Sembler Shrinks Winter Garden Retail Project to 1M SF

WINTER GARDEN, FL-At 1.6 million sf and 174 acres, Sembler Co.'s proposed Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves would have been the largest open-air shopping center in Florida. But a group of 100 area homeowners in this suburban city six miles west of Downtown Orlando have convinced the developer to shrink the project by about 500,000 sf to 1.1 million sf, city planners confirm to GlobeSt.com.

The group's primary concern was uncontrolled traffic congestion that would be generated from the retail venture. But even at 1.1 million sf, the project will be one of the largest of its kind in Central Florida, according to GlobeSt.com research. Two rivals plan comparable projects within a five-mile radius of Assembler's project. They are Plaza Collin, a 1.2-million sf, 138-acre enterprise planned by Phoenicia Development LLC, and Town Center at Horizon West, a 1,957-acre retail, office and residential community comprised of five villages planned by Orlando-based Miller, Sullen, Connor & Walsh Inc., as GlobeSt.com previously reported.

In agreeing to revise its development plan, Sembler officials also replaced big-box stores with townhomes on the site's east side near other shelter projects; moved the big-box retail component to the east side bordered by State Road 429 and reduced the number of big boxes to two from three; eliminated a planned 21-screen movie theater; and realigned the route of Daniels Road.

The four-lane Daniels Road, formerly running through the center of the project will be widened to six lanes, part of a $30-million road upgrade Sembler is absorbing, city planners confirm for GlobeSt.com. A ground-breaking date is still being determined.

Sembler is also active in the Atlanta area with $1 billion in ongoing new retail and commercial projects under way in region. The firm plans to start a $100-million mixed-use venture at the Prado's 5600 Roswell Rd. shopping center site in Sandy Springs, GA.