Housing boom in this Manatee County neighborhood is attracting more retail and office business
All the new rooftops springing up along Moccasin Wallow Road in northern Manatee County are helping stimulate more retail and office growth in the area.
Primerica Developments Inc. of Tampa, announced last week that construction is underway for a new retail/medical/office building at the Publix-anchored Gateway Commons Shopping Center. The new building will be located immediately west of Publix. In addition, construction has started on the Heartland Dental freestanding building on a parcel fronting Buffalo Road.
Gateway Commons is located east of Interstate 75, off exit 229, at the intersection of Moccasin Wallow Road and Buffalo Road, and consists of 83,000-square-feet of retail space.
In addition to Publix and Publix Liquor, tenants include Jet’s Pizza, Hornback Chiropractic and Wellness, Nail Boutique & Spa, and Yummy Tokyo Bistro.
Since opening Sept. 26, 2019, Publix has far exceeded expectations, Primerica said in a press release.
“Seeing the success of Publix showed us that there is a need for more shopping, dining, office, and medical facilities in the Palmetto area,” said Richard Trzcinski, president of Primerica Group One Inc.
Helping drive expansion of retail business in the Parrish and North River area are the 25,000 new homes that have already been approved for construction, or for which approvals are being sought. It is estimated that North River Ranch, the largest single development along Moccasin Wallow Road could have 6,000 homes when built out.
“We are thrilled to further develop our Gateway Commons Shopping Center and The Shoppes of Moccasin Wallow, as both locations are strategically positioned for success for any business looking to expand in this rapidly growing area of North Manatee County,” Trzcinski said.
Primerica Developments has also broken ground on another new retail building at its Woods of Moccasin Wallow mixed use development, one mile to the west of Gateway Commons at the signalized intersection of Moccasin Wallow Road and 49th Avenue East.
The new building at The Shoppes of Moccasin Wallow will consist of 10,800 square feet with individual units starting at 1,200-square-feet. This building will be located adjacent to an existing fully leased building of 8,400 square feet. Existing tenants at The Shoppes of Moccasin Wallow include TK Grill, USA Nails & Spa, Mann Orthodontics, Corporate Ladder Brewing Company and American Honey Creamery & Coffee Co.
“This is a growing area. People just need to get to know us,” said Jimmey Shelton, owner of TK Grill.
Shelton closed his business for five months because of pandemic, and reopened in September. He believes he is in the right place at the right time.
“This area is booming,” Shelton said. “People are getting more comfortable coming in to order, and we are seeing more online ordering.”
Corporate Ladder Brewing Company is located next door to TK Grill.
“The people of Manatee County have been huge to our success. Our taproom is busy, vibrant; the beating heart of our business,” CLBC’s owner Blake Kleppe said. “When we opened there were not a lot of gathering places for our immediate locals, and we found the desire and support for such a space to be overwhelming. It’s our local support more than anything that is the reason we have been so successful.”
Primerica Group One, Inc. has also completed the development of a six-building, 124,000 square-foot self-storage facility (Life Storage) at The Woods of Moccasin Wallow.
For more information, visit www.primericagroupone.com.
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 12:00 AM.
