Starkey Ranch
Starkey Ranch in Odessa, Florida is just North of Tampa off of 54 near the Expressway.
On more than 2,400 acres just north of Tampa, a new kind of community is growing quickly. Adjacent to the Jay B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve, Starkey Ranch keeps residents surrounded by nature, but close to good restaurants, grocery and drug stores, medical providers and schools.
Neighborhoods are centered on parks and connected by trails where neighbors meet and have fun together. Five miles of trails, two dog parks, a playground, picnic pavilions, and a big open lawn are ready now.
Our first community pool and splash pad are now open in Whitfield Park, and the first baseball and multi-sport fields in the 90-acre District Park are nearing completion. In the works are plans for a K-8 public school, a shared-use gymnasium and tennis courts, a public library and community theater. And of course, lots more neighborhoods and amenities.
You’ll find more than 5 miles of wide paved trails, a system that will expand as the community grows. Our trail system will connect with the amazing nature trails in the J. B. Starkey Wilderness Preserve as well as its 6.7-mile paved trail that connects to the 42-mile Suncoast Trail. At Starkey Ranch it’s all about feeling your best through recreation and exploration.
In the Whitfield Park neighborhood you’ll find not one but two dog parks – Woof-field Park for the big guys and Barker Park for lap dogs and better. These are places for off-leash fun and socialization for pups and their people.
Starkey Ranch will also include a joint use a park, school, library and theater within Starkey Ranch. When completed District Park and K-8 school grounds are planned to contain the following recreational facilities:
- 6 baseball/softball fields
- 10 multi-purpose fields for football, soccer and lacrosse
- 3 playgrounds
- 4 tennis courts
- 4 basketball courts
- 1 track
- a gymnasium
- 2 open play fields
- More than a mile of trails that connect to the community trail system
- a picnic pavilion
- concession stands with restrooms
All of these will be available for use by the general public. In order to make the facilities cost effective to Pasco County taxpayers, the County, School Board and Wheelock are all contributing to the costs of land acquisition, design, construction, operation and maintenance, and will share revenues generated by the facilities.
The first sections of the District Park are planned to be open in early 2017. The Starkey Ranch recreation team will be offering a variety of programming suitable for all ages, including co-ed softball leagues, adult kickball leagues, youth track, instructional soccer, Tiny Tot sport programs and youth flag football.