New Guy Harvey Outpost RV development planned near Tarpon Springs
By Frances McMorris
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Jan 12, 2016

A new $15 million, 46-acre recreational vehicle community is being developed near Tarpon Springs.

Elite Resorts, manager of premier RV resorts in Florida and Connecticut, today announced its second Guy Harvey Outpost RV Resort project in unveiling plans to develop an upscale resort RV community near Tarpon Springs, aimed at angling and RV enthusiasts.

The project will be located in Pasco County, between Anclote Parks on the Anclote River and the Gulf of Mexico. The RV community will feature 340 brick-paved RV lots, which will all offer 100-amp service to accommodate larger RVs. They will be available for sale with a Phase I offering in fall 2016.

"With RV sales increasing for the fifth consecutive year and some 10 million RVers on the road, the demand for upscale, amenitized parks is huge,” said Ed Mayer, president of Elite Resorts, based in Salt Springs, Florida.

In a phone interview, Mayer cited two reasons for the new project. First, the location across from the Anclote River will allow RV residents to launch their boats from there. Second, there has been a shortage of RV sites despite growing demand. Mayer bought the land for the RV community about six years ago from Ryland Homes, which owned 400 acres at that location. "It was already approved for RV development," Mayer said of the fortuitous move.

RV customers are seeking amenities that aging parks cannot provide, Mayer said. Nearby RV parks built decades ago weren't set up to offer amenities such as lodge or for meeting the needs of customers seeking greater air conditioning and Internet service, Mayer noted. While a modern RV park needs to provide 50 to 100 amps of electrical service, "most older parks only have 30 amps," Mayer said. "It's an evolution of the product and the shortage of locations."

The Anclote Parks location is the latest project between Elite Resorts and Guy Harvey Outpost. Last July, the two companies announced they were joining forces to redevelop Lake Okeechobee's Okee-Tantie park. It will feature a 20,000-square-foot lodge with seven custom Guy Harvey-branded rental cabins and 125 brick-paved RV pads available for purchase.

Prices for the two projects have yet to be released, although Mayer noted that prices are expected to range upward from $45,000 depending on pad or cabin size and location.

Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts President Mark Ellert said, "the addition of Tarpon Springs and Lake Okeechobee RV locations opens up our Outpost brand of family-focused vacations built around outdoor adventure and sport fishing to a new universe of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Guy Harvey Outpost, based in Fort Lauderdale, focuses on hospitality projects and travel expeditions. The company also represents professional outfitters offering fishing and diving services for Outpost customers and promotes scientific angling expeditions, tournaments and charters.

Frances covers transportation and hospitality for the Tampa Bay Business Journal.