South Florida Developer Plans 700,000-SF Power Center at Proposed Five Mil-SF Mall at Millenia

ORLANDO-Wall-to-wall outlets is the name of the game in metro Orlando’s seemingly bottomless 46 million-sf retail market.

The newest project and the newest player: Millenia Plaza and Swerdlow Real Estate Group Inc. of Pembroke Pines, FL.

Millenia Plaza is a planned 700,000-sf big-box venture at Interstate 4 and Conroy Road within the proposed five-million-sf Mall at Millenia in south Orlando. The estimated construction cost is $70 million. Millenia Plaza anticipates a June 2001 opening, although the bulk of the estimated $500 million Mall at Millenia won’t be built out until 2002.

That isn’t stopping Swerdlow from lining up big-name tenants. In the fold are Atlanta-based Home Depot; BJs Wholesale Club of Natick, MA; OfficeMax; Burdines; and Linens-N-Things.

Home Depot will be the lead anchor with a total 250,000 sf split among two outlets–the conventional home improvement center and Expo Design Center, the company’s new interior design firm.

Home Depot has 17 Expo Centers nationally including three in Florida. The company plans to open 200 by 2005. BJs Wholesale Club anticipates building two more Orlando area stores.

Millenia Plaza will cover 60 acres within the 405-acre Mall at Millenia being developed by Forbes Co. of Southfield, MI and Taubman Centers Inc. The mall has lined up Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman Marcus as anchor department stores.