LeBlanc, a principal with Boca Raton-based Retail Realty Associates, plans to bring a grocery store and restaurants to the ground floor. Junior anchor stores ranging from 20,000 square feet to 45,000 square feet would occupy the second, third and fourth floors, he said. A health club is considering leasing the fifth floor, and furniture stores would occupy the sixth floor.
He said retailers like the site for two reasons. One is its proximity to major roads.
"And it is very difficult for any of these types of tenants to get east," he said.
With River Landing attracting traffic of its own, its garage would not help relieve a parking shortage in the busy courthouse and hospital district.
Light On Retail
Despite the large volume of people in the district, it barely has any shops.
"The Health District is void of retail," Hellinger said. "If you want that area to grow, you need to have the type of retail that will support urban living. Just building apartments or condominiums doesn't support urban growth at all."
The retail center is being built for retailers similar to the tenants in vertical retail centers like Midtown Miami, Dadeland Station in Kendall and Fifth & Alton in Miami Beach.
Hellinger said national tenants welcome his plans.
"We have more interest in the project than available retail space," he said.
Hellinger said he will develop River Landing with partners but declined to name them. He said the development group would put in nearly $60 million in equity before getting financing.
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