Our Community
About Dade City
Situated in the beautiful rolling hills of Pasco County lies Dade City, the county seat. Located 20 minutes from Tampa and 45 minutes from Orlando, you can escape the hustle and bustle of the big city and take a step back to a simpler and less-hurried lifestyle. Downtown Dade City is a favorite destination for many visitors and residents alike who enjoy spending a leisurely day exploring its quaint shops and sampling the unique restaurants. Its history gleams from the red brick courthouse and the varied original buildings that grace the neighboring streets.
As you drive the meandering back roads shaded by trees dripping with Spanish moss, you feel a peaceful calm and serenity. It's hard to believe that just a few miles away lies a busy interstate highway.
Growth and Population
Florida is the 4th most populous state. Along with California and Texas, it will account for 46% of the US population growth between 2000 and 2030. Florida is expected to surpass the population of New York by 2011.
The 2006 population of Pasco County was approximately 450,171, representing a 30.6 percent cumulative growth rate since the year 2000, higher than the statewide average of 13 percent. This high percentage of growth ranked Pasco County as 50th in the nation's 100 Fastest Growing Counties. Annually, there is a 5 percent growth rate, and the estimated 2008 population is 497,000.
Pasco now has the 13th largest school district in the State of Florida and the 70th largest in the nation. The number of school-age children is growing rapidly, with the district enrolling approximately 2,000 additional students each year.
Shopping and Entertainment
2008 will bring three new shopping malls to the area.
The Grove at Wesley Chapel is 800,000 square feet of national retailers, trendy shops, restaurants, entertainment, including a 16-plex theater, and office space. Located on the corner of I-75 and State Road 54, it features nearly one mile of I-75 frontage.
The Shops at Wiregrass encompasses 750,000 square feet of retail, restaurants and entertainment on 67 acres in Wesley Chapel. Three major department stores including JC Penney's and Dillard's along with 100 specialty retail stores and restaurants are expected to draw a steady influx of tourists who visit the area each year. The Shops at Wiregrass are located at State Road 56 and Bruce B Downs Blvd.
Cypress Creek Town Center is a 1.3 million square-foot mall under construction at I-75 and State Road 56 in Wesley Chapel. Slightly larger than the $200 million International Plaza Mall at the Tampa International Airport, Cypress Creek expects over 100 stores. The center also calls for 700 hotel rooms, 882 apartments, a 600,000 square-foot "retail center" across from the mall and 420,000 square feet of offices. Developers have planned another 200,000 square-foot expansion of the mall by 2011.