Documents show the trampoline park is proposed for a building at 8525 Auburn Blvd. in the building that formerly housed Big Lots A site plan indicates that the trampoline park will include a play area the play area will consist of multiple pieces of play equipment and climbing structures such as a transparent climbing structure Another section of the play area includes a bubble soccer field The site plans indicate that ceilings will be left exposed The proposal for FunCity Trampoline Park was submitted to the city for review in February “The City of Citrus Heights is committed to growing a diverse and vibrant local economy Welcoming FunCity Trampoline Park to our community not only adds to our business landscape but also creates a new destination for families to enjoy meaningful experiences together,” the city said in a statement plans are still under review for an area Ukrainian church to remodel the 50,000-square-foot adjacent building Spring of Life Church purchased the vacant building for $3.95 million in the fall of 2023 Studio Movie Grill had once planned to occupy the space but dropped plans during the pandemic when the company filed for bankruptcy A proposal for a new car dealership that would have occupied a portion of the former Big Lots building was later withdrawn in 2024 A minor use permit was approved for a new trampoline adventure park in the beginning of April, city officials confirmed...Thanks for reading The Sentinel. 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(Click here) Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More TEMPLE TERRACE, Fla. — The family of the teenager fatally shot at the Citrus Park Town Center Mall Saturday night has identified him as 16-year-old Peter "PJ" Hyman HCSO Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer said this weekend two people were detained in connection with the case says PJ was a junior at Jefferson High School in Tampa spending time with friends and wanted to study engineering after graduation He could still be here today with his family but no - we're having to bury him at 16," said Cooper. "He could always make you laugh says she saw shortly before he went to the mall that night "I talked to him when he was going to his friend's house He told me he would be at church the next day I don't know how to make this go away," said Sampson. "PJ was a normal 16-year-old - no drugs The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office hasn't released details about what led up to the shooting Cooper says PJ's friend told her he briefly left PJ and went inside the mall to get something to eat because this is a void that will not be filled There's so many people that love him," said Cooper.  Anyone with information is asked to reach out to HCSO at (813) 247-8200.  The family has started a fundraiser to help with funeral costs and other expenses GoFundMe.com, or any other third-party online fundraiser, is not managed by Spectrum Bay News 9 or Spectrum News 13. For more information on how GoFundMe works and its rules, visit http://www.gofundme.com/safety COMMUNITY PARTNER That’s So Tampa has been the most trusted local resource for discovering All Things Good in Tampa Bay — Hillsborough County deputies arrested a 15-year-old boy for his role in a deadly shooting outside the Citrus Park Town Center mall Detectives say they determined a fight between two groups of teenage boys occurred following a planned "slapboxing" event in the parking garage Slapboxing is an activity in which people simulate boxing using open-handed slaps instead of fists Participants can be injured because the goal is to slap an opponent as hard as possible while avoiding being slapped in return The Sheriff's Office says that after they finished slapboxing some individuals reunited near the Red Robin restaurant outside the mall Detectives say that is when a fight broke out Deputies arrested the teen on Thursday night He is charged with Murder in the Second Degree but I'm happy that's going to give him justice so that he can rest in peace.. When I found out about even the reasoning behind it it just made me very angry," Peter's mother "This 15-year-old defendant will be facing adult charges because he made an adult decision with a firearm It breaks our hearts to see another young person lost to gun violence We will stand with the victim’s family to ensure the person responsible for his death is held accountable,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez "There is no excuse for a teenager to have access to a weapon It is our responsibility as parents to hold them accountable before it’s too late," said Sheriff Chad Chronister please have those important conversations with your children Make them understand the consequences of their actions Cooper told ABC Action news she does not know the other teenagers involved but said they were not friends of her son She urges other parents to get more involved in their kids' lives and now their son is taken away at such a young age and we have to do something as a community Cooper said her son attended Jefferson High School and was an honor student The family started a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical bills and funeral expenses and I feel like that's part of where the system failed" Henry Betsey Jr. is facing charges for marrying three Florida women in three different counties at the same time. Now saying the system that handles marriage licenses kept them in the dark Report a typo — A teenager was killed in a shooting just outside of Citrus Park Mall in Tampa Saturday The incident happened outside of a Red Robin restaurant located near the entrance of the mall around 7 p.m The teen boy was taken to a nearby hospital One mall employee said the shooting caused a lot of commotion you never know what could happen," said FYE store employee Samuel Lozano and I was just panicking because everything happened so fast." Deputies said they are still searching for the shooter and are speaking to several witnesses — The State Attorney's Office said the 15-year-old boy arrested in a deadly shooting outside of the Citrus Park Town Center mall will be tried as an adult On Sept. 14, HCSO said they determined a fight between two groups of teenage boys occurred following a planned "slapboxing" event in the parking garage. Some individuals reunited near the Red Robin restaurant outside the mall. Detectives said that is when a fight broke out, and the shooting occurred Deputies arrested the teen on Thursday He was charged with murder in the second degree minor in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm State Attorney Lopez said they also filed a motion for him to be kept in jail during the trial According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office a 15-year-old boy has been arrested for his involvement in the fatal shooting Peter "PJ" Hyman, Jr., 16, was killed in a shooting outside the mall just after 7 p.m Detectives said an altercation occurred between two groups of juvenile males following a planned "slapboxing" event in the parking garage Detectives learned that following the group's mutual involvement in "slapboxing," the juveniles shook hands and parted ways individuals from both groups reunited outside of the Citrus Park Town Center Mall A 15-year-old has been arrested and charged with shooting and killing 16-year-old Peter Hyman Jr outside the Citrus Park Town Center Mall last weekend. ⁦@HCSOSheriff⁩ confirms he will be charged as an adult ⁦@BN9⁩ pic.twitter.com/YJtwCUkviZ After an extensive and detailed investigation Oquendo was arrested on Thursday night and is facing multiple charges “I’m proud of our detectives for their work and determination in finding the person responsible for this tragic act Their dedication is bringing the individual responsible for this senseless act to justice," said Sheriff Chad Chronister "There is no excuse for a teenager to have access to a weapon It is our responsibility as parents to hold them accountable before it’s too late especially when it comes to firearms." Fla — A mother and her family are grieving after her 16-year-old son was shot and killed outside the Citrus Park Town Center Mall on Saturday evening He was supposed to be coming back the home the next morning to go to church," she said The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office received a 911 call about shots fired outside of the mall around 7:15 p.m. on Saturday Cooper said her son was taken to the hospital "This senseless act of violence not only robbed a family of their loved one but caused unnecessary fear and trauma to dozens of people who were just trying to enjoy their Saturday night at the mall," said Sheriff Chad Chronister "Our detectives are using every resource available to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable." Detectives have identified multiple persons of interest and are currently conducting interviews and gathering evidence Detectives have also determined that the two individuals detained Saturday evening are not involved Cooper urges the person or people responsible to come forward please because that would give us so much closure because you took someone that was so young He had so much of his life left," said Cooper "He was getting ready to go to homecoming this weekend He had picked out his suit and everything and now that's what I'll have to bury him in," said Cooper The family started a GoFundMe page to help pay for medical bills and funeral expenses He could still be here today with us," said Cooper To donate to the GoFundMe click here — Family and friends of 16-year-old Peter "PJ" Hyman Hyman was killed in a shooting outside Citrus Park Town Center mall earlier this month The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office has since arrested 15-year-old Samuel Oquendo shot and killed Hyman Jr after a “slapboxing” match outside the mall escalated into violence Oquendo is being charged as an adult facing second degree homicide charges Officials said he’s already appeared in juvenile court but it could take a couple of weeks before his first appearance in adult court “I feel like he’ll be able to rest in peace now that we’ve found who this person is and he had so much of his life ahead of him and he was going to be something great." — Thousands of people across Hillsborough County are still in desperate need of food and water following the devastating effects of Hurricane Milton The county has opened up food distribution sites where people can pick up supplies for free One of those locations is Citrus Park Mall where hundreds of cars lined up as people waited for supplies Employees from across Hillsborough County teamed up with the National Guard to help people secure much needed food I got some emergency water,” said Sabrina Rayburn And a lot of people need it,” said Virginia Shea Many of these people aren’t just picking up supplies for themselves but also for friends and family who are unable to make it out on their own I don’t think she has anything over there and they don’t have any power,” said Shea He’s been looking everywhere for water and ice “I never knew that I would be so hungry for water and ice until I just didn’t have water and ice,” said Ashley the stress that it creates not having that They said it really is amazing how sometimes the worst situations bring out the best in people “It's just important for the community to help out each other because without this we would have nothing and that’s very unfortunate,” said Rayburn For more information on food distribution sites in the Tampa Bay area, click here. For a list of Feeding Tampa Bay mobile pantry sites, click here. Latest Hillsborough County News from ABC Action News Shots were first reported fired outside the mall at about 7:16 p.m., deputies said. The teen, who was shot in his upper body, was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 8:22 p.m., deputies said. “This senseless act of violence not only robbed a family of their loved one but caused unnecessary fear and trauma to dozens of people who were just trying to enjoy their Saturday night at the mall,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister in a news release. “Our detectives are using every resource available to hold those responsible for this tragedy accountable.” Detectives are speaking to several witnesses to identify who was involved in the shooting, a news release said. Chief Deputy Joseph Maurer told reporters later Saturday that two subjects were detained and that detectives were working “feverishly” to determine what their roles were in the shooting. This article was written by a member of the Tampa Bay Times staff. — The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) is investigating a deadly shooting that happened outside the Red Robin at the Citrus Park Town Center Mall Saturday night HCSO received a 911 call stating that shots were fired outside of the mall around 7:16 p.m they found a teenage boy with a gunshot wound to his upper body That victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced deceased No additional information was immediately available and the investigation is still ongoing Detectives said the shooting stemmed from a fight Saturday evening outside the Red Robin and BJ’s at the mall, according to a news release from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. Peter Hyman Jr., 16, was killed by the gunfire, according to an incident report requested by the Tampa Bay Times. Peter “PJ” Hyman Jr., 16, was fatally shot outside Citrus Park Town Center mall in Tampa Saturday night, according to his family. [ Courtesy of Bianca Cooper ]Two groups of boys met inside the mall parking garage for a planned “slapboxing” match, detectives said. Once they had finished, the boys “shook hands and parted ways,” according to the news release. Boys from both groups reunited shortly after and started a fight outside the mall. “After an extensive and detailed investigation, detectives arrested Samuel Oquendo, 15, for his involvement in the fatal shooting,” according to the release. He was booked Thursday night and is charged with second-degree murder, being a minor in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm. The Hillsborough State Attorney’s Office intends to charge the teen as an adult “because he made an adult decision with a firearm,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez said in the news release. “There is no excuse for a teenager to have access to a weapon,” said Sheriff Chad Chronister in the release. “It is our responsibility as parents to hold them accountable before it’s too late. Parents, please have those important conversations with your children. Make them understand the consequences of their actions, especially when it comes to firearms.” Bianca Cooper, Peter Hyman’s mother, said she couldn’t believe her son had been killed “over things that children do,” referring to the slapboxing competition that spurred the shooting. She said she agreed with the state attorney’s decision to charge the suspect as an adult. “This doesn’t bring him back,” Cooper said. “But it does give us some peace, and, hopefully, with this young kid being off the street he will not have the chance to do this to anyone else’s family.” Jack Prator is a reporter covering breaking news and environment. Reach him at jprator@tampabay.com. 2024For Tampa Bay residents impacted by Hurricane Milton have banded together to offer free food and supplies Here’s where you can get a meal and other resources on Sunday The following Points of Distribution are distributing free pre-packaged meals and water to residents impacted by Hurricane Milton: Operation BBQ Relief will be providing free meals at the Walmart at 10237 Bay Pines Blvd They will also be providing meals at the Glam Squad Bar has set up food distribution points at four locations Feeding Tampa Bay will be passing out food at three locations in Hillsborough County from noon to 2 p.m The City of Tampa has also opened distribution sites will hand out ready-to-eat meals and hygiene kits Certain Walmart locations in Tampa Bay are also providing items like free ice, food and water. The full list of which stores are participating and when is available here Operation BBQ Relief will be offering free meals at the Walmart at 6192 Gunn Highway location starting at noon until they run out of food will also be stationed at Mission Hill Church Pasco County has a resource center open to help with disaster recovery at the Hudson Regional Library water and tarps available will supplies last Operation BBQ Relief is providing free meals at the Walmart at 7631 Gall Blvd 5 things to know about the 2024 hurricane season, according to forecasters. Forecasters predict ‘extremely active’ 2024 hurricane season. Here’s why. Could Tampa Bay flood insurance rise after a hurricane? A warning from Hurricane Ian Want to know what areas are flooding in Tampa Bay? Here’s where to look Checklists for building all kinds of storm kits. Jeffrey S. Solochek is an education reporter covering K-12 education policy and schools. Reach him at jsolochek@tampabay.com. The holiday event at Rusch Park is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m and hot cocoa and cookies served by the Citrus Heights Kiwanis Club according to Senior Recreation Coordinator for special events Tori Thorpe Thorpe said the park district has wanted to do a tree lighting for some time After coordinating with the Sacramento Tree Foundation a new tree was gifted to the park and planted in front of the community center in view of Auburn Boulevard Thorpe said as the district continues to do annual tree lighting events Thorpe hopes the event will draw residents from across the Sunrise Recreation and Park District which includes Antelope and Foothill Farms along with Citrus Heights The holiday tree lighting event is sponsored by SacTown Real Estate a red mailbox will be available during the event for kids who want to drop off letters to Santa Thorpe said the park district is also running a toy drive for children who are in the NICU and PICU at Sutter Health in Roseville A donation box will be available beginning this week at the Rusch Park Community Center on Auburn Boulevard and will also be available for donation drop-off during the tree lighting ceremony For more information about the Rusch Park tree lighting, visit the event page here. More information about the Dec. 5 tree lighting, which will be from 6-8:30 p.m. at City Hall, can be found here. New this year, in addition to the city's annual tree lighting at City Hall on Dec. 5, the Sunrise Recreation and Park District is planning a separate inaugural tree lighting ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 7...Thanks for reading The Sentinel. You are either trying to access subscribers-only content or you have reached your limit of 4 free articles per 30 days. Click here to sign in or subscribe officials continued to assess the damage around Tampa Bay and offered one resounding assurance: Help is on the way But the road to recovery promises to be a long one As many residents return home and get to work on cleanup and repairs Track power outages around the state. Find resources, including food, FEMA and Wi-Fi See which stores and attractions are open this weekend Find a hot meal around Tampa Bay That spelled trouble for people like Ed Veronick who couldn’t sleep without the aid of his sleep apnea machine He paced his back porch on Saturday afternoon Although Pinellas County prioritizes assisted living facilities and nursing homes for power restoration That quickly becomes a problem for otherwise independent seniors who rely on elevators oxygen tanks and refrigeration for life-saving medications Read more here Standing in front of a ridge of damaged furniture and construction debris in west St Mayor Ken Welch said the city’s dump site where residents can take their own trash too is working efficiently with little to no wait comparing its operations like a Chick-Fil-A drive-thru Residents can bring their own construction and demolition debris to 1953 72nd St The city is also resuming its “hometown haulers” program More than 40 haulers are participating in the program Petersburg’s Community Redevelopment Area’s Economic Development Manager Community Enrichment Administrator Mike Jefferis who oversees parks and recreation in addition to debris pickup said the city and its contractors resumed debris collection Friday He said the city is not prioritizing certain areas but rather taking a “collective response” that targets the whole city using sanitation routes He said the city has 25 trucks on the road will be doing multiple sweeps and is being assisted by the National Guard Jefferis urged residents to separate vegetative debris from construction and demolition debris because they are processed differently Jefferis also urged residents to not bag their debris as it won’t be able to be reimbursed by FEMA Fallen trees on private property are the responsibility of that homeowner One of the first fuel distribution sites opened Saturday in downtown St residents can get up to 10 gallons per vehicle of unleaded or diesel fuel at 800 First Ave S The site will remain open through Sunday until fuel runs out The city is preparing to use The Coliseum as a long-term shelter for special needs residents whose homes have been damaged or are without power City Administrator Rob Gerdes said the city is working with Pinellas County to move residents from shelters so those schools can reopen The city also has three air-conditioned charging stations for residents with free items: bottled water The following locations are open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m Giant trees blocked the roadway in Dunedin in Milton’s aftermath Saturday including the Santa Anna Drive yard of Rick and Marty Williamson One of the trees plunged through the roof of the house next door ”In ten minutes and less than the space of a football field cleaning debris and waiting for Duke Energy to take a tree off a powerline before more cleanup can continue Five trees collapsed in the aftermath of Milton in Dunedin [ Stephanie Hayes | Tampa Bay Times ]2 p.m Milton’s death toll climbs to 23Milton’s death toll has climbed to 23 people Fatalities have been reported in over a dozen counties across the state At least five people have died in Tampa Bay Read the full story here Zephyrhills is asking residents to limit their potable water usage and stop flushing toilets amid what the city described as an “extreme strain” on its sewer system “Minimizing water use at this time is critical to prevent further issues,” city officials said in a news release Saturday afternoon seniors with disabilities have for days gone without air conditioning elevator access following Hurricane Milton At one 14-story complex on Second Avenue South some residents hadn’t felt fresh air on their face since Tuesday Elevators stopped working the night of the storm trapping wheelchair-bound and mobility-challenged residents in their stifling apartments A back-up generator finally kicked in today allowing residents to descend to the lobby Duke Energy was headed to 540 Town Center Saturday to jolt the power back on before the day ended The fire department showed up to check on residents residents haven’t been able to keep medications refrigerated or charge their motorized wheelchairs the deadline Duke Energy has set to get the power back on Residents said they hadn’t heard much from management in the meantime has been cooking food on a grill outside to keep her neighbors fed They didn’t bring any waters,” resident Cynthia Perkins Residents Diane Davis and Vivian Davis sit in the courtyard outside Arlington Arbor Senior Apartments on Saturday Residents haven’t had power since Thursday Tampa sets up sites to hand out suppliesTampa has opened four sites to hand out supplies to residents affected by Hurricane Milton ice and ready-to-eat meals are set up at the Gandy Boat Ramp and it will soon have more supplies to give out Two more sites — Babe Zaharias Golf Course at 11412 N Forest Hills Drive and Copeland Park at 11001 N 15th St — have been set up in response to flooding and have water Temple Terrace has also opened a drive-thru site at 7701 E Hillsborough County and the National Guard have opened three supply distribution sites tarps and meals without leaving their cars Hillsborough County has lifted a precautionary boil water notice for the Seffner and North Brandon areas which the county issued Thursday due to low water pressure caused by water main breaks during Hurricane Milton Testing on Saturday showed that the water met quality standards Pinellas County schools will stay closed Monday the district announced late Saturday morning noting that many of its sites are still without power The county is also continuing to use some schools as shelters with some residents still unable to return home The district has not decided whether to open schools Tuesday and will announce that decision by midday Monday Hillsborough County schools won’t reopen Monday as 172 of them remain inaccessible due to power outages flood damage and downed trees blocking access The district will issue a decision about the rest of the week by noon Monday the district cited staff members facing power outages and significant damage to their homes and poor road conditions Schools in Pasco County will remain closed Monday the school district announced Saturday morning dangerous roads and needed repairs to facilities as reasons for the extended closure The district said it will decide Sunday whether schools will be open Tuesday Tampa’s reclaimed water system has returned to service It said users should make sure their irrigation controllers are properly programmed after the storm and it reminded them to avoid using water in a “wasteful manner.” The Lightning opened the NHL season Friday night in Raleigh But their thoughts were with fans back home still picking up the pieces from Hurricane Milton It also was an easy call not to play in Tampa at Amalie Arena ”There’s no way we could have gone back and played a game (Saturday),” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said “First of all … what are we doing to our city when everybody’s trying to pick up from some of the tragedy that’s happened And we’re going to have to go back and do the same reassess what damage has been done to our places The Lightning have another home game Tuesday power was lost at the Lightning’s practice facility Port Tampa Bay spokesperson Lisa Wolf-Chason pointed to a news release from Friday night that said all seven of the private fuel terminals at the port had regained power Safety tests were underway to make sure fuel could be distributed without problems Some fuel terminal operators had already begun supplying fuel trucks which were delivering to local gas stations The port said in the news release that it hoped all seven terminals would be distributing fuel by Saturday several others were ready to take their place People wait at the Speedway gas station on 66th Street and 30th Avenue [ MARTHA ASENCIO-RHINE | Times ]10:40 a.m Biden approves FEMA aid for Florida counties hit by MiltonPresident Joe Biden on Friday approved a major disaster declaration for Florida the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Saturday meaning that people in nearly three dozen counties affected by Hurricane Milton can now get FEMA aid The declaration includes all Tampa Bay-area counties and it means that local governments in those areas the state and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida can receive federal funding as they seek to recover from the storm Read more here Petersburg will open three comfort and charging stations this weekend They’ll also have supplies including bottled water swelled past their banks — a delayed disaster that caused near-record flooding and necessitated rescues in some areas though some of them were starting to come down which reached levels not recorded since 1933 and forced Lithia residents from their homes at dawn Friday had dropped from a peak of about 24 feet Friday morning to about 22 feet Saturday morning according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The agency’s forecast has the river going down steadily but remaining at a flood stage for several days It was a similar story for Pasco County’s Anclote River which also reached near-record levels Friday and caused road closures in west Pasco Water levels there were beginning to creep down Saturday morning which forecasted it to drop below flood level sometime Monday morning or early afternoon Pasco officials said they were also keeping an eye on Cypress Creek which was already at a record level Saturday morning and still climbing according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecast It’s expected to crest at about 15 feet — besting a record of 13.8 feet set in 2004 — early Monday morning before slowly dropping More than two dozen Pasco County parks and recreation complexes will be closed indefinitely as the county recovers from hurricanes Milton and Helene it said in a Facebook post Saturday morning The closures affect 26 locations across the county. A full list is available here Feeding Tampa Bay will give out food at emergency distribution events in six counties Saturday said it aims to restore power for “essentially all” customers in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties by Oct But many would see power restored before that 55% of customers will have power by Sunday and 75% by Tuesday Customers in Pasco County should expect all power restored by Oct 14 and Polk County should see the same by the next day the utility said it had restored power to more than half of the nearly 600,000 customers who lost it during Hurricane Milton Duke Energy said a majority of customers in Pasco and Pinellas counties would have power restored by Oct Sumter and Volusia counties should have power by Oct the company said it had restored service to 350,000 customers while over 850,000 were still without power Read more here. Want to know what areas are flooding in Tampa Bay? Here’s where to look. Jack Evans is a former reporter covering Pinellas County. This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page And what's better than new foodie spots to check out in the Tampa Bay area A lot of great places have opened up this year We'll take a look at some spots that you need to check out and more that are soon to open It's no secret that Tampa Bay has a booming food scene Even though we've lost a lot of iconic restaurants this year like Ciro's we get to look forward to new restaurants that will hopefully become staples in the community Another new spot that I recently got to check out is Minano Ramen located in Citrus Park This place was so cute and the food was the star of the show The only thing I didn't save room for was boba tea With so many new spots opening up around Tampa Bay So here are 3 new restaurants set to open this fall A new upscale eatery in Dunedin is set to open this Fall as part of the historic club’s multi-million dollar renovation. Renderings of the new space look like a very modern-retro vibe with luscious green walls. The Highland House will also be a spot to host events like weddings it will feature classic cocktails (they’ve already designed a strong martini for the menu) They've tried to set for a late October opening but Hurricane Helene and Milton had other plans and cocktails with gorgeous waterfront views of Downtown St St. Pete Rising says that the name Perry’s Porch is inspired by "Perry Snell, an early 1900s developer who envisioned a beautiful, walkable, park-filled waterfront for St. Pete." They were expecting to open in 2024, but we have a feeling the hurricanes also disrupted those plans as well. For updates, follow Perry’s Porch on Instagram at @perrysporch an entertainment center inside Citrus Park Town Center [ IVY CEBALLO | Times ]By Gabrielle LazorFormer Times staffPublished June 15, 2024|Updated June 16, 2024TAMPA — Michele “Mik” Oca’s mission is to optimize every square inch of a space for maximum amusement. The founder of US Design Lab, based in Tampa, specializes in revitalizing vacant commercial spaces. Kind of like a fairy godfather for fun. Or, as the company’s LinkedIn, puts it: “We don’t have a magic wand, but we sure work hard to help our customers identify what makes them different and build a brand around their strengths.” Oca advertises himself as a “one-stop-shop” to investors, combining master planning with concept design, brand development and marketing. He first broke into the design industry more than 20 years ago in Italy. Since then, the designer has worked on projects of all scales, from small businesses to, he says, the White House in Washington, D.C. He’s originally from Bologna, a medieval town between Venice and Florence. Oca moved to Tampa 10 years ago and immediately noticed the massive buildings. The designer would go shopping with his wife at Kohl’s and be blown away by the space’s potential. Nothing says culture shock like being able to buy your underwear and a microwave from the same retailer. “My vision of spaces is totally different from an American,” Oca said. “You are used to seeing spaces like that. For me, it was like ‘oh boy... I could build 10 houses in a space like that!’” But instead of housing, he constructs experiences. Because typical mall tenants, not unlike Kohl’s, have struggled to maintain foot traffic amid an era of online shopping, they became ideal spaces to repurpose for entertainment. Over 50 percent of Oca’s projects are housed in shopping malls and strip malls. Bringing experiences like mini-golf and go-karts to moribund malls could be vital to their resurrection. “I’ve seen situations where the father stays to play mini-golf with the kids, and the mother goes with some friends to do shopping,” said Oca. Subscribe to our free Do & Dine newsletter You’re all signed up!Want more of our free, weekly newsletters in your inbox? Let’s get started. “My real passion ... is not a matter of designing a nice-looking place, but it’s a matter of designing something where people gather together, and they are social ... and they laugh, and they play,” said Oca. His designs are meant to appeal to all generations, from adults who grew up skipping school to go mall-shopping to kids who have never known consumerism outside of Amazon. Elev8 Fun evokes “mall nostalgia” with retro details like black-and-white checkered flooring and life-size animated figures holding hamburgers. “The ‘50s to the ‘70s are the mall generation, and that gives them some nostalgia,” said director of business development at Elev8 Fun, Keith Baldwin. “Some of the younger people, they’re becoming new to malls, so ... we want to make sure we’re attracting environments for all.” That Friday evening, three generations surrounded an air hockey table. Laura Arentz and her husband brought their 5-year-old son Jackson to Elev8 Fun. Jackson’s grandparents and aunt were also there. The family ate dinner at BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse in the mall before heading over. When Jackson first entered the promised land of sensory overload, “he was looking around like, ‘what do I wanna do?’” said Laura Arentz. Jackson had already been bowling before at Elev8, so he was interested in something new. The family bounced from skee ball to basketball to air hockey — all without ever leaving the former department store. 2024 at 10:44 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}A 15-year-old boy will be charged with murder as an adult in the fatal shooting of a minor outside a Tampa-area mall the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said (Courtesy of Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office)CITRUS PARK in the fatal shooting of a minor at the Citrus Park Town Center mall on Sept according to a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office news release was also charged with being a minor in possession of a firearm and carrying a concealed firearm He’s being charged as an adult for his crimes “We will continue to use every tool we can as prosecutors to hold teenagers accountable for acts of gun violence in Hillsborough County This 15-year-old defendant will be facing adult charges because he made an adult decision with a firearm,” State Attorney Suzy Lopez said “It breaks our hearts to see another young person lost to gun violence We will stand with the victim’s family to ensure the person responsible for his death is held accountable.” Detectives learned that there was an altercation between two groups of teenage boys after a planned “slapboxing” event in the parking garage individuals from both groups met up again outside the mall and a fight broke out detectives arrested Oquendo for his involvement in the shooting Their dedication is bringing the individual responsible for this senseless act to justice," Sheriff Chad Chronister said Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. School Entry and College Physicals Pasco County: The Florida Department of Health in Pasco County will conduct free basic school physicals for school entry and college. Physicals include height, weight, vision, hearing, health, history and a physical exam. Labs and immunizations are available for a fee. For an appointment, call 727-619-0300. Sports physicals are not provided. Free (some fees apply for services). Florida Department of Health Pasco County, 7509 State Road 52, Hudson. Back-2-School Health Clinics: These clinics provide essential services including routine immunizations, school physicals and assistance with updating immunization records to Florida Form DH-680. All services are provided at no cost to families in Hillsborough County, specifically for school enrollment purposes. Free. 9 a.m.-noon Saturday (July 13), July 20 and 27 and Aug. 3, 10 and 17. Project LINK, 1315 W. Spruce St., Tampa. 813-276-5671. Stuff the Bus: Hernando: United Way of Hernando County places school buses at all eight Publix supermarkets in Hernando County in an effort to collect school supplies to reduce out-of-pocket expenses for public school teachers. Items can also be dropped off anytime through Sunday (July 14) at the United Way Office, 4028 Commercial Way, Spring Hill. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday (July 13-14). Publix Super Market at Shoppes of Citrus Hills, 2685 N. Forest Ridge Blvd., Hernando. 352-527-6550. Win with Wynn Back to School Bash: Free backpack distribution, bounce houses, activities, food and haircuts. Free (registration on Eventbrite required). 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday (July 13). Campbell Park and Community Center, 601 14th St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-893-7733. Moovin’ and Groovin’ Back to School: Register for a chance to win a gift basket at this groovy event with back-to-school deals, representatives from area organizations and activities. Free. Noon-3 p.m. Saturday (July 13). Citrus Park Town Center Mall, 8021 Citrus Park Town Center, Tampa. 813-926-4644. Back 2 School Biker Bash: The motorcycle community comes together to play three games: Joystick, Who’s Pie and Pin the Tail on the Biker. Also, bring new backpacks and classroom supplies for a school supply drive. $5. 1-9 p.m. Saturday (July 13). YaYa Southern Cuisine, 2301 E. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa. 813-294-6376. Back to School Bash: A vendors market with games food trucks and a backpack-school supply giveaway Back to School Bingo: Bring school supplies to donate to area Title 1 schools before playing 10 games of bingo Back to School Bash: Dress to get wet at this family festival with more than 200 vendors Numerous area organizations will provide free school supplies to students and teachers [ CHLOE TROFATTER | Times ]Back to School Giveaway: Join Florida Technical College Tampa and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce for activities Back to School Drive: An art festival and vendor market with a school supply drive Ice Cream School Supply Drive: National Ice Cream Day and Back to School combine Donate any school supply item and get a free scoop of local artisan ice cream Benefits the Pinellas County public school system Back 2 School Clothing Distribution: Students can “shop for free” for gently used school clothing and new school supplies Back to School Fair: A backpack giveaway with school supplies Back to School Shopping: Four buildings jammed with deals for back-to-school consignment shopping for children Care Fair: Back to School: Free school and sports physicals, dental exams, backpacks and school supplies. Go to pcsb.org and select North Shore Elementary to register Back to School Backpack Drive: Get a free backpack filled with supplies at this drive with free food Petersburg College Health Education Center Back to School: The first 250 kids get free backpacks Back to School Bash: This annual event features a scavenger hunt free backpacks filled with school supplies hands-on activities and information on tutors Back to School Event: Free school supplies and bike helmets Free (registration on Eventbrite required) Back to School Bash: Dozens of family resources offer up free school supplies and backpacks at this event with activities Back to School Bash: The third annual backpack and school supply giveaway with food Back to School Festival: More than 50 vendors at this after-hours party with farm animal interaction Back to School Dance Party: A Zumba and hip-hop freestyle dance party with chance drawings for backpacks and school supplies Back to School Sales Tax Holiday: Florida retailers give a tax break on all clothing items, backpacks and footwear $100 or less, school supplies $50 or less and the first $1,500 on personal computers or personal computer-related items. Runs July 29-Aug. 11. Get more information and details on qualifying items at floridarevenue.com/backtoschool. Back to School Happy Hour: Connect with other food allergy parents and learn how to safely send your kids back to school food and performances across the Tampa Bay area as the new school year approaches [ ARIELLE BADER | Times ]Back 2 School Bash: Hope in the Park: This family event moves into the air-conditioned gym for a free community dinner school supplies and a food assistance drive-thru Pinellas PAL Back to School Event: A day with local vendors raffles and free backpacks filled with school supplies Back to School Bash: Free backpacks and school and sport physicals Back to School Fair: Hillsborough County Public Schools presents the 17th annual fair with a backpack giveaway for the first 1,000 kids Back to School Backpack Outreach: Free backpacks filled with school supplies Back to School Bash for Teachers and Students: Free backpacks and school supplies for students Free totes and school supplies for teachers Back to School Bash: A pool party with food and drinks to help students get back into the frame of mind to go back to school Neighbors of Lakewood Estates members free Back to School Bash: Vendors provide back-to-school information on health and wellness Bounce Back to School: Get a free backpack filled with school supplies Takes place as part of the Florida Fruit Fest tasting event Back to School Bash: Kids in grades K-8 can pick up a gift card for a free pair of shoes while enjoying Popsicles Back 2 School Giveaway: The “Inspiring Our Future Leaders” back-to-school giveaway provides free school supplies Back 2 School Bash: Bring school supplies to donate to needy area students The first 25 families get a free goodie bag Back 2 School Bash: The Student Advisory Board holds this celebration with food, games and free school supplies. Register at lotzofblessings.org Sisters Empowering Women Back to School Bash: Free backpacks haircuts and tennis shoes for kids in grades K-12 Back to School Bash: Rawlings Elementary students and their parents can check out the campus fill out last-minute paperwork and learn about before- and after-school programs in the area Back to School Celebration: A day of family activities with free hot dogs Back 2 School Bash: Dress to get wet at this event with a water zone, fire trucks, bounce house, petting zoo, popcorn, hot dogs and snow cones. Registration required at island-church-tv.churchcenter.com. Free. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Aug. 10. Island Church, 1271 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde. 727-866-7362. Public and private schools will soon open their doors and welcome students for the new school year. [ CHRIS URSO | Times ]Back to School Open House: Free backpacks with school supplies, face painting, mini facials, eyebrow waxing, chair massages, food, a raffle, music and campus tours. Free. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Aug. 17. Cortiva Institute, 2370 34th St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-865-4940. Back to School (They Finally Go): You just got the kids off to school, again, and it’s time to pamper yourself. Relax and have a drink while learning how to make a charcuterie boat and floral bouquets. $80. 6-8 p.m. Aug. 21. Starkey Market, 3460 Starkey Blvd., Trinity. 727-375-7606. Kelly A. Stefani is an editorial assistant who writes about things to do. Reach her kstefani@tampabay.com. restaurants and ample shopping opportunities make this one of Arizona's great cities to live to easily find the information and services that are important to you Chandler boasts a number of advantages as a location to start or grow a business Learn More Come meet Mayor Kevin Hartke and the members of the City Council Mayor and Council Reinforcing the agricultural roots of the city Citrus Vista Park is built around an inviting “citrus” theme The 10-acre neighborhood park has a plaza flanked by three large turf berms giving the appearance of fruit rising from the earth These green spaces are perfect for flag football and soccer games and families just wanting to recreate outdoors Park-goers will also notice citrus colors of green and orange throughout the park on playground equipment A recreation destination this park also features a bocce ball court and .45 miles of scenic trails for joggers and dog walkers alike 480-782-2000 Did you see a typo or come across a broken link Website Feedback Form