Publix has paid $26 million to acquire The Shoppes at Verdana Village, an Estero shopping center where the grocer is the anchor tenant. The deal adds to Publix’s Southwest Florida property holdings and gives the company ownership of a prominent retail site along Corkscrew Road, a corridor seeing substantial residential development.
Key takeaways
The purchase transfers the center and two developed outparcels to a Publix subsidiary. The acquisition reflects the grocer’s broader move to own more of the retail properties where it operates, while new communities are reshaping eastern Lee County.
- The $26 million sale was recorded Oct. 29.
- The 78,000-square-foot center opened in 2024 and includes Publix and several other businesses.
- The property sits near large planned residential developments, including Verdana Village and Kingston.
A strategic site on Corkscrew Road
The Shoppes at Verdana Village is at the southeast corner of Verdana Village Boulevard and Corkscrew Road, about six miles east of Interstate 75. The transaction conveyed the property from an entity associated with developer Cameratta Companies to Real Sub LLC, a Publix subsidiary based in Lakeland. The sale price was confirmed through state documentary stamp taxes paid on the transaction.
The center is part of the still-developing Verdana Village community, planned for about 2,400 single-family homes and villas across roughly 2,100 acres. Nearby, the proposed Kingston development has approval for as many as 10,000 homes on approximately 7,600 acres along Corkscrew Road and State Road 82.
Center tenants and nearby development
Built by WMG Development, the shopping center opened in 2024. Its tenants include Dunkin’, The Nail Spa Estero, New York Pizza & Pasta and The UPS Store. The two developed outparcels are occupied by Fifth Third Bank and Heartland Dental.
Commercial real estate analyst Paige Rausch characterized the purchase as a strategic investment in a fast-growing area, noting the site’s position near major residential projects. The sale involved about 1.45 acres at the community’s main entrance, according to the report.
Publix’s growing real estate portfolio
The Estero acquisition follows Publix’s purchase of Daniels Crossing in Fort Myers for more than $36 million in May. The 110,780-square-foot shopping center is among the grocer’s other Southwest Florida properties. Public-record research cited in the report found that Publix owns roughly 45 properties in the region, including shopping centers and other parcels.
Purchasing properties where it previously operated as a tenant can give Publix more direct control over leases, site improvements and neighboring tenants. The company frequently uses Real Sub for shopping-center acquisitions and has also made major purchases elsewhere in Florida and Georgia. Publix reported $62.7 billion in retail sales in 2025 and operates more than 1,400 stores.
Sources
- Publix expands SW Florida real estate footprint with Estero, Bradenton Herald.