Major retail project moves forward in neighboring New Smyrna Beach

A proposed shopping center anchored by Sprouts Farmers Market and T.J. Maxx has won approval in New Smyrna Beach, clearing the way for redevelopment of an 11-acre site at the southeast corner of State Road 44 and South Myrtle Avenue. While the project is outside Edgewater city limits, it is close enough to matter for local shoppers, commuters and anyone who regularly travels the SR 44 corridor into New Smyrna Beach.

According to reporting cited from the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the New Smyrna Beach City Commission voted 4-1 on May 12 to approve rezoning the former Florida East Coast Railway property as a planned-unit development. The agreement allows two buildings on the site, including an 85,000-square-foot structure expected to house two anchor stores and a smaller retailer, plus a separate freestanding retail space of about 7,000 square feet.

Traffic concerns were central to the debate

The proposal drew both support and opposition during a lengthy public hearing, with much of the concern focused on Myrtle Avenue traffic. Residents raised questions about congestion near the 10th Street rail crossing and the area’s proximity to three schools, including New Smyrna Beach Middle School. Those concerns are likely to resonate with Edgewater residents who already experience backups when heading into New Smyrna for shopping, school activities or beach trips.

Supporters argued that redevelopment could help address long-standing issues rather than worsen them without any offsetting improvements. Commissioner Brian Ashley said the city should not pass up the opportunity to use the project to improve traffic conditions, framing the decision as a tradeoff between growth pressures and the chance to reshape a difficult site.

From industrial land to retail destination

City officials said the property was once part of a much larger 103-acre railway maintenance area tied to the Florida East Coast Railway. The land had industrial roots, but New Smyrna Beach determined years ago that opening it to other uses made more sense. The approved planned-unit development is intended to tailor the site for modern commercial use while setting conditions through an agreement with the developer, GBT Realty Corporation.

For Edgewater readers, the significance is straightforward: this project could add new grocery and retail options nearby, but it may also affect travel patterns on one of the main routes connecting Edgewater to New Smyrna Beach. Construction timelines were not included in the material provided, and the third retailer planned for the site has not been publicly identified. Still, the approval marks a notable shift for a prominent corridor that many Edgewater residents use every week.