Quote:
Originally Posted by Papa_lecki
18 posts in and no comment about why it’s not south of 44?
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It takes a good 15 years to get retail/restaurants/banks/medical built up to a sufficient level in each new area of The Villages.
That is based on 50 years of their steady development and the retail/restaurant/banks/medical services being built BEHIND that population growth curve.
You have another 5-10 years to see south of 44 getting adequate “neighborhood” services.
Look at 466, which has had a massive FULL TIME residential TV populace (the newer areas have a much more disproportionate number of snowbirds/absentee owners/renters) for over 15 years. That area is STILL growing, and just now getting some good, diverse retail businesses coming in.
466A JUST started getting developed in the past 5 years (after 10 years of a dense population of mostly FULL TIME residents living in the area, not to mention the wildwood population). It will take another 5-10 years for 466A and the 44 corridors to have what everyone is hoping for.
Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Costco will never come here. Evidently neither will any really good fine dining restaurants. Our populace simply will not actually support those businesses, and their algorithms know it. There is evidently only a small minority here that will, or is able to, pay the premium for premium foods. Earthfare took a chance on us and got burned. Fresh Market took a chance, and I don’t see how they will make it much longer. Now Sprouts is going to give us a try.
With Sams and now BJs, Costco for sure isn’t going to come here. At least they are putting one in Clermont, which is a wee bit closer than existing stores.
I am happy to see the Home Depot coming to 466A!
I don’t know if other people have noticed, but the other thing that is happening is that a lot of retail and service sector companies that were on the 441 corridor up by Spanish springs areas are not renewing leases. And the vacant spaces are staying vacant. i expect to see more of that in the next few years as stores move to 466, 466A and 44 corridors. That will mean convenience for us, but a whole lot more traffic on our streets as non-villagers take shortcuts to get to retail.
I hope one day we get a referendum on the ballot and take over our own street maintenance so we can become truly gated community. I will pay for that gladly.