Mayor Rob Marlowe
2015 has been quite the year. 2016 looks to be even more amazing.
The Dulcet restaurant, a high end place the doubters said could never make it, is celebrating it’s first birthday on New Years Eve. Based on comments from the owners, it is doing just fine.
The Market Off Main has been transformed into Rose’s Bistro with a new location right on Grand Blvd across the street from the Richey Theatre.
We have a new ice cream shop and a new tea room downtown.
Johnny Grits and Cornerstone Pizza opened in 2015 and both have gotten a lot of positive comments. They both appear to be doing well.
The Sims Park Phase 1 improvements are nearing completion. We have been shooting for “substantial completion” by the end of December. The contractor is close. There will be some cleanup and final touches to get finished before the ribbon cutting on January 30th.
We are looking at projection screens by the band shell as well as a number of improvements around Orange Lake over the course of the next year.
As the construction fencing comes down from around Sims Park, you will see it go up around the Hacienda. Once the historic restoration work is done, early next summer, the hotel developer will take primary responsibility for finishing the transformation of the Hacienda back into a hotel.
I’m looking forward to seeing Spoonbills / North’s Funeral Home demolished and replaced with a Beef O Brady’s. Since the demolition permit has already been issued, I predict we will see this sooner rather than later.
These are exciting times for New Port Richey. The recession induced funk is officially over. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but if the entire community works together, we can make great things happen here.
I hope that each of you has a very safe and Happy New Year celebration.
Rob Marlowe, Mayor