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NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. - It's a makeover plan of epic proportions. Officials in Pasco County are hoping to clean up the West side along US 19 and spur redevelopment.
Up and down US 19 in Pasco County, you'll see the blight. Empty shopping plazas, and tattered signs.
"Places that are in total disrepair," said Another Dimension tattoos owner Mike Balestrieri.
The marquee for the shopping plaza he is in has been busted for years. "Our landlord, he never does anything to fix up the place. He painted the place 10 years ago, but that's it."
It's that kind of unsightliness that's turned the once-thriving stretch of road into a place some would rather stay away from.
John Hagan is with the Pasco Economic Development Council. He believes "the issue, in part, is curb appeal."
He's working with county leaders on a redevelopment plan. They hope to play off close proximity to the gulf by calling the area the 'Harbors West Market.'
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