Q: Heard anything about Connors Seafood and Steakhouse coming to Naples soon? Hearing rumors. — Jim Wynn, Naples 

Q: Any word on the HomeSense going into Granada Shoppes? I see one opened in Fort Myers and haven’t seen much work being done on ours. Thanks! — Kerrie Delgado, Naples 

Q: I’m pretty sure you answered these awhile back, but can you tell us what is going in at the Old Time Pottery space on 41 in Bonita and what is going in at the old Home Depot Expo space next to Hobby Lobby in Granada Shoppes on Immokalee? — Gherri Wheaton, North Naples 

A: I recently broke the news about Barnes & Noble planning to relocate its longtime bookstore on the edge of Waterside Shops in North Naples about a mile south this year to the former Big Lots unit in the Burlington-anchored Park Shore Plaza in Naples.  

That Park Shore Plaza move is not the only big change coming to local shopping centers owned and operated by Brixmor Property Group. The New York-based real estate investment trust has something new happening at most of its half-dozen area properties, which include Granada Shoppes, Naples Plaza, Freedom Square, Marco Town Center and the Center of Bonita Springs. 

Besides Barnes & Noble coming to Park Shore Plaza on U.S. 41, tenant changes already underway will be turning heads at Granada Shoppes on the southeastern corner of U.S. 41 and Immokalee Road in North Naples. 

Granada Shoppes 

The most noticeable change at Granada Shoppes will be the addition of a new freestanding restaurant on an outparcel lot. Connors Steak & Seafood is making plans to be the latest addition to the center’s dining lineup, which already includes the longtime P.F. Chang’s China Bistro and the new Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen in freestanding spots; and Chuck E. Cheese’s, First Watch, Moe’s Southwest Grill, Jersey Mike’s Subs and Coffee Bar in inline units. 

“Connors Steak & Seafood is an exciting addition to the restaurant lineup at Granada Shoppes.  We are thrilled to bring such a high-quality, ascending brand to the Naples market,” said Maria Pace, Brixmor’s vice president of marketing. 

Connors, which specializes in aged steaks and fresh seafood, has had a regional restaurant since 2012 just outside Gulf Coast Town Center in south Fort Myers. The small chain has six other locations, including restaurants in Sarasota, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky and its inaugural location in Knoxville, Tennessee. 

“We are excited about the Naples opportunity and are anticipating a first quarter 2025 opening,” said Tim Martin, president of Tennessee-based TMA Real Estate, which handles the real estate for Connor Concepts. 

Connors is coming next year to an outparcel space along Immokalee Road in Granada Shoppes that has been a Dollar Tree store since 2017 and formerly was a Walgreens pharmacy until mid-2015. Dollar Tree will remain in Granada Shoppes, but it is relocating to a vacant inline space that formerly was Tuesday Morning and Linens ‘N Things next to Chuck E. Cheese’s. The move, which is expected in the third quarter of this year, will slightly reduce the size of the discount retail store from 14,490 to 12,110 square feet. 

Elsewhere in Granada Shoppes, Chick-fil-A representatives had a pre-application meeting last summer with Collier County Growth Management regarding a 3,686-square-foot quick-service restaurant with a drive-thru being considered for another longtime freestanding outparcel fronting U.S. 41 that used to be Red Robin and Applebee’s. Brixmor lists Chick-fil-A on its latest site plan for the retail center, but the deal with the popular national brand may not be finalized yet. 

“We are actively seeking a best-in-class restaurant for this space that will meet the needs of the Naples community,” Pace said. 

Meanwhile, construction crews have been busy building out interior and exterior units for two new national tenants—HomeSense and Five Below—coming to the former Orchard Supply Hardware space between Hobby Lobby and Haverty’s, the largest stores in Granada Shoppes. That large space has been divided for a 29,012-square-foot HomeSense and an 8,113-square-foot Five Below. Both new stores are targeted to open in the third quarter of this year.  

HomeSense possibly could open sooner, as early as late April or May, according to employees of Marshalls in Granada Shoppes and HomeGoods in Park Shore Plaza. These retailers are all part of the same parent company, TJX Companies. 

While similar to its sister brand HomeGoods, HomeSense features more big-ticket items and a larger selection of furniture, art and lighting. HomeSense opened its first regional store last October in the space Best Buy vacated in Gulf Coast Town Center. 

Five Below, which has an existing store at Carillon Place in Collier County and four in Lee County, is a Philadelphia-based chain that sells most of its items for $5 or less. 

More Brixmor 

“Southwest Florida is a key market for Brixmor,” Pace said. “If you get off an I-75 exit and drive to Naples’ main thoroughfare, U.S. 41, you are going to find a Brixmor center. Our strategy to consistently upgrade both the shopping centers and tenant mixes at our six properties in the market has been met with enthusiastic responses from both our tenants and shoppers.”  

At area Publix-anchored Brixmor properties, two department stores are being built out to replace the Old Time Pottery store that closed last year at The Center of Bonita Springs on the northwestern corner of U.S. 41 and Bonita Beach Road. A 41,800-square-foot Kohl’s and a 28,640-square-foot Burlington store are expected to open this summer in part of a large space that used to be Kmart years ago. 

SalonPlex, a collection of salon suites under one roof, is targeted to open next January in a 5,100-square-foot unit next to Xfinity in Freedom Square, the retail center on the northeastern corner of Collier Boulevard and U.S. 41. 

At last, the second coming of Paddy Murphy’s Irish Pub is finally almost ready to launch this month at Marco Town Center on Marco Island. The local watering hole is shooting to open March 14 or 15, with its grand opening on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, said co-owner Mike O’Regan. 

“That would be ideal, but it’s going to be tight,” O’Regan said. “That’s kind of the goal. We’re shooting for it. We’re on track right now. We’re making pretty good progress.” 

Similar to the original displaced by redevelopment years ago on Fifth Avenue South in Naples, expect the new Paddy Murphy’s to sport a 50-foot bar at its 3,060-square-foot venue at 1017 N. Collier Blvd., Unit 38.  

“We still have the long bar that we had in Naples,” O’Regan said. “This space is much bigger; it’s about 1,300 square feet bigger. It’s going to be bigger and better.” 

Paddy’s 2.0 also will have a patio, an indoor-outdoor bar and a menu with some traditional Irish favorites such as corned beef and cabbage. 

The “Tim Aten Knows” weekly column answers local questions from readers. Email Tim at tim.aten@naplespress.com.