Whole Foods to Anchor Sarasota Mixed-Use Redevelopment

November 25, 2025

Retail Brokerage Development Mixed Use More News Southeast

This property will comprise 530,000 square feet of retail and commercial space at full build-out.

Torburn Partners has signed Whole Foods Market to anchor the first phase of Sarasota Square, a 96-acre luxury mixed-use redevelopment in Sarasota, Fla. The project entails redeveloping a 1977-vintage indoor mall into what the company describes as “a next-generation, experiential-driven, open-air lifestyle destination.”

Exterior rendering of the Whole Foods Market store that will anchor Sarasota Square — A Whole Foods Market store will anchor the first phase of Sarasota Square. *Image courtesy of Torburn Partners*

Overall plans for the new Sarasota Square include 530,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and commercial space and more than 1 acre of open-air gathering space for social events and community programming, alongside 1,200 luxury residential units.

There will also be pedestrian-friendly districts, wellness-oriented amenities and a dedicated event venue designed to support year-round activations. The retail portion is already underway and the residential will break ground in the first quarter of 2026.

READ ALSO: What’s Driving Mixed-Use Design

The 35,828-square-foot Whole Foods will anchor the first of the project’s three phases of development. The tenant roster also includes home décor and furniture retailer HomeSense, which has committed to 24,214 square feet, as well as Charles Schwab and three fast-casual restaurants. Metro Commercial Real Estate’s Rod Castan and Alyona Tsutskova arranged the leases, Torburn Managing Director Michael Simpson said in a prepared statement.

The property is at 8201 S. Tamiami Trail, at the corner of U.S. 41 and Beneva Road, in an upscale area with strong residential growth, near the 10,000-acre Palmer Ranch community. Downtown Sarasota is 8 miles northwest.

Mixed-use projects take center stage

In an August update, SVN Commercial Advisory Group identified mixed-use developments as a “prominent trend” in the Sarasota region: “(These) projects … are integrating residential units, retail spaces and public amenities to create walkable, vibrant communities.”

One such project is Downtown Wellen, a mixed-use district underway within Wellen Park, a master-planned community in Sarasota County. During Phase Two, Developer Mattamy Homes intends to add more retail, restaurant and office space to the property, as well as a 120-key hotel luxury apartments and a dog park.