Everytime I drive past this community, I want to drive through it. I’m not sure what it is, but I just love this community. I love the style of homes and the way they designed the shops and restaurants within walking distance of this community.

The homes were designed in a Key West style with large porches and white picket fences and the nearby shops and restaurants at the Winthrop Town Center were designed to feel like an old town. With brick paved steets and sidewalks, restaurants where you can eat outside while listening to live music, movies on the lawn, a farmers market and Sunday brunch…you really do feel like you’re in a little town of your own.

There are 3 different types of homes in this community.

The Cottage Series range from 3 to 4 bedrooms, 2 to 3.5 baths and 1,943 to 3,203 sq ft.

The townhomes range from 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 1,703 to 2,384 sq ft.

The traditional series range from 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms and 1,928 sq ft to 2,467 sq ft.

The tradional series are detached stand alone single family homes. The cottage series are attached single family homes.

Some of the nearby shops, restaurants and businesses are listed below.

• Publix
• MJ Barleyhoppers
• M oe’s Southwest Grill
• Shane’s Rib Shack
• Mojitos Latin Cuisine
• Starbucks
• Bellafia chocolate shop
• Happy Paws and Tails pet shop
• Heaven Scent Soap and Bath Boutique
• Anew Lifestyle & Wellness Solution
• Downtown Divas clothing boutique
• Broomstick Baby infant and toddler boutique
• Asonipse Spa and Salon (Aveda)
• Optics Soho
• King Solomon Tailor
• First Choice Hair Cutting
• Regions Bank
• Railroad Federal Credit Union
• Allstate
• H&R Block
• St. Pete Times Building
• Beaux Arts Gallery
• Surgical Center

Winthrop is located in Riverview behind the Winthrop Town Center located at Providence Rd & Bloomingdale Rd.

Riverview will soon be growing even more! A lot more shopping, office space, a theater and 2 hotels will soon be added to the landscape of Riverview!

What will be known as SouthShore Commons is due to break ground within the next few months. When fully completed, SouthShore Commons will be a “1.6-million-square-foot project that will include more than 1 million square feet of retail and dining space, 490,000 square feet of office, a 16-screen theater, and 250 hotel rooms within 2 hotels. The retail portion of the project will include department store anchors, several national big-box tenants and junior anchors, dozens of specialty retailers and a variety of dining options that include both casual and upscale restaurants.” It will also have 7,000 parking spaces.

SouthShore Commons will be located at Big Bend Rd near I-75 close to Covington Park. So it will have quick and easy access to get to from the interstate.

*Photo from Equity, INC.

Just a few miles around the corner from where I live in Riverview is what was to be known as Triple Creek. Triple Creek is located near the intersection of Big Bend Rd and Balm Riverview Rd.

Triple Creek was supposed to be a large gated community of over 2,000 homes & townhomes ranging in size from 1,500 to 4,000 sq ft. Planned community amenities included a town center and a 6,000 sq ft clubhouse.

Triple Creek is located next to Balm-Boyette Scrub Nature Preserve. The 5,000-acre preserve features 21.5 miles of hiking and biking trails.

Sounds like a great community, eh? Well….this is what it looks like today….

It appears as if they have abandoned the entire project as of now. Trees are tipped over into the road, weeds and brush are overgrown onto the sidewalks and medians. Weeds are about waist high around the concrete block homes they started, but never finished. There are a few homes that were built and look like they were completed or are nearly completed, that were probably going to be the models. Some of the windows have been broken out of the homes, so who knows what type of damage or vandalism has been done to the inside of the homes.

It’s a shame this community is now a ghost town. Abandoned. Not a single construction worker, car or truck in the subdivision. Hopefully, they will be able to get moving on this project again soon!

If you live in or around the SouthShore area, then you’re probably already familiar with the areas that are encompassed within SouthShore. However, if you don’t then you may be asking yourself “where the heck is SouthShore”?
The term SouthShore relates to the areas located within South Hillsborough County. SouthShore includes the following cities/areas:

• Apollo Beach
• Balm
• Gibsonton
• Lithia
• Riverview
• Ruskin
• Sun City Center
• Wimauma

If you’re interested in learning more about the SouthShore area, please feel free to contact me.

I came across this article today and my heart sank. A woman was attacked at the local library and now she can’t walk, talk or see. What has this world come to? She is only 18 years old and was just returning books to the Bloomingdale Library. She just graduated from East Bay High School and was preparing to leave for college this fall. She will need care for the rest of her life, she can’t walk, talk or see anymore. As I am reading the different articles about this, I am finding several groups within the area are holding fund raisers to help out the family of this young woman.

Let’s do our part as a community, if you find one of these methods suitable, please donate to this woman’s medical care.

The good news is they caught the suspect and is being held in jail now. Let’s just pray that this terrible thing never happens to anyone again

The community held two fundraisers to raise funds for her hospital bills. One was at the VFW hall in Ruskin, they held a spaghetti dinner.

The Valrico State Bank will be hosting a car wash this Saturday form 9-5. Be sure to stop by and get your car washed in support of this woman. This is being organized by some of the paramedics and fire fighters that responded to the call when she was attacked.

The article states you can make donations to the family through Sun Trust Banks. I found in another article the name of the fund, it is Bloomingdale Attack Victim Fund.

Moss Landing is a gated community located off the beaten path on the outskirts of Riverview. Secluded from the hustle and bustle of the busy roads, yet just a short drive to I-75 and I-4. Moss Landing is within a short drive to Brandon, Tampa, restaurants and shopping.

Moss Landing consists of 310 single family residences surrounded by old beautiful trees and preserves.

There are currently 2 builders building in Moss Landing. KB homes and Adams Homes.

Single family homes range in size from 1,277 to 3,508 sq ft.

Moss Landing is located in Riverview off Balm Riverview Rd. Take I-75 to Exit 250, head East on Gibsonton-Boyette Road. Turn right at Balm Riverview Road, Moss Landing is 1 mile on the right.

MiraBay features deep-water boating access to the Bay and Gulf of Mexico, and saltwater canals leading to Florida-style homes.

MiraBay is located in the south shore area of Hillsborough County, 14 miles south of downtown Tampa and 20 miles east of St. Petersburg via the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.

MiraBay features deep-water boating access to the Bay and Gulf of Mexico, and saltwater canals leading to Florida-style homes.

Upon completion, MiraBay will include 1,300 single-family homes, paired villas and town homes ranging from the $200s to over $2 million. Three-quarters of these residences will overlook spectacular views of the water & conservation areas, which include a 135-acre freshwater lagoon.

The builders at MiraBay include Alvarez Homes, Bayfair Homes, David Weekley Homes, Hannah Bartoletta Homes, John Cannon Homes, Morrison Homes, Nohl Crest Homes, Sabal Homes, and Westfield Homes.

The MiraBay Club features an array of modern-day activities for boaters and non-boaters alike, and presents a palm tree-lined resort pool, separate children’s pool and zero entry pool, as well as The Boardwalk for moonlight strolls along the water.

Additional amenities include; The Outfitter’s, a coastal bait and tackle shop, a fitness center, banquet facilities, Admirals Club, The Racquet Club, parks and Fort Wilderness Park play area.