NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — When you drive into downtown New Port Richey, there is a new way you’ll be greeted.
“It’s absolutely fabulous. Just welcome to come, the colors. Just gives you that cool, let’s check it out. Let’s see what’s going on,” said Monica Velez.
What’s going on are several new restaurants, breweries, and retail shops bringing new life to a downtown that was long considered dead.
Jessica Smalley just opened The Daily Vibe coffee shop.
“We noticed that downtown Mondays and Tuesdays were very slow. There wasn’t a lot going on. Not a lot of places were open. But recently, Dang Good (Sushi on Main has opened. We’ve got the new Gone Juicing across the street. And we saw that downtown was getting a new daily vibe, and we wanted to open a coffee company and be a part of it,” said Smalley.
City officials built that welcome sign as part of a $700,000 project to attract more visitors downtown.
City Manager Debbie Mann said when it’s finished, there will also be more landscaping and a sign with a digital display.
“It is an advertisement to the 60,000 plus that travel US Highway 19 that they can make a choice, that they can make a choice. And that choice is to turn and in a few blocks you have a beautiful historic downtown that you can be in and take advantage of the business opportunities that exist there,” said Mann.
Meanwhile, as Smalley makes another espresso with all the local ingredients, she said the sign already seems to be working.
“This weekend, it was really busy. Lots of people out walking. So I think it’s definitely drumming up the right kind of attention,” said Smalley.
There are more downtown improvements to come, including the Rail Road Square project that will block off part of Nebraska Avenue to make it walkable with a park area and shade running along where several businesses are.
