A Walmart Neighborhood Market planned for an old shopping plaza in southeast Ocala is seeking a key rezoning approval this week to proceed with its revitalization of the development.
Walmart Stores East, LP will make its rezoning request to the Ocala City Council during its regular meeting on Tuesday, September 17.
According to city records, the company is seeking to rezone .36 acres from B-2, Community Business, to Shopping Center (SC) at the new development, which is situated near the intersection of SE 36th Avenue and SE Maricamp Road. The property is owned by Trigen Holdings, LLC.
The Walmart is taking over the former Cedar Shores Shopping Plaza that was anchored by Winn Dixie, which closed nearly a decade ago. The plaza, which has since become Saddleback Square Shopping Center, welcomed its first new tenant, Starbucks, in 2021.
Now, Walmart has plans to add a grocery store, gas station, and two additional outparcels at the site.
The .36-acre portion of the development will feature the gas station, according to city records.
Last month, representatives from WRS, Inc., a real estate development and investment firm, confirmed that the organization had entered into a ground lease with Walmart for the new grocery store, which will be located at 3535 Maricamp Road in Ocala.
In August, agents representing the grocery chain received a recommendation for approval of the rezoning request from the Ocala Planning and Zoning Commission.
The new development is one of several that have been built or are planned for the area.
Across the street from the planned Walmart, another developer is seeking to prepare several commercial outparcels for potential businesses.
Just down the road from the development, OLA Drive Thru opened its second location in Ocala last fall.
