We had an interesting couple of sessions at the SMARTstart Incubator this past week.  A pair of consultants from Washington and a group of students from Florida State came to town to help map out how the county might approach redeveloping West Pasco.

It quickly became apparent that New Port Richey is “ground zero” for this effort.   Between having the only central business district in the area, having a river running right through town, and having a classic “grid” street system, New Port Richey is the perfect base for redeveloping the whole area.

We’ve talked previously about the river and the opportunities that it presents.  Somewhat less well known is that New Port Richey hosts some absolutely amazing athletic events.  How many of you have been to one of the Gearlink Cup races downtown?  Hundreds of bike racers have come to New Port Richey for each of the last several years.  Last year’s event in New Port Richey was the Criterium State Championship!  The next set of criterium races will come to town on October 4th.

Taken together, the bikes in the photo above are easily worth more than a typical car.  We’re talking four and five figure bicycles!

Are the people who bring their multi-thousand dollar bicycles to town for a race the sort of folks we want to live and work in New Port Richey?  You bet!

A recurring theme I hear where people talk about the downtown is the lack of retail.  We are told that there are too many bars and lawyers and not enough stores.  We are told that the sidewalks get rolled up at 5pm each night.  Let me turn that argument on its head.  What I see after normal business hours are cars parked all around the downtown as people come downtown for dinner and entertainment.

We have a number of restaurants with more on the way.   It is true that we have a number of professional offices downtown, but I don’t buy the “too many” bit.  What we have are far too many empty storefronts.  Fill those with retail and the balance between retail, entertainment, and professional uses returns.

Could a bike shop selling high end bikes make a go of it in New Port Richey?  Perhaps not if you only consider New Port Richey proper and the current demographics of our population.  Then again, if West Pasco were a city, it would be the seventh largest city in the state (think Ft. Lauderdale size).  As I mentioned above, we are the downtown business district for West Pasco.  Can a high end bike shop work in a city the size of Ft. Lauderdale?  Different answer.

West Pasco has twice the population of Clearwater and nearly as many as St. Petersburg… Chew on that for a bit.

It is time to quit selling New Port Richey short.  We have the makings of a great city.

What businesses do we need to recruit to New Port Richey?  I’ve got my own list that I’ll share, but I’d love to hear what you’d like to see as well.

• More high tech businesses:  This is definitely the geek in me speaking here.  We’ve added five tech companies this summer in the SMARTstart Center.  When these businesses grow up, they will create good paying jobs.
• A coffee shop:  City Development Director Mario Iezzoni even has a location for this one:  The old appliance repair place on Bank Street.  There is potentially plenty of foot traffic there.  The hot dog stand has been a fixture in the Gloria Swanson parking lot for years.  If he can make it there, a coffee shop with sidewalk tables ought to flourish.
• A canoe / kayak outfitter: I’ve talked about this one before, so I won’t belabor it.  This would be the perfect compliment to our system of waterfront parks.
• A bike shop:  One that knows how to work on my carbon fiber bike.
• A deli on the corner of Main and Grand

If we can boost the number of people close by that come downtown to shop, a grocery store could make a go of it.  Far fetched?  Perhaps today, but not necessarily when the grocer I talked to this past week is ready to move in.

What type of businesses would you frequent if we had them downtown?  I’d like to hear from you.  Would you consider moving into a high end condo, apartment, or single family home within walking distance of downtown?

I suspect some of the developers who are taking a fresh look at New Port Richey would like to hear from you too.

Rob Marlowe, Mayor
City of New Port Richey

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