Growing community breaks ground on new Publix

WEST VILLAGES — West Villages and The Sembler Co. have broken ground on West Villages Marketplace, a Publix-anchored shopping center at the corner of West Villages Parkway and U.S. 41 in south Sarasota County.

West Villages Florida is a master-planned community now under development.

According to a press release, the plaza is scheduled to open in fall 2019. The 105,000-square-foot retail plaza will be anchored by a 47,000-square-foot Publix. A mix of services and restaurants will make up the rest of the plaza.

“Along with our partners at Sembler, we are excited to offer an inviting and distinguished shopping experience to our residents and surrounding community,” says West Villages Florida President Paul Erhardt in the statement. “We have curated the right mix of local, regional and national retail merchants."

The new Publix will include a pharmacy, bakery and deli. "We’re very excited about this new location,” says Publix spokesman Brian West in the statement. “We want shopping at Publix to be convenient for our customers and opening this location will certainly help.”

Additional signed leases at the plaza include Heartland Dental, Sparkle Brite Pools, a Japanese/Thai restaurant, China1, All Star Laundry and a nail salon. One of the out parcels has been leased by 7-Eleven.

Ongoing leasing efforts will target restaurants, coffee shops, financial services, home design and décor, beauty and health services, the release adds. 

West Villages Florida includes more than 15,000 acres between the urban centers of the City of Venice and the City of North Port. The community is being developed by a partnership that includes Mattamy Homes and Vanguard Land. In 2018, John Burns Real Estate Consulting named West Villages Florida the fifth fastest selling master-planned community in the U.S.