Boutique grocer Trader Joe’s is planning another Central Florida location — the third new store announced in the last month — at the Waterford Oaks shopping center in eastern Orange County.
A building permit was filed Dec. 22 for the space at 1444 N. Alafaya Trail in the Waterford Lakes neighborhood by Mitch Collins P.E., an Orlando engineering firm. The property is owned by BluRock Development LLC.
The permit states that minor site modifications to the existing 15,000-square-foot space are needed for the incoming tenant, Trader Joe’s. Party City was the previous tenant, but the company filed for bankruptcy in December 2024 and closed most of its stores last year.
Mitch Collins, president of the firm, told GrowthSpotter construction work would likely start soon.
“I’m expecting in the next two to three months they’ll probably start doing work there and it probably won’t take them but two or three months to finish,” Collins said.
Trader Joe’s will be on the north end of the three-store building next to Hobby Lobby and Floor & Decor. The plaza is located on North Alafaya Trail near East Colonial Drive.
Nakia Rohde, public relations manager for Trader Joe’s, would not confirm a new store was going into Waterford Oaks.
“We are actively looking at hundreds of neighborhoods across the country, including many in Florida, as we hope to open more new neighborhood stores each year,” Rohde said. “At this time, we do not have a confirmed timeline or location for a new store in the Orlando area.”
Representatives with BluRock Commercial Real Estate, which handles leasing for the property, could not be reached for comment.
Trader Joe’s has proposed expanding the parking lot at its Dr. Phillips store on Sand Lake Road. The project would add about 30 new parking spaces. (Concept by AVID Group/McAdams)
In the Orlando market, Trader Joe’s operates stores in Winter Park and Dr. Phillips, where the grocer has recently filed tentative plans to expand the parking lot with about 30 more spaces. The supermarket is also moving into the space formerly occupied by Slate restaurant, which closed in 2024. GrowthSpotter reported in early December that Trader Joe’s was also setting its sights on Kissimmee and Maitland for continued expansion.
North American Development Group, the Toronto-based company that owns the Loop West shopping center, has filed site plans with the city of Kissimmee and South Florida Water Management District for a new 12,500-square-foot grocery store on the retail pad north of JCPenney.
NADG also owns Tomoka Town Center in Daytona Beach, where it opened a new Trader Joe’s on Nov. 14. The proposed grocery store’s building size and layout match typical Trader Joe’s prototypes, which are less than 15,000 square feet.
Meanwhile, Harbour Retail Partners, which bought Trelago Market in 2020, received preliminary approval in early December from the Maitland City Council for a new 12,500-square-foot specialty grocery store with 5,300 square feet of attached, inline retail on Lot 3 of the shopping center. Renderings shown during the meeting used the same signage style and font as Trader Joe’s but with the name “Farmer Jon’s.”
Trelago Market owner Harbour Retail Partners is planning a 12,500-square-foot Trader Joe’s in the Maitland shopping center. (Rendering courtesy of Harbour Retail Partners)
The shopping center at Maitland Concourse was designed with a grocery anchor in Lot 2, which was initially leased to Amazon Fresh, but the grocer never occupied the space. Harbour Retail’s Matt Bloomfield said they recently signed a new tenant: Crunch Fitness.
Trader Joe’s is owned by the same German family as Aldi, but the two chains operate separately. Trader Joe’s launched a rapid expansion plan for last year, announcing it would open 41 new stores across the nation by year’s end. As of Friday, the company’s website showed it opened 42 last year and listed four as “coming soon.” The small-format stores are known for private-label, low-cost, and unique seasonal items, such as Gingerbread Ice Cream Sandwiches and Peppermint Brookies.
Brian Bell can be reached at bbell@orlandosentinel.com. Have a tip about Central Florida development? Email Newsroom@GrowthSpotter.com. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.