Community opens Publix, announces new tenants

BABCOCK RANCH — The first Publix in the first solar-powered town in the country is now open.

The new grocery store opened Sept. 23 in the Crescent B Commons shopping center in Babcock Ranch, a master-planned community north of Fort Myers developed by Kitson & Partners. The 48,387-square-foot Publix has a drive-thru pharmacy, a lighted mezzanine for dining and a liquor store, according to a statement. It will be the first business serving customers in the new 83,487-square-foot Crescent B Commons shopping center, the release adds.

Several other retailers, including restaurants, hair and beauty salons, financial services, a coffee shop and health care providers will gradually begin to open throughout the remainder of 2021, officials say. A few of the businesses already lined up are Pi Local Pizza, The Vet at Babcock, M’xuma Tacos, Burger Fi, U. Yee Sushi, Stellar Vision, Encore Nails, Postal Pack & Ship and Royal Paw Grooming and Day Care. Additional outparcel tenants will join Crescent B Commons in the spring of 2022, the release states.

To provide direct, convenient access to the shopping center, a new entrance to Babcock Ranch has been established through the Cypress Parkway extension. The new four-lane road is now complete and features abridge entry and enhanced landscaping. Just east of the new bridge, additional north-south connectivity within Babcock Ranch is provided by a newly opened section of Curry Preserve Drive. A new traffic signal at Babcock Ranch Road/SR31 has also been installed, the release states.

“After much anticipation, we are excited to see the Publix-anchored Crescent B Commons shopping center open to our residents,” Kitson & Partners President and CIO Tom Hoban says in the release. “The new plaza will align with the Babcock Ranch vision and distinctive style, with outdoor areas offering opportunities for shoppers to sit and enjoy the natural beauty of our area. We are excited to offer area residents the quality and convenience of a nearby Publix, along with additional services and shopping just steps from their front door.”

Named 2020 Master-Planned Community of the Year by the Lee Building Industry Association, Babcock Ranch encompasses 18,000 acres, with 19,500 planned residences and 6,000,000 square feet of commercial space. Built to Florida Green Building Coalition standards, homes emphasize energy and water conservation and offer a full gig of fiber-optic connectivity. The community recently surpassed 1,500 homes sold. I