ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – After more than a decade living near World Golf Village, Amy Snoddy says the quiet, neighborly community she once knew is becoming harder to recognize.
With Costco, Buc-ee’s and Bass Pro Shops already drawing shoppers to International Golf Parkway, plans for another major retail development have her wondering how much more growth the area can handle.
“I think a Trader Joe’s coming to the area is going to cause a lot of chaos, which we already have,” Snoddy told News4JAX reporter Briana Brownlee and photojournalist Jesse Hanson. “These big commercial buildings and businesses coming in and taking over; it’s not going to be the settled, neighborly atmosphere it used to be.”
But not everyone shares her concerns.
A woman from Houston who travels through the area once a week for work said she welcomes the additional shopping options. She declined to give her name.
“I would like to see that,” she said. “You already have Costco over there, so Trader Joe’s has good products, so why not put a nice little restaurant over there? So why not?”
The differing reactions come as plans for Legends Landing, a new retail development at World Commerce Center, show a Trader Joe’s and several other major retailers and restaurants proposed for land directly behind the existing shopping destinations.
What’s planned for Legends Landing?
According to development plans reviewed by the Jacksonville Daily Record, Trader Joe’s is identified as a 12,500-square-foot store.
The plans also identify several other proposed tenants:
Olive Garden
LongHorn Steakhouse
Hobby Lobby
Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen
Floor & Decor
A separate 140,500-square-foot anchor space is also shown on the plans, although the tenant has not been publicly identified.
The development is backed by a partnership that includes Stiles Retail Group, Cantrell & Morgan and FCA Partners. The group purchased more than 93 developable acres at World Commerce Center for $45 million in February.
In an Aug. 27 statement reported by the Jacksonville Daily Record, Stiles Vice President of Marketing Adrienne Zalkind said the project had evolved since its initial planning stages.
“There were several conceptual plans under consideration back in February, but the project has continued to evolve, and we have now identified our anchor tenant,” Zalkind wrote. “While we’re not yet at liberty to disclose the tenant’s name, we’re confident they will be a great fit for the growing World Commerce Center and St. Johns County community.”
What could the development mean for traffic?
For Snoddy, the concern goes beyond the possibility of more vehicles on the road. She says the area’s growing commercial footprint has changed the atmosphere of the community.
“Well, it’s just the commute in traffic is already chaotic,” Snoddy said. “I feel like the vibe in the area is more industrial versus that neighborly and homely feel that you used to have in World Golf Village.”
She also wonders how continued development could affect her home’s value.
“I lived here for over 10 years, and when I bought in this area it was a good time to buy,” Snoddy said. “Now I don’t know what it’s going to do for the value when I go to sell the home. It could be good, or it could be bad.”
The Houston commuter acknowledged that traffic is already a problem but questioned whether another shopping center would make much of a difference.
“Traffic is already horrific; it doesn’t matter where you go, with all of the people coming down here and people wanting to live here in Florida,” she said. “I mean, I guess it doesn’t make much of a difference.”
Although the plans identify several potential tenants, a construction timeline and opening dates have not been confirmed.
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