NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — Downtown New Port Richey is experiencing a renaissance.
With the help of a supportive city council, Frank Starkey is the visionary leading the charge in the Pasco County community.
"There's these tiny little dots of walkable downtown urbanism, and New Port Richey is one of those and that's what's causing it to take fire,” said Starkey, a real estate developer and architect.
Starkey grew up in New Port Richey. He is invested and investing in the city’s future.
"I learned to love these small towns and the traditional urbanism that's here, the interconnected streets, the downtown buildings that they just don't build anymore,” explained Starkey.
That’s why he wants to take what’s already here and give it new life.
"The first investment that the city made was revitalizing this park right here. And that really revamped the feeling of downtown. Sims Park was a place that nobody wanted to go and it became a place that everybody wanted to go,” said Starkey.
Starkey and his company also developed The Central on Orange Lake, right behind Sims Park. It's an upper-end residential apartment complex designed to attract empty nesters and millennials.
One of the best parts is that it’s within walking distance of downtown restaurants and shops.
"It makes a great quality of life between this park living within walkable distance or golf cart ride to downtown and then having a great collection of restaurants and shops and nightlife is a great lifestyle that you just can't get outside of New Port Richey in Pasco County,” said Starkey.
But not everyone is as excited as Starkey about New Port Richey’s rebirth. There are others who are concerned about traffic, parking and the city losing its small-town feel.
"No place stays the same. Places are always changing. The question isn't whether it's going to change or not. The question is whether it's going to change for the better or not,” explained Starkey.
“For a long time, New Port Richey was changing for the worse because of its fear of changing for the better," he continued. "We've just got to, as a community, get comfortable with change and learn how to guide it in ways that are going to make it better, not simply bigger."
It’s a challenge, but Starkey is ready to meet it head-on.
He told ABC Action News that New Port Richey is one of the best-kept secrets in the state, and it’s time to let everyone in on it.
