The Shopping Desert South of 44
 

I'm not seeking a massive mall. Just a basic grocery store and maybe a few actual restaurants. Something between food trucks and the Fenney Grill.

I would not complain if the Magnolia Plaza was going full bore with construction. But it is not. It has been stagnant now for weeks. They built the parking lot and gave up. For basic grocery shopping we are left to fight our way through the construction of the Chitty Chatty Village.

In the meantime, the Publix grocery on 466A near the Lowes is going full bore, moving ahead despite starting later, with a Winn Dixie in a baseball hit distance from it.

I am not seeing The Villages commitment to the infrastructure in this area. I will warn away potential buyers here for this reason.

Do you know why construction has “stopped?” There may be a reason you aren’t aware of.

Well I obviously would not be aware of any reason I am not aware of. Care to put forward any reasons, you might be aware of, that I should be aware of, that would explain things?

If you were here 16 years ago you might have wondered the same thing....the minority report has been duly noted!!!

Understandable! However there was a time when the folks in the early years had to go to Ocala or Leesburg for their healthcare (entirely) as well as any shopping etc. There weren't any amenities as we have available now. I would suspect that there will be what you're wishing for in the plan. It wasn't all that long ago that the road south from Hwy 44 wasn't much more than a gravel road.

How are you measuring this??




Store owners have to be convinced there is a market for their retail dollars. Currently there appears to be a shortage of retail dollars.

200 years ago Broadway was a dirt road and Manhattan ended at Canal St.----Patience, grasshopper:1rotfl::1rotfl::1rotfl:

The Morse family are builders. They build houses and they build buildings that house hospitals and stores and rec centers etc. When it comes to getting businesses to commit to leasing the buildings, that is another thing. You can't make a restaurant or clothing shop or grocery store rent space. I have been here long enough to have heard this cry many times and eventually the businesses come.

Oh my god. Slowing down to 35mph through the construction area along Morse is such an inconvenience. ������ I bet it takes a whole 10 minutes to get to the the Publix on 44.

Have a little patience. As others have said, commerce comes to areas that can support it. The developers are not subsidizing the businesses coming to Magnolia Plaza. If those businesses do not believe there are enough customers in the area yet to allow them to make a profit, then they will not be in a hurry to complete construction and open for business. Sure, plenty of homes have sold down here but many, if not most, are not actually occupied yet. Before long we will be looking back fondly to the days when things were slower and quieter in the area.

Permits, Contractor problems, EPA problems, Loss of anchor tenant requiring re-design for a new one to name a few. What is the problem with going past the construction, it's never backed up and 35 MPH is the same speed limit as it is on 501 and 468 near magnolia. It's less than a 10 minute drive to Kristine Way, you're making a big issue out of nothing. You can always do your shopping at the Dollar Store in Coleman and save yourself a minute or two driving time. Unbelievable, warning people to not buy down here because of your impatience. Also be thankful we have the Leesburg Hospital and don't have to drive all the way up north to TV Hospital. Relax and enjoy.

Question
 

What anchor store pulled out and what is the replacement?

Via 501 to the 470 turnpike entrance, it's less than an hour to Orlando, Disney Springs, etc.

He was giving examples of what could hole up construction progress, nothing more.

Yup
 

I misread.

I quoted possible reasons for the delay.

I wish it still was gravel.

After a person complains, I like to ask them, "So what are you going to do about it?"

I am curious what your answer is.

If we were not happy where we are living, we would move somewhere else. If you look at the huge number of resales in the area south of Route 44, I guess many others are doing the same thing.

Most of the resales south of 44 are those who are taking their hansom profits and buying a larger home down here.. We know of many who have done just that. Also there are always health and family issues that come into play. If you look at the board showing where the new residents are coming from each week, most are coming from Florida and most of those are coming from the northern villages. I don't think too many are selling and going north of 44, at least I haven't hear of many.

I don't understand people who live in Continental CC and their obsession with TV. Is it envy?

This is a great comment.

Who is on first.

That is really a very clever comment! Well done :icon_wink:

When most of us moved here we we did not have shopping close to our homes. We have lived with dirt from construction, only SS, LSL was almost vacant when we first came.

Our groceries are delivered to our front door, for over a year. We have not stepped into brick and mortar retail for 3 years. My parents in their late eighties have groceries delivered to their home in TV.

When you bought did you really think those big dirt piles we have all lived with just went away overnight and became stores.
Most of us did our homework and if the new area was not going to be ready by our standards than we could always buy elsewhere in TV

Why would TheVillages be committed to an area that is not within Villages boundaries? The Villages doesn’t own The Trailwinds area.

As with many outside TV, they lived in a nice quiet area along a two lane road. The growth has changed the life style they experienced for many years. I think many of us lament on what live used to be like when we were someplace else or growing up. They, like many in Sumter, Lake and Marion have little voice in what is happening to them. Their obsession is most like focused on TV because TV expansion is what is causing their changes.

OK. But, is that any different than any other area that experiences growth? In this paticular case, Past comments seem to be aimed at what is happening in the interior of TV, and not any effect on a neighboring community.

The OP is just frustrated about the lack of shopping and restaurants in the new Villages area. I would be too, but, I wouldn't move there until they had those facilities in place. I think the food trucks are an insult. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

Sure.. If Publix decided to build on the lot next to OPs, then he would cry NIMBY !! What is this goldilocks and the 3 bears ?? Not to close but not too far ?? 2 whole traffic lights .. Geez

Businesses have to decide to come. Developers can build but they can't force people to lease. This has happened over and over again for those who have been here more than a dozen years. Build it, and they will come.

A friend of ours asked a Villages sales person where they can bring family guests to dinner south of 44. The answer was the food trucks. Really???

The sales person must not have know about The Fenney Grill, The Oaks, or for those who dare, O'Schucks. Or right on 44 Piesano's and the Chineese Restaurant.

Leesburg has an excellent Urgent Care and Hospital. Also, any store or restaurant you could want and it isn't too far. Publix at Lake Deaton is close. We love living South of 44. It is a beautiful area, lots of Village Recreation Centers and amenities. New construction, wonderful neighbors. and lots of green space. We live where we spent the majority of our time and I don't mind driving on those occasions when I want to go shopping.

Just my opine but if you look at the history recently of country club restaurants it does not seem as if that will be a play that TV will be making. That leaves private businesses to step in and accept TV leases that corporations run hundreds of scenarios to determine viability of a store. Also TV will not build many buildings or storefronts until capacity is pretty much at capacity, ie.. look at Brownwood. These could be cause for delays. With the major restaurant players in TV full up with recent lease acquisitions more does not look good for the near future. As population grows it will come and we all hope it will be great!!

O'Shucks! Not much to look at, and the parking lot is not paved, but they have good food, especially oysters on the half shell, and the shrimp.

The big problem with the northern CCs that have had and the same for Katie Bells is that people would come in, sit-down, order water or an ice tea and camp out for hours. No business can survive like that, and they haven't, hence the recent history. People wanted a free ride and ruined it for everyone.

Concerning Brownwood, it doesn't take a genius to see that it was built with the current growth in mind, call it Phase Phase 2 happening now, no reason to build more until more customers are available. I'm sure there will be a phase 3 and 4 in the next couple of years.

They can't make companies sign a lease agreement but they can build premier properties/locations that can drive business. Customer income isn't an issue in TV but the High/Low season cycle is very difficult for a business to sustain, those that have a good product and service and are willing to survive the low season reap the rewards in the high season. World of Beer is a prime example.

I would imagine all the sales reps should know about the Fenney Grill.

There are so many things said on this forum about the Villages Sales Reps and what they "said or didn't say" and much of it is just plain exaggeration or fibbing on the part of people posting.

The Villages Sales Reps don't have to make up stuff to talk anyone into buying here. People are lined up to buy here.

Yesterday we three, Helene, Henry and me, attended a lovely brunch hosted by villages Sales Rep Jim McLaughlin. He sold us two homes, and there is nothing he has ever said to us that was exaggerated, untrue or most of all PUSHY. Now maybe some of the rest aren't as helpful and kind as he is, but I doubt there are many. No one has to do a tap dance or exaggerate anything to sell houses here. The Villages reputation is known far and wide. The Villages don't have to cut deals on new homes and they don't and they don't have to include outside real estate people to sell their new homes.

I think a lot of the negative comments about the new areas where there are only new homes for sale come from people who can't sell new homes. Anyone who has been to the new areas can see for themselves how lovely they are.

No. I don't sell houses, don't get kickbacks and don't know the Morses. I just call a spade a spade.

I have one restaurant suggestion for you, as I have a friend that lives near 44. There is a nice restaurant in one of the mobile home parks on 44 — it’s called Oaks on 44 - it’s in Continental Country Club (Large mobile home park with big oak trees). It has a lovely atmosphere, large windows, comfortable seating, and very reasonable prices. You can sign up for their emails to get notice of specials. We’ve had 3-4 recent meals there and never disappointed. The lobster roll — very generous.

Agree agree agree.

Especially since their sales office is right beside it. I tend to doubt that was ever stated by a sales rep.