Vertical construction begins at Pasco's North Tampa Bay 75 Business Center
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 22, 2022

An Atlanta developer has started vertical construction on a $12 million warehouse in Pasco County.

Rooker Co., which entered a public-private partnership with Pasco County to redevelop the former Overpass Business Park 7012 and 7526 Old Pasco Road off of Interstate 75, says the 187,000-square-foot warehouse will be complete in the first quarter of 2023. Per Rooker's agreement with Pasco County, the warehouse is a speculative project, breaking ground without a tenant in place.

“We believe that the immediate interstate access, interstate visibility and the strong local labor market will attract new industry and employers to Pasco County," CEO John Rooker said in a statement.

The 99-acre property, now known as the North Tampa Bay 75 Business Center, is a former wastewater treatment plant. It will eventually be home to 850,000 square feet of industrial space in four buildings. In 2019, Rooker received a $3.7 million forgivable loan from the county, funded by the Penny for Pasco sales tax. Infrastructure construction began in 2021.

“Speculative projects are crucial to attract companies that don’t have years to search for a location and build out an entire facility,” said Bill Cronin, president and CEO of the Pasco Economic Development Council. “I can’t emphasize enough the importance of having a local government who truly understands the support our business community needs. Now Pasco is experiencing sustained growth and market demand, attracting speculative development that would not be possible without the Penny for Pasco.”

Coastal Design is the civil engineer for the business park, and Pieper O’Brien Herr Architects is the architect. The general contractor for the first building is Itasca Construction.

Rick Narkiewicz, senior managing director at Newmark’s Tampa office, who’s marketing the space for Rooker, called it “the most significant spec business park in Pasco County’s history.”

The amount of parking, trailer storage and roof insulation means it can accommodate a variety of industrial tenants, Narkiewicz said, from distribution to manufacturing to biomedical operations.

“I am glad to see another industrial project that will provide opportunities for good-paying jobs to our citizens move forward,” Pasco County Commissioner Mike Moore said in a statement. “This is an exciting project for both Rooker and Pasco County, and the related infrastructure improvements will improve the quality of life for our citizens.”