Double Branch Retail District Takes Shape at I-75 and State Road 52, Reshaping the Corridor North of Wesley Chapel

A nearly 1,000-acre mixed-use development at the southeast corner of Interstate 75 and State Road 52 is becoming one of Pasco County’s most closely watched retail projects, with leasing now active for two distinct shopping and dining districts that will sit just north of Wesley Chapel.

Double Branch, the master-planned project that broke ground in 2023 under developer Columnar, is moving deeper into its retail phase as ACRE Commercial Real Estate markets space at The Shops at Double Branch and The Boardwalk at Double Branch. Together, the two components will form the public-facing heart of a development that has been quietly reshaping the I-75 corridor north of Wesley Chapel for more than two years.

The development was recently spotlighted in a Tampa Bay Business Journal feature on Pasco County’s retail growth, and the timing reflects a broader shift along State Road 52, where industrial buildings, new neighborhoods and healthcare campuses have all started to cluster around the upgraded interchange at I-75.

What Is Double Branch?

Originally proposed as Pasco Town Center, the project was rebranded as Double Branch and broke ground in October 2023. The site sits on roughly 965 acres at the southeast corner of I-75 and State Road 52, with a newly completed signalized intersection providing direct interchange access.

The full vision goes well beyond a shopping center. According to information published by the developer and ACRE Commercial, build-out is planned to include:

Pasco County commissioners approved an incentive package valued at roughly $55.8 million in 2022 to help launch the project. According to the Pasco Economic Development Council, Double Branch is projected to generate approximately 6,000 jobs and around $600 million in long-term economic impact once fully built out.

The Shops at Double Branch

The Shops at Double Branch is the more traditional retail component of the project. ACRE Commercial is marketing a mix of anchor, outparcel and inline spaces along the State Road 52 frontage, with leasing efforts targeting categories such as grocery, fitness, soft goods and everyday services.

Visibility is one of the central selling points. The center sits within sight of I-75 and benefits from the new interchange improvements at SR 52, a corridor that has already drawn major industrial and residential investment in recent years.

Connectivity to nearby neighborhoods is also part of the pitch. According to materials released by the developer, future links via Setter Palm Road will tie The Shops to communities such as Mirada and Abby Crossing by car, bike and even golf cart — a feature that has become increasingly common in newer Pasco master-planned communities.

The Boardwalk at Double Branch

The second retail component, The Boardwalk at Double Branch, is being designed as a waterfront dining and entertainment district rather than a conventional strip center. Plans released by ACRE Commercial describe a walkable boardwalk lined with restaurant pads, specialty retail and entertainment concepts, supported by outdoor public space.

Marketing materials reference amenities such as public volleyball courts, an outdoor stage, an event lawn and golf cart access from neighboring communities — features intended to push the district toward an experiential, all-day destination rather than a strictly transactional shopping environment.

That positioning matters because mid-Pasco still has relatively few true gathering places of this scale. Most large-format retail in the area sits along State Road 54 in Wesley Chapel, including The Grove and the Cypress Creek Town Center area. The Boardwalk concept is closer in spirit to lifestyle-driven projects elsewhere in the Tampa Bay region than to a typical suburban shopping plaza.

How The Two Districts Compare

Why This Matters for Wesley Chapel

The development also sits within a tightening cluster of major projects in the area. Construction is underway on the new Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Wesley Chapel, a 239,000-square-foot pediatric facility planned for the I-75 and Overpass Road interchange just south of the Double Branch site, with an expected opening in 2027. Industrial space at Double Branch’s 75 Logistics has already begun delivering, and Mirada and Epperson have continued adding rooftops north and east of the interchange.

Together, those projects suggest that the I-75 corridor between Wesley Chapel and San Antonio is on track to become one of the most active growth zones in Pasco County over the next several years.

What’s Next

Industrial deliveries at Double Branch’s 75 Logistics phase have already started arriving, and active leasing is underway for both the retail and boardwalk districts. Specific tenant announcements for The Shops and The Boardwalk have not yet been publicly released by the developer or ACRE Commercial. Additional details about the project are available at doublebranchpasco.com and through ACRE Commercial’s project page at acrefl.com/double-branch-pasco.

For more local development news and updates from across the area, visit wesleychapelcommunity.com and follow Wesley Chapel Community on Facebook, X and Instagram.