Publix has paid $26 million for The Shoppes at Verdana Village, a shopping center it anchors in Estero. The purchase adds property along Corkscrew Road, a fast-growing corridor east of Interstate 75, to the grocery chain’s expanding Southwest Florida portfolio. The deal includes two developed outparcels and was recorded Oct. 29.
Key takeaways
- Publix acquired The Shoppes at Verdana Village for $26 million.
- The 78,000-square-foot center opened in 2024 and includes Publix and several other retailers and services.
- The property sits near major residential development, including the planned Kingston community.
- The deal fits Publix’s broader strategy of owning retail centers where it operates as an anchor tenant.
A purchase along a growing corridor
The center is at the southeast corner of Verdana Village Boulevard and Corkscrew Road, about six miles east of Interstate 75. The transaction transferred ownership from The Shoppes at Verdana Village LLC, a company connected to Cameratta Companies, to Real Sub LLC, a Publix subsidiary based in Lakeland. The reported purchase price was confirmed through documentary stamp taxes paid on the deal.
The center is part of Cameratta’s developing Verdana Village community, planned for about 2,400 single-family homes and villas across roughly 2,100 acres. The property transaction involved about 1.45 acres at the community’s main entrance.
Retail center sits amid large housing plans
Built by WMG Development, the 78,000-square-foot shopping center opened in 2024. Its businesses include Dunkin’, The Nail Spa Estero, New York Pizza & Pasta and The UPS Store. The purchased outparcels include a Fifth Third Bank branch and a Heartland Dental office.
Nearby, the Kingston master-planned development has approval for as many as 10,000 homes on approximately 7,600 acres along Corkscrew Road and State Road 82. The scale of that proposal underscores the potential for continued population and commercial growth in eastern Lee County.
Part of Publix’s real estate strategy
The purchase follows Publix’s acquisition of Daniels Crossing, a 110,780-square-foot Fort Myers shopping center, for more than $36 million in May. Public-record research cited in the reporting indicates the company now holds roughly 45 properties in Southwest Florida, including shopping centers and other parcels.
By owning centers where it serves as the anchor tenant, Publix can exercise greater control over lease renewals, development decisions and the mix of neighboring businesses. The company has also made sizable purchases elsewhere in Florida and in Georgia. Publix reported $62.7 billion in retail sales for 2025 and operates more than 1,400 stores.