Target to build large-format store near Lakewood Ranch

Target plans to build a nearly 150,000-square-foot store in east Manatee County next to an existing Costco on Lighthouse Road.

The store will be in the Marketplace at Heritage Harbour shopping center just off of Interstate 75 and State Road 64, about a mile from Lakewood Ranch.

The new location will be part of the Minneapolis retailer's two-year old plan to build bigger stores in order to carry more merchandise and give locations space for its same-day order fulfillment digital strategy.

While the chain is not commenting on the location, a building permit application was filed in January with Manatee County for construction of the 149,214-square-foot store at 725 Lighthouse Drive.

According to Bill Palmer, building services division manager and county building official, as of March 20 "there are revisions required by the reviewers being sent to the applicant."

"The time varies by how quickly the applicant submits the required information and it is accepted. This includes site plan and building plans."

The application was submitted by TH Harbour LLLP, which has a Piscataway, New Jersey principal address that, according to state corporation records, matches Edgewood Properties, one of Marketplace’s developers.

A marketing flyer and concept plan for the development includes a space next to the Costco store. The text on the flyer designates that space, in all capital letters, as “Lease pending big box user 148,782 sf.”

Courtesy image

Edgewood did not respond to a request for comment or updates on the project.

A Target spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that "At Target, we continuously explore possible locations for new stores, including in the Bradenton, FL area. 

"I can tell you we are pursuing the opportunity to reach guests in the Bradenton Heritage Harbour area, but at this time, we're not at a point where we can share any new store plans."

The new Target, when it opens, will be the chain’s fourth store in Sarasota and Manatee counties and the second in Bradenton. The closest Target currently to SR 64 is the Super Target at UTC. 

As for its size, if the configurations do not change, it will be about 26,000 square feet larger than the average 125,000-square-foot store the chain currently operates. And it will be comparable in size to a new Target in the works in Pasco County.

While many shoppers prefer the existing floor plan, the bigger-sized Target store is a thing of the future.

The retailer, on its website, says that its current 1,957 stores range in size from several thousand square feet to over 200,000 square feet. As it continues to grow, though “we’re adding more large-format stores, including a dozen built in 2023 alone.”

The idea, the company said in a 2022 statement announcing the move to a bigger store model, is that the locations would have a wider assortment of merchandise and offer same-day fulfilment services.

The company also announced at the time a new store design with a more open layout and local touches, for both its new locations and remodels.

This story has been updated to include information from Manatee County about where the permit application stands and from Target about its plans.