Sentinel Fund to Develop 140,000-SF North Port Retail Center Anchored by Detwiler's Farm Market
Orlando-based commercial real estate investment firm Sentinel Fund has signed Detwiler's Farm Market as the anchor tenant for a planned retail center at 5001 N. Sumter Blvd. in North Port, Florida, the developer announced at a North Port City Commission meeting on July 6, 2026.
The Detwiler's location will span 52,000 square feet and is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2028, making it the grocer's largest store to date and its first location built from the ground up. The broader shopping center is planned at 140,000 to 200,000 square feet on a 35-acre site at the intersection of Sumter Boulevard and Interstate 75.
Sentinel Fund's North Port Land Strategy
Sentinel Fund acquired the 35-acre parcel at 5001 N. Sumter Blvd. for $11 million in June 2026, according to Sarasota County property records. The purchase is part of a broader land aggregation effort the firm has pursued in North Port over the past 18 months.
North Port Economic Development Manager Michael Meerman told city commissioners that Sentinel Fund has acquired "key parcels" across the city, including both properties on the north side of I-75 and Sumter Boulevard totaling approximately 60 acres. The firm also purchased approximately 15 acres at the northwest quadrant of I-75 and Toledo Blade Boulevard, as well as a 2.1-acre parcel along Toledo Blade Boulevard at Commerce Parkway.
Over the last decade, Sentinel Fund has acquired and sold more than $200 million of commercial real estate and currently manages more than 467,000 square feet of commercial properties across the Southeastern United States.
Sentinel Fund Manager Tae Shin said the firm's interest in North Port began in 2023 after attending a trade show hosted by the International Council of Shopping Centers, where he met North Port staff who described the city's growth alongside a lack of retail services. Shin said he subsequently visited the market and identified what he characterized as a "retail desert" with no grocery stores, restaurants, or shopping options in the immediate area.
"Our center is going to complement Sarasota Memorial Hospital's economic impact in North Port by creating hundreds of jobs and by helping to keep North Port dollars in North Port," Shin told commissioners. "It's going to help the economy here in the city grow."
The planned shopping center's site plan, submitted by Shin and Tom Harvey, calls for 660 parking spaces. Shin described the center's positioning as a "grocery-anchored retail and dining destination." Detwiler's is the first tenant to sign a lease, with pre-leasing ongoing.
"We haven't finished pre-leasing yet," Shin said. "The plan is to have a grocery-anchored retail and dining destination."
Detwiler's Expansion and Store Format
Detwiler's Farm Market was founded in 2002 and currently operates six stores and a distribution center across Manatee and Sarasota counties. A seventh store is expected to open at Braden River Plaza off State Road 64 in Manatee County this fall. The North Port location will be the brand's southernmost store.
Detwiler's Farm Market founder Henry Detwiler Sr. said in a statement: "Our customers have been asking us for years to come to North Port. This location is especially meaningful because it allows us to design and build from the ground up, creating our largest store yet and an experience that truly reflects who we are."
Detwiler's President Sam Detwiler told North Port City Commissioners that North Port has been the brand's most requested location for seven to ten years. "We needed the right location, and we weren't able to find that up until now," Sam Detwiler said. "So we are stoked to be able to come here."
The 52,000-square-foot store will include departments for fresh produce, deli, bakery, seafood, and meat, along with additional grocery merchandise. Officials said the larger footprint will allow for expanded offerings, including merchandise and experiential elements still being planned. The store is expected to employ 125 to 150 people when it opens.
Proximity to Sarasota Memorial Hospital North Port Campus
The retail center will be located directly across Sumter Boulevard from the future Sarasota Memorial Hospital North Port campus, a facility valued at more than $500 million that broke ground in fall 2025 and is also targeted for a late 2028 opening.
North Port Vice Mayor Barbara Langdon said at the July 6 meeting: "Next to Sarasota Memorial finally breaking ground here, this is probably the most exciting announcement we've had in my 12 years of living here in the city. I've been waiting for this [Detwiler's] for a very long time… and I'm sure the North Port store is going to be by far and away my favorite."
With both the hospital and the retail center targeting late 2028 openings, the two projects represent a significant concentration of new commercial development along the Sumter Boulevard corridor in North Port, a city in south Sarasota County that officials have described as underserved by retail and dining options relative to its population growth.
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