Distribution center
Wal-Mart selected a nearby location for its 1.5-million-square-foot warehouse and distribution center in One Hernando Center. "We have 325 acres of property zoned light industrial and commercial," says Al Fluman at OPC Properties Inc. "All utilities are on site. It's all set and ready to go. We think this area is ready to start moving."

Schraut agrees. "A 60-unit motel is planned on a site adjoining our property," he says. "And we have another 35 acres for additional industrial use. Everybody's waiting to see the road developed [in the Hernando Investments Inc. business park], but we have lots of interest in that site."

The roads and water and sewer are already in at the second phase of Corporate AirPark. Omni Circuits International is the first company to locate in this new section at the Hernando County Airport. "Two other lots are under option," says Robert Mattingly, airport director. "And we have discussions with three other entities."

While not in the Corporate AirPark, the Florida National Guard earlier in the year occupied its new $7-million, 45,000-square-foot facility at the airport. Thirty-five employees operate eight Blackhawk helicopters and two C-23 Sherpa fixed-wing cargo planes from this location.

"They were very much a participant in fighting the wildfires in the state," says Mattingly, referring to fires that plagued Central Florida earlier in the year because of the drought.

Meanwhile, work continues on Corporate RailPark. "It is 95 percent designed," Mattingly says. "We're moving ahead with the first roadway in the RailPark."

The airport recently completed construction of two 6,000-square-foot corporate hangars. "Both are leased," says Mattingly. "We're in the process of building a 9,000-square-foot hangar for an aircraft maintenance firm."

Other upgrades planned for the airport include an extension of runways. "This will be a three-and-a-half year project and $4-million expenditure," Mattingly says. "We're also moving ahead with a new entrance road to provide dual access to Airport Industrial Park and Corporate AirPark from Spring Hill Drive. It will provide a quarter-mile access to the Suncoast Parkway. Now that the Suncoast Parkway is a reality, it's an assist to what we have."

The St. Petersburg Times has chosen an adjacent location for new operations. "They just closed on five acres by the parkway for a new 40,000-square-foot office building," says Schraut. "We've been doing a lot of vacant land deals. Land prices are rising significantly. The attention the media has focused on the parkway has enhanced the image of Hernando County. This has allowed so many more people to read about us and they feel the need to be here. It has increased their urgency to make a decision to come and they're coming. New housing starts are tremendous."

Changing demographics
County officials confirm Schraut's observation. "There has been more activity at the parkway in terms of land use requests," says Larry Jennings, Hernando County's director of growth and development services. "Commercial requests and additional residential requests have been put on the table."

"Predictions of fast growth are starting to materialize," says County Administrator Paul McIntosh. "From a permitting standpoint, both residential and commercial are very strong. Residential applications are up 30 percent over last year. And commercial is up 100 percent. That's primarily retail. This is significant for us."

McIntosh sees an impending change in sociodemographics for Hernando County. "The week the parkway opened Pristine Place held their showcase of homes," he says. "They had 50 percent more participants than they'd had in previous years. The patrons were predominantly young professional couples, not people looking for retirement homes but families looking to buy up in their quality of life. Tampa Bay area residents are realizing they can move to Hernando County and purchase a larger and more luxurious home for the same price and not appreciably alter their work and commuting habits. This generates interest on the part of commercial developers because of the increased number of rooftops."

"You get a lot more bang for your buck as far as quality of housing," agrees County Commissioner Kingsley. "Houses are being built everywhere."

That activity is greatest at locations with proximity to the Suncoast Parkway.

"It's driving a lot of activity," says John Wickert of Re/Max Advantage Realty. "The half-mile radius along the parkway at Spring Hill Drive and State Road 50 is extremely active. Both new construction of residential and resales are very active."

New residential developments springing up throughout the area include a 1,700-acre site planned for 3,000 units by Kearney Development. "This will be a large golf course subdivision," says Buddy Selph at Tommie Dawson Realty.

Hernando Oaks is a 941-unit golf course community planned near U.S. Highway 41. "It will have a town center concept," says Leonard Tria of Coastal Engineering Associates. "Duke Power has been involved in amassing considerable acreage for perhaps a 3,000-unit subdivision across the way from Hernando Oaks."

Pristine Place plans 496 single-family homes and Silverthorn 835 homes. When the Suncoast Parkway opened residents already at Silverthorn complained about noise from the new highway. "The parkway authority is putting in berm and more vegetation to take care of those complaints," Tria says.

But it's not just home builders interested in development opportunities along the Suncoast Parkway.

"New retailers are entering the market," says Wickert. "And we're seeing more outside investors in the market place. We're getting inquiries from the Tampa Bay area and throughout the southeast. These people are looking for sites for a variety of uses."

"Office Depot, Walgreens and Publix are all under construction," says McIntosh. "And Wal-Mart has submitted plans for two new supercenters."

The 20,000-square-foot Office Depot is part of a 40,000-square-foot expansion at Coastal Way shopping center, which Chattanooga, Tenn.-based CBL & Associates Properties Inc. opened last year in Spring Hill. The developer has plans for futher expansion with a 38,000-square-foot "big box" store at the eastern perimeter of the property.

"They just finalized a contract to bring in a three-store concept with Dunkin' Donuts, Baskin-Robbins [Ice Cream] and Togas (sandwich shop)," says Selph.

Publix is building a 44,000-square-foot super market with 7,200 square feet of adjacent retail space at Mariner and Northcliff boulevards.

Just north of Publix, Famous Tate Bedding and Appliance Center is building a $1-million, 10,000-square-foot retail store.

Wal-Mart opened its first supercenter on State Road 50 near Mariner Boulevard five years ago and has recently submitted requests to build two more supercenters at U.S. Highway 41 and Wiscon Boulevard in Brooksville and at U.S. Highway 19 and Spring Hill Drive in Spring Hill. Walgreens is in early stages of developing a 15,000-square-foot freestanding store at an opposite corner on Spring Hill Drive. And Lowe's adds its products to the mix with a new 135,000-square-foot home improvement center at U.S. Highway 19 and Berkeley Manor Boulevard in Spring Hill.

Looking to join in the action is Albertson's, which has submitted plans for a 28,000-square-foot store in Brooksville. "We have no confirmation on the Albertson's," Selph says. "It's been rumored a long time, but we haven't heard anything for sure. But as long as you have this kind of new residential growth, it will support the additional need for commercial."

Expanding healthcare
Along with residential growth comes the need for increased health care services. To that end, Naples-based for-profit operator of acute care hospitals Health Management Associates Inc. has made a proposal to Hernando County commissioners to replace the aging Brooksville Hospital with a new $30-million, 150,000-square-foot facility with an adjacent 50,000-square-foot medical office building on 95 acres a few miles west of downtown. The proposal is in the public hearing process.

"We hope to have a decision shortly," says Thomas Barb, the company's executive director. "We have further offered to spend $50,000 to create a redevelopment plan for the facility that we'll be handing back to the county."

While all this may sound like a natural part of the county's growth process, these new plans have generated controversy. "There's quite a little battle going on here," Barb says. "Normally, communities welcome gifts of $30-million facilities, but we have political and access issues to deal with. There are valid concerns that residents in the east county area have an additional three-mile drive and that will create a greater risk for their lives. We can deal with the access issues by investing money in more ambulance services. The other issues have to work themselves out."

While Barb believes the county commissioners will eventually approve the proposed new hospital, his firm is in the meantime making significant capital improvements to its Spring Hill facility. "We're adding a neonatal intensive care unit and four more obstetric rooms," he says. "This will put us in a position to take care of high-risk births. We're adding a new intensive care unit and a $5-million expansion of our emergency room to deal with increased volumes."

Also looking to future growth of the area, Pasco-Hernando Community College has purchased 58 acres in Spring Hill for a new campus. "The Hunter Lake property has been signed, sealed and delivered," says Lynn Rothman-Venus, the school's director of marketing and public relations. "We have a long-term building plan that spans 10 years."

Enrollment at the college's Brooksville campus "is through the roof," Rothman-Venus says. "We're running 20 percent above the previous year in our head count."

The Hernando County Family YMCA is investing $1 million in a renovation of its 12-year-old facility in Spring Hill. And Catholic Charities has purchased land near U.S. 19 and Spring Hill Drive to build a new 3,500-square-foot social services center. "This will be the administrative hub for Hernando, Pasco and Citrus counties," says Abby Evert, the agency's regional director. "We provide clinical counseling, pregnancy and adoption support, elder care and some AIDS services to anyone in the community."

All of this development may be a natural part of the growth of Hernando but many attribute it to the Suncoast Parkway. "There's a sparked interest in Hernando County since the corridor has opened," says Rick Pearson of ERA Pearson Industries.