll to Legacy.”
He added, “We’re not simply doing the identical factor everybody else in Pasco does. We would like this to be the type of place individuals are drawn to for years to return.”
Wiregrass Ranch Replace
The Orlando Well being building is shifting alongside properly, and the $300-million hospital complicated, which sits on 47 acres on the nook of S.R. 56 and Wiregrass Ranch Blvd., simply south and east of Legacy, will embody 102 beds when it opens and 300 when it’s constructed out.
Porter and Sheridan additionally talked about that though Pasco had but to finalize its take care of Sports activities Services Firms of Clearwater to take over the administration of the Wiregrass Ranch Sports activities Campus, “The county picked the very best operator to take over.,” Porter stated. “It will simply be good to listen to that the deal is finalized, as a result of, in our settlement for the land we donated for it, the county (which has been managing the Sports activities Campus since shopping for out the administration contract of RADDSports in 2023) was by no means alleged to be managing that facility.”
Porter additionally stated that with the success of Cooper’s Hawk Vineyard & Restaurant on the north aspect of S.R. 56 (at Lajuana Blvd.), “we’ve been having some fairly severe negotiations with a lot of restaurant operators — some profitable Tampa Bay-area operators and a few top-level chains” — for the restaurant pads adjoining to Cooper’s Hawk.
For extra details about Wiregrass Ranch, go to TheWiregrassRanch.com.
