Skip to content
Tampa Bay Business & Wealth

Tampa Bay Business & Wealth

Primary Menu
  • News
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Sports
  • Policy
  • Tech
  • Insights
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Magazine
  • About TBBW
    • Meet TBBW’s Team
    • Contact
    • Advertising with Tampa Bay Business & Wealth
  • Home
  • 2025
  • December
  • 1
  • Publix-anchored Lakeland shopping center sells after 60 years
  • Economic Growth
  • Polk
  • Real Estate
  • Tampa Bay Business

Publix-anchored Lakeland shopping center sells after 60 years

Grove Park Shopping Center in Lakeland has been sold after 60 years and remains one of Florida’s strongest grocery-anchored retail assets.
Chuck Merlis December 1, 2025

Grove Park Shopping Center in Lakeland has been sold. The 120K square-foot Publix-anchored center has served Polk County for more than 60 years.

The center is fully leased and continues to perform at a high level with Publix, CVS, Dollar Tree and Humanitary Medical Center as its anchors.

Publix rebuilt its store in 2019, giving the center a fresh footprint and reinforcing long-term stability.

This sale matters because Publix-anchored retail remains one of the strongest asset classes in Florida, at a time when investors are placing a premium on predictable income and daily-need traffic.

What happened

Cushman & Wakefield announced the successful sale of Grove Park Shopping Center in Lakeland. The center was originally developed in 1960 by Publix founder George Jenkins as a model for a new kind of neighborhood shopping center.

The property totals 120,150 square feet and is 100% leased. Publix rebuilt its store in 2019. This upgrade reinforced the center’s long-term stability and strong income profile.

The tenant mix includes CVS, Dollar Tree and Humanitary Medical Center.

READ: 324-unit luxury community planned for Brandon

Mark Gilbert, Vice Chair at Cushman & Wakefield, said the center is now known for its strong anchors and a refreshed design that aligns with the Lakeland market’s growth.

Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, Longpoint Partners. The buyer is a private entity tied to Daniel Halberstein.

What’s happening now

Grocery-anchored retail continues to outperform most segments in Florida.

Publix leases are viewed as some of the safest income streams in the state, which has pushed investor interest toward centers with strong sales, long lease terms and infill locations.

READ: Tampa physician turns personal pain into a mission to heal

Lakeland’s steady population and job growth have added to that momentum. Grove Park serves as a daily needs hub for nearby residents and remains well-positioned as the area expands.

What this means for you

If you invest in commercial real estate, this sale reinforces that grocery-anchored centers remain a top target, especially those with Publix.

These assets continue to trade competitively because they offer stability even as interest rates reshape the market.

READ: UTampa moves ahead with new riverfront science building

If you are a developer or landlord, the deal highlights the value of infill retail with strong anchors and consistent foot traffic.

If you are a local business leader, it signals continued growth in Lakeland’s retail and residential base.

Takeaway

Grove Park Shopping Center is the type of retail asset investors want in Florida because it offers stability, a high-performing Publix and an infill location in a growing market.

The sale provides another data point that grocery-anchored retail remains one of the most durable sectors in commercial real estate.

Stay Connected

Sign up for TBBW’s newsletter

Watch TBBW’s Podcast

Follow TBBW on Social Media

Read More TBBW stories

Post navigation

Previous: 324-unit luxury community planned for Brandon
Next: How a 2nd-gen entrepreneur revived his family’s Tampa liquor stores

Stay Connected

Facebook
X (Twitter)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Instagram

Read More

Greenlane drive-thru restaurant exterior with green panel facade and roadside sign under a bright blue sky.
  • Business News
  • Dining
  • Economic Growth
  • Restaurants
  • Top Story
  • Uncategorized

Greenlane plans 2–3 new Tampa Bay stores each year

Chuck Merlis February 17, 2026 0
Erica Spector Wishnow came up with Greenlane during long car rides in Covid, when she spent hours...
Read More Read more about Greenlane plans 2–3 new Tampa Bay stores each year
Jabil cuts emissions 47% since 2019 Jabil headquarters building in St. Petersburg, Florida
  • Business News
  • Economic Growth
  • Pinellas
  • Tampa Bay Business
  • Tech

Jabil cuts emissions 47% since 2019

February 17, 2026 0
268-unit Tampa workforce housing project secures $19M mezzanine loan Rendering of a three-story multifamily apartment community planned along the Hillsborough River in Tampa
  • Economic Growth
  • Real Estate
  • Tampa Bay Business

268-unit Tampa workforce housing project secures $19M mezzanine loan

February 17, 2026 0
Tampa-based XTEND to go public in $1.5B merger Tampa Mayor Jane Castor shakes hands with XTEND CEO Aviv Shapira at a Tampa headquarters announcement event
  • Business News
  • Mergers & Acquisitions
  • Tech

Tampa-based XTEND to go public in $1.5B merger

February 17, 2026 0
Pink-painted buildings mark next step for Roche Bobois tower Side-by-side image shows bright pink apartment buildings slated for demolition and a rendering of the proposed Roche Bobois St. Pete Tower in downtown St. Petersburg.
  • Downtown St. Petersburg
  • Infrastructure & Development
  • Pinellas
  • Real Estate

Pink-painted buildings mark next step for Roche Bobois tower

February 16, 2026 0

About TBBW

Tampa Bay Business & Wealth (TBBW) is the leading source of Tampa Bay business news, telling the stories behind the region’s biggest companies and the leaders shaping Tampa Bay’s economy.

We report on founders, CEOs and entrepreneurs whose decisions influence jobs, investment, development and long-term growth across the region.
Published daily online and monthly in print, TBBW delivers paywall free coverage with local context and editorial depth.

Our mission is to inform, explain and connect by putting people at the center of business reporting. We believe strong journalism helps business leaders make better decisions and helps communities understand how growth happens, who drives it and why it matters. Learn More

Newsletter

Subscribe to TBBW Newsletter

Stay Connected

Facebook
X (Twitter)
YouTube
LinkedIn
Instagram
  • 1901 Ulmerton Road, Suite 100
  • Clearwater 33762
  • (727)-860-8229

DIGITAL MAGAZINE

Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Digital Magazine Cover Open Digital Magazine
  • News
  • Real Estate
  • Retail
  • Sports
  • Policy
  • Tech
  • Insights
  • Podcasts
  • Events
  • Magazine
  • About TBBW
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.
Sign up for TBBW’s free newsletter!

Subscribe

* indicates required