Redevelopment projects coming soon to areas along U.S. 19

PASCO CO., Fla. — If you have taken a drive along U.S. 19 recently, you may have noticed a few changes.

The busy corridor is getting a facelift in the form of redevelopment and construction projects in the western market area. Areas like Holiday and Hudson where old shopping centers are being transformed into housing units and mixed-use projects.

Right now there are four areas on the docket. Those include the Holiday Square Property at Flora Avenue, Universal Plaza Mall at Moog Road, Gulf View Square Mall at Embassy Boulevard, and a robotic skills center off Darlington Road.

“Businesses are coming in, as well as industry and housing,” says David Engel, Economic Growth Director for Pasco County. “But it’s really not going into the west side- in particular in the Hudson and Holiday area. We are getting capital investment but it’s been a slow, slow turn of events and we want to push it along and speed it up.”

There is not an exact timeline on when these projects will be complete at this time.

Some of those projects are sure to impact a few local businesses along the roadway. One business owner happens to be in close quarters to one of these sites.

“This is really necessary to be happening,” said Courtney Schroeder, who has co-owned a lawn equipment store off U.S. 19 with her husband for the past 10 years.

Together with her husband, Schroeder says they’ve seen quite a few changes throughout the time they’ve owned the store. Namely — a rise of homelessness in the area.

“We kind of keep our heads on a swivel to watch out and make sure that we are being safe and keeping our employees and our customers safe,” she said.

Plans for the site include a new 355-unit aparment. Schroeder hopes the apartment housing will help fight homelessness in the area. Even if they make most of their business with homeowners.

“With this, there maybe one or two landscaping companies who may already be our existing customers so that could potentially bring us more business,” said Schroeder. “When they take on big accounts like that, they’re going to come in and want to buy new equipment or outfit themselves to expand what they already have.”

Which might even lead to more people calling the area home.

“With some of the other projects around as well, people are going to see that they’re putting money, they’re putting effort into the community. They’re cleaning it up,” said Schroeder.

Something she hopes will continue long after these projects are done.