Tidewater Preserve's front gate opens onto 48th Street Court East, the road that runs north from State Road 64. Two full-size grocery stores are now going up along that stretch of SR 64. One is in the former Winn-Dixie at Braden River Plaza. The other is across Interstate 75 at The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour. Both are under construction, and the latest public timelines point both of them to 2027.
So this fall is a construction season on SR 64 more than an opening season. One of the two stores was first expected this autumn, and that date has since moved. The changes you can actually use right now are smaller ones.
The Winn-Dixie Building Becomes a Detwiler's
Detwiler's Farm Market announced in November 2025 that it would renovate the former Winn-Dixie at 4502 E. State Road 64 into a 43,000-square-foot store. The Sarasota-based family grocer is building it with Benderson Development. The company's announcement describes Braden River Plaza as sitting on "the busy east–west corridor linking I-75 to downtown Bradenton and the beaches." The store will have Detwiler's usual departments: produce, meats and seafood, a deli, a scratch bakery, grocery and wellness. The company also promised "new offerings unique to this location."
"We can't wait to bring the full Detwiler's experience to this part of town." Sam Detwiler, in the company's announcement
The opening date has been reported two ways. When the store was announced, the Bradenton Herald reported a fall 2026 target. The Herald repeated that "by fall 2026" date as recently as July 6, 2026. Detwiler's own announcement page has said spring 2027 all along. The most recent update comes from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune on August 30, 2026. It describes the Braden River Plaza store as under construction and expected to open in 2027, with no month given.
That makes 2027 the date to plan around. The fall 2026 target is no longer current.
The same Herald-Tribune coverage shows where this store fits in the company's growth. The newest Detwiler's open today, at 3500 53rd Ave. W. in Bradenton, is its sixth location. After Braden River Plaza, the company has announced a North Port store near Sumter Boulevard and I-75 for late 2028. The SR 64 store will be the company's seventh and its third in Manatee County. Until it opens, the closest existing Detwiler's from the SR 64 East side is that 53rd Avenue West store.
Across I-75, a First Whole Foods for Bradenton
The second store is at The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour, 805 Lighthouse Drive, on the northeast corner of I-75 and SR 64. The center already has Costco and Target as anchors. Whole Foods has been confirmed for the site longer than Detwiler's. The Bradenton Herald reported in February 2024 that the chain called a store there "in development." Contractor Hawkins announced in October 2025 that it had broken ground on a 40,112-square-foot store at 7295 SR 64 East. The Herald reported construction underway as of February 2026.
The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported on May 4, 2026 that Bradenton's first Whole Foods would open in early 2027. That is the latest opening date reported publicly. It is also five months old, so it is a reported target rather than a confirmed date. Edgewood Properties' leasing plan, dated September 14, 2026, still shows the Whole Foods on the site.
The two stores are similar in size and timing but differ in almost everything else. Here is where each one stands as of early October 2026:
- Detwiler's, Braden River Plaza, 4502 E. SR 64. About 43,000 square feet in a renovated former Winn-Dixie. Under construction, with the latest report saying 2027.
- Whole Foods Market, The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour. About 40,112 square feet in a new building. Under construction, with the latest reported target of early 2027.
One is a local family grocer reusing an existing building on the downtown side of I-75. The other is a national chain building new on the far side of the interchange, between Costco and Target.
What Is Already Open on SR 64
The wait for groceries does not mean nothing has changed. Los Chiludos opened its second location at 4418 E. State Road 64 in Braden River Plaza on June 4, 2026, a few doors from the future Detwiler's. The first Los Chiludos opened on Anna Maria Island in 2022. The new location serves the same California-style Mexican food, including the California burrito, birria tacos, tortas and the Chilango burrito. Inside, a graffiti-style mural shows a lowrider Chevy Impala on one wall, with the Mexican flag on the other. Co-owner Alonzo Lemus told the Herald the Impala is a tribute to his father's own '63 Impala SS.
That opening fits the larger pattern. Braden River Plaza is being refilled around a grocery anchor, starting with a sit-down restaurant and moving on to a 43,000-square-foot store next year.
The Heritage Harbour Pipeline, and One Lease That Ended
The Marketplace has more restaurants and shops coming, though some plans are firmer than others. In May 2026 the Herald reported three new restaurants on Edgewood's leasing plan: Fresh Kitchen, U-Yee Sushi & Grill and Pure Green Juice Bar. Pure Green was placed in a four-unit building next to the future Whole Foods. Edgewood's September 14, 2026 leasing plan still lists puregreen. It also names Lucky Goat, Lotus and QDOBA Mexican Eats, along with tenants such as CAVA, Panda, Chick-fil-A, Season 52, Miller's Ale-House and LongHorn Steakhouse. Fresh Kitchen and U-Yee Sushi & Grill do not appear on the September plan. Until a newer report confirms them, treat those two as unconfirmed.
One planned arrival is officially off. Portillo's will not open at 7267 State Road 64. Your Observer reported in January 2026 that the operator and the Marketplace ended their lease after the restaurant's permit was voided.
Edgewood's plan is a concept document, not an opening schedule. It shows where the center is headed, but a name on the plan does not mean the store is open.
Driving the Interchange This Fall
Traffic at the interchange is part of the picture too. The Sarasota/Manatee MPO's Traffic Watch for the week of October 4, 2026 lists an FDOT project installing arterial message signs at the I-75 interchanges with SR 64 and SR 70. It is expected to finish in late 2026. Between this sign work and two active construction sites, plan on extra time for any trip that crosses the interchange.
FDOT has also marked its SR 64 resurfacing project from 10th Street East to the Braden River as completed, so drives west toward downtown no longer run through that work zone.
Saturday Groceries Downtown in the Meantime
Until either store opens, the Bradenton Public Market is the closest weekly farmers market for anyone heading west on SR 64. The market runs Saturdays from October through May, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., on Old Main Street. By our estimate, it is roughly seven to eight miles from the Tidewater Preserve gate. Realize Bradenton's 2026–27 schedule includes these dates:
- October 15: Chef at the Market with Chef Jimmy Kensinger of Hearty Jars
- October 31: Halloween at the Market
- November 19: Chef at the Market with Chef Tim of Manatee Memorial Hospital's nutrition services
- December 12: Youth Booth Holiday Market
- December 19: Mayor Santa at the Market
Winter Wonderland comes back to Old Main Street on December 5, 2026, with holiday performances, vendors, food and family activities.
The next date to watch on SR 64 is a confirmed opening day from either Detwiler's or Whole Foods. Both stores are under construction, and the latest public timelines put both in 2027.
Pamela Modisett follows SR 64 East closely, including what is being built in Braden River Plaza and at Heritage Harbour and how those changes affect daily life for Tidewater Preserve homeowners. If you'd like to talk about what these openings could mean for your home and your plans, Gulf Coast Premier Properties would be glad to hear from you. Let's Connect.
