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FEBRUARY 11, 2015
Tampa Premium Outlets taking shape By Kathy Steele ksteele@lakerlutznews.com
Tampa Premium Outlets is no longer just wishes and speculation. There are still lots of questions, however, about what tenants will fill the 441,000 square feet of shopping space. Bulldozers are moving earth, and walls are going vertical on what has been a shopping destination in the making going back more than decade. Plans have changed through the years, but now an outlet center is on the horizon: Opening day is scheduled for late October, well in advance of the 2015 holiday season. Shopaholics, of course, are eager to see the center’s anticipated 100-plus retailers open their doors.
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From the Interstate 75 off-ramp at State Road 56, motorists traveling west can get a glimpse of Tampa Premium Outlets, as the outlet center takes shape for its late-2015 opening.
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Like other large enterprises, the outlet center also is expected to have some ripple effects on the local economy. Businesses that can provide accessory goods or services are likely to benefit. And, students at Pasco-Hernando State College’s Porter Campus at Wiregrass Ranch also could reap internships to help them in their studies or jobs to help cover their expenses. Simon Property Group, the mall’s developer, has estimated that the project will yield 300 to 500 construction jobs and as many as 800 retail jobs, once the outlet center opens. Hope Allen, executive director for the Greater Wesley Chapel Chamber of See OUTLETS, page7A
Applicants reduce size of proposed Lutz school
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By B.C. Manion bcmanion@lakerlutznews.com
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Lowe’s is hiring
A pedestrian makes her way past the safety fence in front of the new Lowe’s store on State Road 54 that will open in Land O’ Lakes in March. Applications are being accepted online for up to 160 job openings anticipated by company officials.
Applicants for a charter school in Lutz have reduced the proposed enrollment for the kindergarten through eighth-grade school, but opponents say it’s still too big. Charter Schools Inc. of Boca Raton has amended its request for a private charter school at the southwest quadrant of Lutz Lake Fern Road and Sunlake Boulevard. The proposed charter school, Sunlake Academy, would be developed in two phases. Initially, the applicant asked for permission for up to 1,020 kindergarten through eighth-grade students. After significant public opposition, the request has been scaled back to a maximum of 870 students, with 670 students in phase one and 200 in phase two. The request would be subject to the applicant’s ability to secure the necessary water and sewer permits, and would require an updated traffic analysis before the second phase would be allowed, according to revised conditions of approval provided by Michael Horner, a professional planner representing the applicant. A public hearing on the application originally was scheduled in December, was scheduled again in January and then again in February. Now, the hearing date is scheduled for March 16 at 6 p.m., at the Fred B. Karl County Center, 601 E. Kennedy Blvd. In addition to reducing the potential enrollment, the applicant would use staggered start and dismissal times to avoid off-site trafSee SCHOOL, page7A
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Riggleman benefit offers display of true community spirit By B.C. Manion Air Conditioning • Heating • Plumbing A/C LICENSE #CAC1816647 PLUMBING LIC. #CFC1428982
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Barbecue smoke wafted through the air, musicians sang on the stage, and women sold plants under the shade of an oak tree during a Feb. 1 fundraiser to benefit Lewis and Diane Riggleman of Dade City. A fire swept through the couple’s home days before Christmas, causing damage that’s so severe the house cannot be repaired. Fire and smoke damage ruined most of the couple’s other belongings, and their dog, Taz and cat, Christopher, perished in the blaze. Lewis is an ornamental blacksmith and has been involved in blacksmithing in the local community for years. He has participated in many arts and crafts shows, as well as worked as a true crafts demonstrator. As owner and operator of the Ramshead Forge in San Antonio, he offers an introduction to blacksmithing as well as advanced training for more experienced students. Diane is a storyteller and craftsperson who demonstrates broom making, rope making, and other traditional crafts throughout Florida and the Southeast. The community event at the City of San Antonio Park was an incredible outpouring of love and generosity — and a bit overwhelming, Diane Riggleman said. When she and Lewis arrived, they knew a benefit was being held in their honor, but
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Donna Messenger and Susan Maesen were at the City of San Antonio Park bright and early on Feb. 1 to help sell plants at a community benefit for Diane and Lewis Riggleman.
they had no idea how many people would be there. The crowd was so big that Diane thought there were two events going on at the park. Diane Riggleman said she and her husband, initially, didn’t want people to go out of their way to help them. There are many other people who have gone through worse trials, she explained. But many people pitching in at the benefit said it was a pleasure to help the couple. In many ways, the community festival felt See BENEFIT, page7A
Want to help?
The Rotary Club of San Antonio is collecting donations through its 501(3)(c) nonprofit fund to qualify the donations as tax deductible. Funds raised will be deposited in the Rotary Club of San Antonio, FL Fund Inc., account at the San Antonio Citizens Federal Credit Union prior to full distribution to the Rigglemans. Online donations may also be made through Go Fund Me at GoFundMe.com/jrxxpg.