spk7951
02-17-2013, 11:26 AM
Interesting article in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel about Brownwood Paddock Square. I imagine a few folks may be pleased to read that a Wildwood official is quoted as saying that construction will start soon on a "big box grocery store" at Brownwood. Below is the article:
The Villages' Brownwood Paddock Square taking shape
By Eloísa Ruano González, Orlando Sentinel
February 17, 2013
Brownwood Paddock Square, The Villages' new retail and commercial hub, is starting to take shape on the south end of the enormous retiree retreat.
The Barnstorm Theater started showing movies four months ago, the first business to open in the complex off State Road 44. The first restaurant has now opened — City Fire American Oven & Bar, which has been serving its eclectic menu ranging from flatbreads to French dip, for about a month. City Fire also has a restaurant at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square.
"Our numbers are much higher than we expected," at Brownwood, said Scott Vasatka, a City Fire operating partner. "We're close to capacity on many days."
Other than a small barbecue trailer that houses Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ, he said the indoor-outdoor restaurant currently is the only place to grab a bite to eat at Brownwood, the burgeoning community's third market square that sits within the city limits of rural Wildwood.
"We're getting a lot of Villagers," said Vasatka, 59. "We're also getting a lot of new guest from communities across the road…"
Three more eateries — Gator's Dockside, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and World of Beer — likely will open in the summer, according to Wildwood Mayor Ed Wolf.
The project calls for about 1.3 million square feet of retail space and more than 14,000 square feet of office space. The site also will include a 200-room hotel and a 300-bed hospital, but it's unclear when those will be built, said Melanie Peavy, Wildwood development services director. She said construction should start soon on a fitness center and "big-box" grocery store.
Wolf said downtown businesses struggling from the economic downturn feared the large development, which features an Old Florida theme, would further drain them. But it's proved to be a benefit for the city, which one day could have rows of antique stores and boutiques, he argued.
"Wildwood is getting a spillover," said Wolf, the mayor for 26 years. "I've seen a lot of outsiders coming into the city."
They're hitting the local restaurants and delis, City Manager Bill Ed Cannon said. To help draw more people to the downtown, he said the city will be hosting a food-truck bazaar starting next month.
There's a lot of opportunity for growth in the area, which desperately needs good-paying jobs, Cannon said. Brownwood looks promising, the former civil engineer added.
"The crowds I've seen, even on the colder nights, have been real good," Cannon said. "At dinner, you can't find parking."
The live music draws hundreds of people each night to the square, including Royall Harner, a snowbird from Gettysburg, Pa., who lives part-time in Wildwood. He's attended more than four dozen concerts in the past two months.
"The entertainment is good…," Harner, 68, wrote in an email. "People will come from the other end of the Villages to hear a favorite group."
The Villages' Brownwood Paddock Square taking shape
By Eloísa Ruano González, Orlando Sentinel
February 17, 2013
Brownwood Paddock Square, The Villages' new retail and commercial hub, is starting to take shape on the south end of the enormous retiree retreat.
The Barnstorm Theater started showing movies four months ago, the first business to open in the complex off State Road 44. The first restaurant has now opened — City Fire American Oven & Bar, which has been serving its eclectic menu ranging from flatbreads to French dip, for about a month. City Fire also has a restaurant at Lake Sumter Landing Market Square.
"Our numbers are much higher than we expected," at Brownwood, said Scott Vasatka, a City Fire operating partner. "We're close to capacity on many days."
Other than a small barbecue trailer that houses Bubbalou's Bodacious BBQ, he said the indoor-outdoor restaurant currently is the only place to grab a bite to eat at Brownwood, the burgeoning community's third market square that sits within the city limits of rural Wildwood.
"We're getting a lot of Villagers," said Vasatka, 59. "We're also getting a lot of new guest from communities across the road…"
Three more eateries — Gator's Dockside, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and World of Beer — likely will open in the summer, according to Wildwood Mayor Ed Wolf.
The project calls for about 1.3 million square feet of retail space and more than 14,000 square feet of office space. The site also will include a 200-room hotel and a 300-bed hospital, but it's unclear when those will be built, said Melanie Peavy, Wildwood development services director. She said construction should start soon on a fitness center and "big-box" grocery store.
Wolf said downtown businesses struggling from the economic downturn feared the large development, which features an Old Florida theme, would further drain them. But it's proved to be a benefit for the city, which one day could have rows of antique stores and boutiques, he argued.
"Wildwood is getting a spillover," said Wolf, the mayor for 26 years. "I've seen a lot of outsiders coming into the city."
They're hitting the local restaurants and delis, City Manager Bill Ed Cannon said. To help draw more people to the downtown, he said the city will be hosting a food-truck bazaar starting next month.
There's a lot of opportunity for growth in the area, which desperately needs good-paying jobs, Cannon said. Brownwood looks promising, the former civil engineer added.
"The crowds I've seen, even on the colder nights, have been real good," Cannon said. "At dinner, you can't find parking."
The live music draws hundreds of people each night to the square, including Royall Harner, a snowbird from Gettysburg, Pa., who lives part-time in Wildwood. He's attended more than four dozen concerts in the past two months.
"The entertainment is good…," Harner, 68, wrote in an email. "People will come from the other end of the Villages to hear a favorite group."