Wesley Chapel, Fla. --- The first phase of the 3.5-mile State Road 56 extension which serves as an entrance to Wiregrass Ranch in Pasco County, will open in  conjunction with the Oct. 30 gala grand opening planned at the Shops at Wiregrass, the 750,000-square foot retail center developed by the Goodman Company of West Palm Beach and Forest City Enterprises of Cleveland.

John W. Dowd III, senior vice president of development at The Goodman Company said his firm and Forest City Enterprises, along with Wesley Chapel Lakes and Wiregrass Ranch helped pay for the first phase. 

Dowd praised the cooperation of The Florida Dept. of Transportation and Pasco County for making the planned development opening such a success. "Without their help, none of this would have been possible," he said.

Anchor tenants in the Shops at Wiregrass include J.C. Penney,  Dillards, and Macy's and approximately 90 percent of the space in the Shops at Wiregrass has been leased, Dowd added.

A formal VIP reception is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on Oct. 30 and a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony with local elected officials and business leaders will be held at 10 a.m.

The 5,022 acre Wiregrass Ranch planned, mixed-use development is located at the northeast corner of S.R. 56 and Bruce B. Downs Blvd. (C.R. 581).

S.R. 56, which links Wiregrass Ranch to I-75 two miles to the west, opened in December, 2001.

Ultimately Wiregrass Ranch will accommodate 16,000 homes with more than two million square feet of commercial space.