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FishHawk Area Getting Schools

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By LAURA FRAZIER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 17, 2008

LITHIA - Hillsborough County is forging full-steam ahead with school construction on the land Newland Communities bought from Pulte Homes, known as Lake Hutto, but the developer plans a period of watchful waiting before building any homes.

Tom Paneseny, vice president of operations for FishHawk Ranch and Lake Hutto, said the as-yet-unnamed elementary and middle schools under construction west of FishHawk on the south side of FishHawk Boulevard are expected to open in 2009.

The 26-acre campus was set aside by Newland in 2007 as part of its $50 million purchase agreement for the 1,129-acre Lake Hutto property. County officials have approved construction of about 3,200 homes and 360,000 square feet of retail and office space.

David Borisenko, school district planning and siting manager, said the combined campus concept is an efficient use of land and facilities.

"You can share utilities and parking and play areas and cut down on the total amount of space," Borisenko said. "It's the new wave of school development."

Commercial construction on the Lake Hutto property is projected to begin early in 2009 with fertilizer giant Mosaic Co.'s proposed 100,000-square-foot office building on 7.4 acres in the development's village center business district, which fronts FishHawk Boulevard.

Paneseny said he anticipates residential construction will start about a year after the schools are complete, but that could change.

"We're really just watching the real estate market," he said. "That's one thing about Newland. If we anticipate that the market is not ready, we will not launch a community."

Newland marketing director Pam Parisi said a new name for the development will be announced soon.

In addition to providing land for the schools and a 6-acre county park next to the campus, Newland agreed to pay for $71 million in road improvements.

Construction to provide access to the schools will start in November, along with widening FishHawk Boulevard to four lanes between Bell Shoals and Lithia-Pinecrest roads.

Reporter Laura Frazier can be reached at (813) 657-4523 or lfrazier@tampatrib.com.

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