ORLANDO, Fla. — One of the fastest growing areas in Central Florida is expanding again with a major retail plaza opening in Lake Nona.
The first store in Lake Nona West will open in May at the intersection of Lake Nona Boulevard and Boggy Creek Road. The plaza will create hundreds of new jobs and boost Orlando’s sales tax revenues.
People who work in this area and some who drive through to get to work say they are excited to have new stores and restaurants, but some have concerns about even more traffic rolling through this area.
Work crews are building out spaces at the new Lake Nona West. The plaza will offer 405,000 square feet of stores and restaurants in Lake Nona, close to the Boggy Creek Road exit off State Road 417.
Linda Chang and her husband have lived in this area for 10 years. Chang says traffic is heavier now, but she plans her trips to avoid it, and she’s excited to have more choices.
“I think it’s good so I can go shopping, and I don’t have to go far, and I don’t have to drive far,” Chang said.
Home Sense will open in a few weeks. Target will welcome shoppers this summer. Dozens of businesses will open here by the end of this year.
Jessi Blakely with Tavistock Development Company says the plaza offers convenience.
“A lot of the new shops in the area are going to add great value for those everyday shopping needs,” Blakely said.
She said that Lake Nona covers 17 square miles, and Tavistock Development Company is planning new business, retail and residential projects to keep pace with rapid growth here.
“When you’re building a city from scratch, you’re continuously growing to meet the needs of the consumers and the visitors, and that’s what we’re doing here,” she said.
But all that growth has some residents concerned about traffic on Narcoossee Road, Boggy Creek Road and other major roads in Lake Nona.
Commissioner Tom Keen represents Lake Nona in District One on the Orlando City Council.
“Narcoossee Road right now is over capacity. There’s no question about it,” Keen said.
Keen said that residents have been asking for a retail plaza like this for 10 years. Keen adds local governments are working to widen Boggy Creek Road and preparing to build State Road 534.
“That will tie into the 417, and that will head south and will help alleviate some of the traffic congestion on Narcoossee Road once that is completed. It’s not expected to be completed until 2030 or 2032, so until that point, we’re going to have some issues,” he said.
Keen expects thousands more homes to be built in this area during the next several years. He adds Orlando is building a new Fire Station 18 near here to meet the public safety needs as the area keeps growing.
Tavistock says crews have built two roundabouts in front of the plaza to keep traffic flowing on Lake Nona Boulevard, and they will offer Beep autonomous shuttle rides to help reduce traffic.
Here are some numbers to show you how traffic has increased on Narcoossee Road over the last several years.
Florida Department of Transportation data shows between State Road 528 and the Osceola County line, an average of 38,000 cars traveled on Narcoossee Road each day in 2022. That went up to an average 59,500 cars per day in 2025 for that same stretch of the busy road.