- July 19, 2025
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Center Point at Waterside in Lakewood Ranch has found its perfect mix of local and national tenants and is fully-leased.
The 50-acre mixed-use plaza that sits in the southeast corner of University Parkway and Lakewood Ranch Boulevard started construction in 2019 with a 77,000-square-foot medical building.
Now, six years later, the last outparcel is open for business and the final commercial space has been leased. The developer of the project is Casto Southeast Realty.
One of the more recent tenants to open is 131 Main, an upscale steak and seafood restaurant that began serving customers in April. The owner, Joe Douglas, has four other locations — all in North Carolina. Manatee County property records show an LLC in Cornelius, North Carolina connected to the restaurant acquired a 1.63-acre parcel on the corner of University Parkway and Business Boulevard from Casto in March 2024 for $2.9 million, to bring the newest 131 Main to Lakewood Ranch.
Douglas says the deal was made locally, but Casto President Brett Hutchens visited his Charlotte restaurant to try the food first, then accept the check. Hutchens, his wife Fabienne and their dog dined on the patio.
“It wasn’t just (writing) a check, it was a check and an interview,” Douglas says. “Fortunately, it went our way.”
Center Point appealed to Douglas because he’s also a real estate developer. Most of the businesses Casto works with lease properties, but Casto allowed Douglas to buy his parcel. He likes to build from the ground up.
131 Main completes the row of freestanding buildings that front University Parkway. Ruth’s Chris Steak House anchors the opposite corner on Lakewood Ranch Boulevard. In between are 7-Eleven, McDonald’s, Bar Italia, Bad Ass Coffee of Hawaii, a bank and a dentist's office.
Hutchens says it takes balance to fill a plaza. Tenants need to complement one another — not compete.
In January, there was one space left to lease within the inner strip of businesses, and there were plenty of options. In the end, Casto chose to offer visitors something sweet.
The Milkshake Factory will fill that final spot with milkshakes and chocolates. The concept was launched by fourth-generation chocolatiers. The family business started expanding in 2023 through franchising.
The Milkshake Factory is now in 15 states with 22 stores open and over a dozen in the works.
Bradenton residents Renee and Brent Schadenberg are the local franchise owners. They’re opening another Milkshake Factory at 7230 Manatee Avenue West. The couple’s territory spans from Bradenton to Fort Myers.
Opening dates are not scheduled for either location as of yet.
The latest and last restaurant to open in Center Point is Flower Child, a fast-casual, health-conscious restaurant.
“This is the first store in Florida for Flower Child, which a lot of people in our business can’t believe,” Hutchens says. “Mostly, those concepts try Miami first and then grow elsewhere.”
Dave Luz, vice president of operations for Flower Child, says the brand thrives in communities that align with the company’s values — wellness, quality of life and a strong sense of community.
“We know that Lakewood Ranch is one of the fastest-growing communities in the state, with a highly engaged, health-conscious population — our ideal guest,” Luz says. “So, that means we don't always enter a market with the obvious choice if we have an opportunity with a market like Lakewood Ranch.”
Casto made a point to include several wellness options at Center Point. Chamberlin’s is an all natural grocery store. The Thrivery is a juicery and cafe focused on nutrition. There’s also a pilates studio and med spa.
The Lakewood Ranch location is No. 41 for Flower Child, which was created by Sam Fox of Fox Restaurant Concepts before the restaurant group was bought by the Cheesecake Factory in 2019.
Hutchens thought Flower Child was “phenomenal” long before the lease was signed, so he was the one who wanted to be picked that time. Benderson Development's UTC, a mile or so west of Center Point, had also been trying to coax Flower Child into the Florida market, he says.
Luz credits Hutchens for being the “catalyst” for bringing the brand to Lakewood Ranch.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with Brett and Casto,” Luz says. “Their passion for creating a curated, community-driven dining and retail experience was clear from day one.”
Luz adds that Lakewood Ranch “checked all the boxes for an impactful debut in the state.”
This article originally appeared on sister site YourObserver.com.
