are not unexpected,” said Mayor Woody Brown   Post-hurricane snags have construction on Largo's Horizon West Bay project running behind schedule This photo shows the current status of the work [ JEFF ROSENFIELD | Beacon Media ]By Jeff RosenfieldBeacon MediaPublished May 3LARGO — The projected opening date for the Horizon West Bay project an $85 million mixed-use development featuring a new Largo City Hall and nearly 20,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space with late March-early April cited as a target date But then a pair of hurricanes pummeled Pinellas County in the fall and most projects came to a screeching halt as priorities shifted from new construction to assessing damage and demolishing old structures with a new opening date set for later this summer Brown said the news is unfortunate but understandable because “every person in construction in Pinellas County is working right now. So, these delays, while unfortunate, are not unexpected. But these guys have been working around the clock to try and get this project finished.” He also said the delay means retail tenants like Pappas would likely be in place before City Hall opens. According to the lease agreement, the base rent for the 1,431-square-foot eatery is between $3,600 and $4,000 per month, and the city will provide $125,000 for the buildout of the space. When asked about the arrangement, Brown said, “I don’t think the city is super concerned about bankrolling the builds of the first few tenants. Because we want them to be successful.” In addition to Pappas, representatives for Colliers International, the project’s retail broker, also inked a deal with Indiana-based Parlor Doughnuts last fall. The Horizon West Condo Association officially ceased to exist after several years of fighting with the city and county regarding who is responsible for paying for the now empty lot on West Avenue The meeting was requested by the Condo Association "The main message that was conveyed to the association was that the county cannot do a tax foreclosure until the taxes are in default for three years Because many owners have continued to pay their taxes the unit owners are liable for property taxes the unit owners are only assessed a pro-rata share of the value of the land The water bill is only the fire protection fee as there is obviously no water or sewer usage going on there," Running said Horizon West condo owners were evacuated suddenly on Dec under order by the city when their building was deemed unsafe It began when balconies were removed following the discovery that they were unstable it was learned that the structural steel had rusted both on the balconies and in the beams and crossbeams that gave the building its structural integrity The building was demolished in January 2023 Running also said both the city’s and the association’s consulting engineers agreed that the building’s structural defects made evacuation necessary "It was not a unilateral decision by the city The costs to remedy the defects and make the building habitable were prohibitive for the unit owners Besides footing the cost of the demolition it’s not clear what else the city can do to help the former residents It’s an extremely unfortunate situation for them," Running said SIGN UP The Horizon West Condo Association officially was dissolved recently Although our property tax key still exists as does the Horizon West entity the members have chosen to formally end Horizon West We reached out to the city water utilities to inform them that we have no money left whatsoever to pay our future water bills," Chudy previously said general manager with the Waukesha Water Utility told The Freeman on April 24 that every property whether vacant or not pays for public fire protection through its water bill "The condo association is being charged $15 per month for that The service was abandoned so they are not being charged any water or wastewater fees," Duchniak said Chudy previously told The Freeman that the owners desperately wanted to move on the city has a lien on the property for the amount of the cost and when the property eventually sells the proceeds will go towards reimbursing that cost and not the individual unit owners," Running previously said 10 things to know this week from the WOW counties (Waukesha Ozaukee and Washington) sent on Sundays Get the latest Waukesha County news delivered every day so you don't miss out on updates Have Waukesha County breaking news alerts sent to your inbox as they happen At 12:54 p.m. on Wednesday, a vehicle was stopped at Michigan Avenue and Grandview Boulevard for a stop sign violation. The driver a… Read moreWaukesha police blotter: April 30-May 1, 20225 Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More scooters and mopeds has a Horizon West resident asking if students should have mandatory safety training Linda Sibley loves to run on the sidewalks and trails in her neighborhood but she has noticed an alarming trend over the past few years “It’s frightening for me to visualize the possibility that I actually could be running up this sidewalk and actually get struck by one of those vehicles,” she said Sibley said the e-bikes and e-scooters are silent and many are operated by children who aren’t wearing helmets “I believe that we have to come up with a solution so that these kids are actually trained on how to drive these vehicles to school safely and not actually endanger anybody else that’s on the sidewalk at the same time,” she said are required by Florida law to wear helmets But a study published last year from JAMA Surgery found only 44% of injured e-bike users wore helmets “The students have to actually pass this program as well as their parents before they’re authorized to actually drive a vehicle to school,” Sibley said While mandatory training for students and their parents isn’t being discussed right now local leaders are trying to tackle this growing safety concern for children Just a couple weeks ago, Orange County Traffic Engineering Division met with the Student/Pedestrian Safety Committee at Orange County Public Schools on safety programs regarding e-bikes and e-scooters Bike/Walk Central Florida is developing a new safety curriculum it is piloting at select middle schools in Orange County “We are focusing on middle schools because this age group is rapidly adopting these devices yet lacks access to formal transportation safety education,” said Anna Strasshofer events manager at Bike/Walk Central Florida “The curriculum covers general bike safety helmet use and guidance on riding scooters and e-bikes safely.” the organization is assessing current curriculum to see if it can be updated with emerging transportation options like e-bikes and e-scooters Sibley is helping organize a new safety expo for Orange County’s District 1 on Saturday Hosted by District 1 Commissioner Nicole Wilson the event is open to the public from 9 a.m “My hope is that everybody can safely use the trails period,” Sibley said can know that they can go out there and not have to worry about getting struck from behind by a vehicle that’s being driven by someone who really doesn’t even know how to drive it properly.” If you’ve got a traffic trouble spot, fill out the simple form here to let Spectrum News 13 know WAUKESHA — The Horizon West Condo Association officially ceased to exist after several years of fighting with the city and county regarding who is responsible for paying for the now empty lot on West Avenue The Horizon West Condo Association and owners previously argued that their condo units are "boxes of air" after the building was razed in 2023 Horizon West Condo Association President Ben Chudy said the board met late last year with Waukesha City Attorney Brian Running and other elected officials "They said they couldn’t help us because we still owned and had individual tax keys on ‘boxes of air.’ Therefore we attempted to reach out to our banks to get a letter showing they would remove their liens from our properties "Tracking down all 48 members all over the states getting the banks to agree or even respond to us was futile," he said Chudy said the board decided to drain what little funds they had left release their legal counsel and discontinue as an association We reached out to the city water utilities to inform them that we have no money left whatsoever to pay our future water bills,” Chudy said told The Freeman on Thursday that every property whether vacant or not pays for public fire protection through its water bill “The condo association is being charged $15 per month for that The service was abandoned so they are not being charged any water or wastewater fees,” Duchniak said Chudy previously told The Freeman that the owners desperately wanted to move on but each person has a tax key and not the individual unit owners,” Running previously said Chudy previously met with attorney Mike Ganzer Waukesha County Corporation Counsel Erik Weidig Horizon West’s main goal was to get the county to foreclose on the individual units/tax keys “The issue is the county must legally sell the units they foreclose (by law) personal property tax on the existing plot of land There are unit owners who cannot move forward with bankruptcy due to the association not being dissolved yet,” he previously said Last summer, representatives of Colliers International, the project’s commercial real estate broker, said there was no need to worry, because most tenants do not come on board until they get closer to the project’s completion date. Ten months later, that prediction is beginning to prove true: The city recently agreed to a 10-year lease with Louis Pappas Fresh Greek restaurant to become a tenant of the Horizon development. In September, Parlor Doughnuts became the first to sign a lease for the new facility. “Colliers International, the city’s leasing firm for Horizon West Bay, has worked closely with city staff to finalize a lease agreement with Louis Pappas Fresh Greek,” said Charles Stanton, the Horizon project’s operations manager, during an April 15 meeting of the City Commission. Stanton noted the restaurant would occupy 1,431 square feet in the new City Hall building at West Bay Drive and Fourth Street Southwest. The initial 10-year lease will carry two five-year renewal options. The Pappas family’s long history in the restaurant industry started with a unique take on Greek salad that helped put Tarpon Springs, and the Pappas family, on the culinary map. “In 1904, Louis M. Pappamichalopoulos immigrated to the United States from Greece,” Stanton said, noting he later shortened his name to Pappas. It was while he was serving as a chef in World War I that Pappas created his world-famous Greek salad that featured a dollop of potato salad that “was designed to help sustain troops during challenging times,” according to Stanton. “In 1925, the original Louis Pappas Riverside Cafe was established in Tarpon Springs,” Stanton said, where his “signature Greek salad gained international recognition and became a beloved staple of the restaurant.” The family business is now in its third generation, Stanton said, with six Louis Pappas Fresh Greek spots operating in the Tampa Bay area and the Largo location set to become the seventh. When Vice Mayor Curtis Holmes asked about Pappas’ onetime Sponge Docks site, Stanton said it closed in 2005 primarily due to the overhead costs associated with the massive waterfront restaurant. “But the same owner that owned it then — obviously not the one who founded it — is the same one that will be operating this one,” Stanton said. He said Pappas Fresh Greek will have a similar menu. Several commissioners asked Stanton to bring a sample of the famous salad next time, while Mayor Woody Brown noted potato salad is not a traditional Greek salad ingredient. 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. “I understand that some people don’t eat potato salad in their Greek salad,” Brown said, adding he only “found that out recently.” “That’s quite a debate,” Stanton said. “I always thought Greek salad came with potato salad.” “That’s because you’re from here!” Brown replied. Holmes’ motion to approve the lease agreement passed 6-0. Commissioner Donna Holck was absent. — Continued projected growth in Horizon West is driving the construction of a new library Chief Executive Officer for the Orange County Library System Steve Powell said construction is underway in Horizon West It’s been an ongoing discussion for nearly 10 years According to the U.S. Census, population in Horizon West in 2010 was 14,000 people The latest numbers show population had grown to 58,000 people by 2020 It’s going to be the biggest branch we’ve ever built at 20,000 square feet,” Powell said Right now, Orange County Library System is made up of 15 branches The new library will be co-located with the Horizon West Regional Park off Hamlin Groves Trail so having a library out there is going to be very important to us — not just for children’s literacy or after-school homework help or just having library resources in the community,” he said will feature an outdoor stage area with grassy seating to host events and outdoor programming The Horizon West community has been vocal and supportive of the addition “Population growth has really grown in west Orange County and being only in Winter Garden and Windermere we just aren’t far enough to reach all of those folks that are out in Horizon West,” Powell said have lived in Horizon West for four years and come to the Waterleigh community clubhouse nearly every Wednesday for story time It’s a library pop-up event at which children learn Allen said it takes a while to get to other library branches with Gracelynn so she’s excited a library in her own backyard is opening soon “It’s just going to be a few minutes away,” she said Allen said story time is an important part of her granddaughter’s learning development “She loves to do the story time for the singing and the dancing and interacting with the other kids,” she said To fill a need while the new branch is being built Horizon West residents like Gracelynn and Pamela Allen enjoy the impact of the pop-up events so we can’t wait for the new branch to open,” Allen said Another branch in Lake Nona also will be built but is still in the permitting process The Orange County Library System is spending $50 million combined to build both branches As the Horizon West library branch continues construction, residents can give feedback through this community survey on what they’d like to see A welcome second journey into Guerrilla's incredible post-apocalyptic world In late 2017, I interviewed Guerrilla Games' Jan-Bart Van Beek about his original pitch for what would become Horizon: Zero Dawn and the lengths the team went to in order to make this new IP stand out It was one of those interviews I did with a twinge of guilt because I hadn't played the game despite it being on shelves for more than six months by that point but to me Horizon: Zero Dawn was just "that game with robot dinosaurs I should check out at some point." I was fortunate enough to catch Van Beek at the BAFTA Game Awards… where I formally apologised for not playing his game prior to our conversation because both Zero Dawn and its sequel Horizon: Forbidden West are comfortably among my favourite PlayStation games of all time (It's a close call between them and Insomniac's Spider-Man games Let's address the Tremortusk in the room: the 'robot dinosaurs' are more than just cool-looking enemies to bash They are central to a combat system I find genuinely refreshing The vast majority of games I play tend to feel like battles amount to 'whittle down the enemy health bar until it falls down.' If it's a boss fight of some sort you might have to find a weak spot for faster whittling the component-centric design of the machines allows for something much more varied and ultimately more fun Scan any machine you encounter and you'll be able to highlight specific parts of the beast – and breaking them will have specific effects Destroy the antenna and your enemy won't be able to call for reinforcements Hit a tank of flammable liquid with fire arrows and you'll cause a chain reaction (i.e a massive explosion) that takes off half its health Rip the cannon off and you can use it yourself Detach the claws from burrowing machines and they'll no longer be able to hide underground You take away their advantages and make them your own and I struggle to think of other games where that's the case You take away the machines' advantages and make them your own I just want to explore the world and experience the story Battles are potentially frustrating distractions (I still haven't dared take on a Gleeok in Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom) I actively divert from wherever I was headed to tackle even the biggest machines I find myself compelled to abandon my mission to save the world in order to find a missing tribesman Upon completing a main quest or a key area protagonist Aloy will likely say to herself that she ought to come back again later; ordinarily I'd dismiss this as padding or the developer trying to get me to stay a little longer – but given how invested I became in the main mission that preceded this comment Aloy is another element that keeps me coming back female character' gets used to the point where it might become meaningless and condescending she takes absolutely no nonsense from the people that disrespect her or her time and she shows compassion for those in need so I care (hence the aforementioned diversions) All of the above also applies to Zero Dawn but Forbidden West is fully in the vein of 'bigger It takes every element and improves on it: more machines The map is far more varied than that of its forebear; in addition to snowy mountains and dusty deserts the towering redwood forests of the Pacific coast and ruined locations that are much more familiar than those of the previous game Everything wraps up together to form a game I just cannot put down but I soon find myself riding across the Forbidden West again The foliage-covered remains of the Golden Gate Bridge are the cover image for the game but (and I don't want to spoil anything) just wait until you see what Guerrilla has done to Las Vegas you can override a pteradactyl-like machine and fly over the entire map while another machine lets you glide about underwater – both of which are exhilarating All of this is enhanced by the fact the game is absolutely stunning It feels like Guerrilla is squeezing every ounce out of the PS5 to make this world look as vibrant and enticing as possible Of the dozens of hours I've poured into this game a significant chunk has been spent in Photo Mode desperately trying to capture the beauty of the Forbidden West Clashes with machines that would play out in about 15 minutes take me closer to an hour because I'm constantly trying to get the best screenshots (ready to inflict on social media and/or the GamesIndustry.biz team the next morning) But – as is always the case with me – it's the storytelling and the writing that keeps me coming back I was amazed by Zero Dawn's unique take on a post-apocalyptic world When the mystery of how and why such a transformation occurred to the Earth were revealed by the end of the game plus the unexpectedly twisty origins of Aloy herself With the setting and backstory established I was expecting an 'And here's what happened next…' sort of tale But Forbidden West expands on its predecessor in so many ways the sequel introduces a new area and new tribes who worship certain machines as "land gods" and carry a pouch of seeds throughout their life seeds that will be planted after they die to ensure they live on who live in a ruined air force base and have built a religion around the bravery of the pilots that worked there And each introduces new characters that become part of your adventure It would be easy to think of Horizon as 'that game with robot dinosaurs'.. But then Forbidden West also expands on the world of the series itself who have their own views on what our society left behind There are story elements that come from beyond Earth and hark back to before civilisation fell but I soon find myself riding across the Forbidden West seeking out another encounter with dangerous machines or new stories for me to discover (And while Horizon: Forbidden West originally released in 2022 it debuted on PC this year so it's absolutely valid as a Game of the Year choice and no I will not be taking any questions at this time) I would argue that Horizon is the unluckiest games franchise in history Zero Dawn came out just a few weeks before Zelda: Breath of the Wild while Forbidden West arrived within a week of Elden Ring Both have been somewhat overshadowed by other (admittedly excellent) open world games so it would be easy for folks to perhaps miss them or still think of them as "those games with robot dinosaurs." I strongly urge you to reconsider and try them for yourself You're missing out on something incredible No part of this website or its content may be reproduced without the copyright owner's permission GAMESINDUSTRY.BIZ is a registered trademark of Gamer Network Limited — It may be condemned and demolished but that is still not stopping the tax bills from going to the people of the Horizon West Condos “What is above the ground is what you are paying for That is the craziness of the whole idea,” said Ben Chudy president of the Horizon West Condo Association He lived in his condo for three years before the city evacuated the residents He represents the 49 owners who say they are trapped paying taxes for something that doesn’t exist Watch: Condo owners still get tax bills despite building being condemned and demolished “Still paying [for] the individual unit which doesn’t exist You're paying on that tax keys’ personal property tax,” said Ben Horizon West Condos were evacuated in December 2021 when the city said the building would collapse It was eventually condemned and then torn down in January of this year The situation with the taxes has the city and the county’s attorneys pointing fingers at each other TMJ4 News reporter Rebecca Klopf asked to talk to both Erik Weidig “The city cannot foreclose on the condominium property not Waukesha County controls the creation of these tax parcels and their assessment.” and condo association lawyers all sat down to try to find a solution but they all told me no one had one answer “We’ve been advised or forced to become delinquent in our personal property taxes,” said Ben The county says if the owners do that for two years and the county must also approve the foreclosure Both the county and the city have called this a unique and unfortunate situation and have suggested the owners work with their mortgage lenders to remove all the liens They say that could make foreclosure a better option Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more. Report a typo or error // Submit a news tip Report a typo Pete Rising in this year\u2019s Best of the Bay Awards By using this website, you agree to our use of cookies. We use cookies to provide you with a great experience and to help our website run effectively. Learn more The new 11,175-square-foot building would have a mix of retail on the ground floor and causal dining restaurants with a rooftop component | the ardent companies | colliers As new transformative projects are underway in Largo, a vacant property near the city's future Horizon West Bay mixed-use development will be redeveloped into a new retail and restaurant destination Atlanta-based real estate investment firm The Ardent Companies plans to construct a 11,175-square-foot building at the southwest corner of 4th Street Southwest and West Bay Drive The company acquired the Largo property for $1.85 million last year from the church directly across the street site plan of Liberty yards | the ardent companies dubbed Liberty Yards as a nod to the Liberty Worship Center will have a mix of ground-floor retail and restaurants “We believe the investment in the downtown corridor along West Bay will be transformational and we want to be part of that creating an experience for those to dine and shop downtown,” The Ardent Companies Executive Director Jay Douglas said to St The two end cap retail spaces will offer flexible space from 2,000 to 4,000 square feet The remaining 8,000 square feet between the two units will consists of Class A retailers “It’s important to us to have the rooftop terraces at the end caps We are working with a couple of restaurant groups for those spaces,” Douglas said A rendering of liberty landings on west bay drive | the ardent companies | colliers The commercial space is currently being marketed for lease by Jaclyn Langholz of Colliers Douglas said the team is in conversations with several potential tenants and construction will commence once they have secured leases for the end cap units he anticipates Liberty Yards will open by early 2026 Liberty Yards will have around 44 surface parking spaces including street parking and shared parking with the church which was a condition of the purchase agreement The Ardent Companies is working with local civil engineering and landscape firm Kimley-Horn Associates and Phillips Partnership A rendering of the Horizon West Bay development which is under construction and will be completed later this year | City of lARGO Liberty Yards will be directly across the street from the Horizon West Bay project The Horizon West Bay is an $81 million dollar mixed-use development that includes a new Largo City Hall 18,000 square feet of retail space and a parking garage Completion on Horizon West Bay is expected in mid-2025 Douglas said Ardent may explore additional development opportunities in the Tampa Bay region Liberty Yards is the only project the team is actively developing in Tampa Bay Want to be the first to know what’s coming soon to the Sunshine City Sign up to receive the latest news straight to your inbox Contact - Terms of Use - Privacy Policy© 2024 St An empty lot is all that is left of the former Horizon West Condominiums on West Avenue About a year after the building was torn down former residents of the condo are still paying taxes on a property that now exists only on paper The condo association has been seeking to enter into talks with area officials to discuss options WAUKESHA — The Horizon West Condo Association and owners are arguing their condo units are now 'boxes of air' after the building was razed last year Horizon West Condo Association President Ben Chudy has been working to get a resolution and peace of mind for condo owners and recently he was able to meet with city and county representatives during which Chudy said they shared many ideas WAUKESHA — The Horizon West Condo Association and owners are arguing their condo units are now "boxes of air" after the building was razed last year Horizon West Condo Association President Ben Chudy has been working to get a resolution and peace of mind for condo owners and recently he was able to meet with city and county representatives "We all so desperately want to move on but because each one of the owners has a tax key we continue to pay for the property tax Horizon West cannot dissolve until those tax keys go away we still stand as an association," Chudy previously said it was learned that the structural steel had rusted both in the balconies and in the beams and crossbeams that gave the building its structural integrity The Horizon West Condo building on West Avenue was demolished in January There are no proposed plans for the empty space at this time and not the individual unit owners," City Attorney Brian Running previously said Chudy recently met with attorney Mike Ganzer Chudy called the meeting "intense." "All four of us went round and round with ideas and disagreements for what the best way to proceed forward was Horizon West’s main goal is to get the county to foreclose on our individual units/ tax keys The issue is the county must legally sell the units they foreclose (by law) Chudy described the units as a "box of air" and said Weidig made it crystal clear that the county cannot sell "a box of air" to anyone it requires an ‘out of the box’ type of idea Ganzer did a phenomenal job trying to get everyone to think outside the box for a solution that best serves the financially stricken unit owners,” Chudy said Chudy added that the overwhelming concern from meeting with others has been the feeling that condo owners’ problem would become their problem HW must find their own way to get out of this mess,” Chudy said Ganzer has advised Horizon West to move forward by “contacting our loan companies or mortgage companies and attempt to remove the liens on the individual units that don’t exist anymore Unit owners would still owe their mortgage payments and debts the liens would be off of the property which allows our tax keys to be foreclosed on,” according to Chudy Horizon West looks forward to working with the county again to move forward with and finalize the foreclosing on our ‘boxes of air’ once and for all,” he said Horizon West’s goal is to reach the dissolution of the entire association so that all unit owners can finally move on There are unit owners who cannot move forward with bankruptcy due to the association not being dissolved yet LLC (Horizon West) will hold open houses in Imperial County on April 30 and May 1 as the company continues to seek public input on a proposed electric transmission line that would help improve the reliability of the local electric grid the California Independent System Operator (CAISO) selected Horizon West to build and maintain an approximately 80-mile 500-kilovolt transmission line between substations in Yuma County The CAISO determined the Ironwood Transmission Line (formerly North Gila–Imperial Valley No 2) is needed to ensure customers have access to reliable is a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Transmission a leading North American competitive transmission company Horizon West is developing a comprehensive environmental assessment to determine potential routes and is seeking input from the public The company will hold its second round of open houses in Imperial County from 5 to 7 p.m on May 1 at the Calexico Woman’s Improvement Club The company previously held open houses in February Residents will have the opportunity to speak with project representatives ask questions and voice their opinions on draft routes of the transmission line Horizon West developed the initial draft route options based on field reviews technical studies and initial public input “The feedback collected will be instrumental in shaping a transmission line route that limits impacts and addresses community concerns,” said Derrik Berg Horizon West’s project development director “These open houses are an important step in ensuring the voices of residents landowners and other stakeholders are heard.” There will be ongoing opportunities for the public to provide input, including through the California Public Utilities Commission, which, along with other regulatory agencies, will ultimately determine the location of the transmission line. The public may also share feedback through the project website at www.ironwoodtransmission.com In addition to strengthening the electric grid the proposed power line would provide other benefits to Imperial County The project would spur economic investment in the community during construction and generate local tax revenue that could help fund community initiatives The transmission line is anticipated to be in service by 2030 The Imperial County Board of Supervisors has refused to disclose why they fired the CEO and the Clerk of the Board there are no recent results for popular videos