TRINITY, Fla. — Elected officials, economic development leaders, and developers cut the ribbon on The Village at Mitchell Ranch, a new plaza at State Road 54 and Little Road that brings dozens of new businesses to West Pasco — many for the first time.
- More chain restaurants and franchises will open at the plaza
- Officials hope to bring a movie theatre to the area shortly after
- Residents hope the new plaza will bring change to their community
- More Pasco County headlines
“This particular project was a long time in the making, and it’s perfect timing,” said Pasco Economic Development Council President & CEO Bill Cronin. “When you look at the growth both at Suncoast and US 19, this is halfway and it’s at the confluence of State Road 54 as a connector between them. This is truly a connecting point for this part of the county.”
Some of the plaza’s businesses are already open, including Home Goods, Chipotle, and Sprouts Farmers Market, which also marked its grand opening Wednesday.
“Twenty years they’ve been in business, the first Pasco County store is right here at the Village at Mitchell Ranch,” Greater Pasco Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Tim McClain said.
Blaze Pizza, Michael’s, and Ulta, are among the offerings coming soon.
“It’s not just another strip mall coming in,” said McClain. “This one has retailers, fast food, dining experiences that we have never had a choice of in West Pasco.”
The plaza is just the beginning of the project. Cronin said residential units and Class A office space are on the way further south on Little Road.
“That means less people on the road at the end of the day if they live here and get to work here and get to shop here,” said Cronin. “They don’t have to get on the road, and we get to keep that money here locally instead of letting it leak into other communities.”
Karen and Robert Stumpff usually shop at the Sprouts in Palm Harbor. The new Mitchell Ranch one is closer to their home in Hudson and likely to become their regular stop when they want to visit the chain.
“There’s no reason to go down to the other store unless you’re going to Lucky Dill for lunch,” said Karen Stumpff.
The property the plaza was built on was sold to developers by Dewey Mitchell, son of rancher James W. Mitchell and Dorothy Mitchell.
“For me, it’s all about my parents,” Mitchell said. “Jim and Dorothy Mitchell loved Pasco County. They loved the ranch.”
Mitchell grew up near the property the plaza is now on in the 1950s and 1960s.
“State Road 54 was really, more or less, about a lane and a half wide. So, every time cars would meet each other, each car would have to pull off of the road to be able to pass,” he said. “Both sides of the road were part of the ranch, and we could drive a herd of cattle across 54 – maybe 100 head of cattle – and not stop a car.”
But times, and the area, have changed. Now, the intersection of State Road 54 and Little Road sees thousands of cars pass through everyday. Across from the Village at Mitchell Ranch, Mitchell Ranch Plaza is home to businesses like Target, PetSmart, and Panera Bread.
“This area’s just transitioned, so knowing that that’s happening, and knowing that it’s going to continue to happen, we just wanted to make sure that it happened in such a way that it would be sustainable,” Mitchell said.
Two homes Mitchell lived in on the land – one for 30 years – were torn down to make way for the plaza.
“That was tough, but again – we planned for this,” Mitchell said.
He told the audience at the ribbon cutting how he thinks his parents would view the change.
“To know that the lifestyle of Pasco is getting better and better and better and they’ve had a role in that, you know, it’s very comforting for them and certainly very rewarding for me,” said Mitchell.
In addition to the residential and office space to come, officials said Wednesday they hope to bring a movie theater to the area.
