The much-anticipated Sprouts Farmers Market has gone vertical, as the The Village at Hunterâs Lake center begins to take shape on Bruce B. Downs (BBD) Blvd., directly across BBD from the main entrance to Hunterâs Green.
The completion of Sprouts will likely signal the end of the retail segment of the project, which includes still-to-come apartments and the New Tampa Performing Arts Center, which is still in the design phase.
Of the 19 retail spaces at The Village at Hunterâs Lake, 18 have already been leased. The remaining spot, a 3,530-sq.-ft. space in between the Fresh Kitchen and Via Italia Woodfired Pizza & Bar (see list), is likely to be a breakfast-oriented restaurant, according to Regency Centers senior leasing agent Mark Elias. A lease could be signed by the end of the year.
âWe are working on the last place now,â Elias says. âOnce thatâs complete, we will be at 100 percent.â
Sprouts, the first green grocer to enter the New Tampa market, is the anchor of the retail strip and is expected to open around April of 2020.
While some of the other retailers and restaurants may open earlier â according to its website, Via Italia Woodfired Pizza & Bar is hoping for a January opening, for example â the majority of the smaller businesses may wait for the completion of Sprouts, since it is expected to attract a lot of foot traffic.
âWe havenât hit any major delays,â Elias says. âIt looks like good weather for the immediate future, so weâll be delivering to the smaller retailers soon.â