By Chris Wilson

It’s easy to see by all of the construction going on throughout the Jonesville area that many new businesses will soon be moving to the area. Recently, Tioga Town Center president Gilbert Levy provided The Suburban Chronicle with an update on businesses and plans for future development at the Tioga Town Center and Jonesville Plaza, which is located between the already-existing Steeplechase Plaza and NW 140th Terr. on the north side of W. Newberry Rd.

Tioga Town Center

It’s hard to believe the already-bustling Tioga Town Center is only a third of the way toward being completed.

Levy says the third and fourth buildings, which will be located just behind the already-existing plaza, will be built in the next 14-16 months and the final two buildings, which will be located immediately behind those, will be completed within about 30 months. Those four buildings will feature a mix of retail on the street-level and luxury apartments (some as big as 1,800-square-feet) will be on the second and third stories. The Tioga Town Square, which will be located in the center of the six buildings, will be constructed within six to eight months.

In addition, the already-existing Tioga Town Center will have additional tenants moving into their buildings over the next several months. Perhaps most notable among the new tenants is Oceans, a new restaurant, which will occupy the space directly across from Starbucks, between the Bath Junkie and Peterbrooke Chocolatier.

Oceans will be operated by chef Stephen Williams, owner and operator of the former Steve’s Café Americain, which is now called Tapas 12 West, located near Main St. in downtown Gainesville. Oceans will feature seafood, steaks, chicken and chops, as well as children’s menu items. It will be open for both lunch and dinner and Williams is planning to open the new establishment by the end of 2007, according to Levy.

In addition, the second story of the west building at the Town Center is beginning to draw new tenants. Scottrade, a discount stock brokerage company, will occupy one of the second story offices. In addition, Willow Walk Family Dentistry, which includes Cynthia Haug, DDS, and Michelle Orris, DMD, will move from its current Willow Walk Office Park location to a second story office in the Town Center. Levy says additional office space is being leased to a real estate firm, but he is not yet able to disclose the name of the firm.

Jonesville Plaza

The soon-to-be constructed Jonesville Plaza, located between the current Publix-anchored Steeplechase plaza and the Willow Walk Professional Center, will feature a multi-phase, mixed-use planned development, with a melange of retail, office and residential areas spread across 76.9 acres.

At the corner of the Jonesville Plaza property on Newberry Rd., a Walgreens Pharmacy already is under construction. The 14,000-square-foot building should be finished in time to be open for the second quarter of 2008, according to Levy.

Immediately behind Walgreens, a retail center will be constructed in the same architectural style as the adjacent Steeplechase plaza. The planned development that has been approved by Alachua County allows for up to 42,000-square-feet of retail space in that area. However, Levy says  it’s still unclear as to how the plaza will be broken down. “There could be one large anchor or a few 5,000-square-foot stores or restaurants,” he says.

On the opposite side of NW 138th Terr. from the existing Willow Walk Professional Center, there will be the 100,000-square-feet corporate headquarters and a branch office for Campus USA Credit Union, where they estimate to have 200 employees. Previously, Campus USA had its corporate employees spread out around town and this is their effort to consolidate, according to Levy.

Levy says that located immediately behind the shopping plaza will be a large area for stormwater mitigation and some park space that will include benches and plenty of trees. There will be a professional and medical office park, which will include a series of two-story buildings. “We wanted to have two-story office buildings, as opposed to building an office park with shingle-roof buildings that look like homes,”?Levy explains. “These will look like office buildings.” 

The planned development also has been approved for up to 300 single family homes. However, Levy says it’s still unclear exactly how many homes will be built. “We have enough room for the 300 units that we are approved to have,” he says. “But, we have not made a decision on the density of the residential area.”