The biggest takeaway for North Port residents: Detwiler’s Farm Market says it plans to open its largest store yet at the northwest corner of I-75 and Sumter Boulevard, with a target opening in 2028 and roughly 125 to 150 jobs. If that project moves forward as described, it would bring a major grocery option, more nearby shopping and dining, and a larger commercial tax base in a fast-growing part of the city.
That announcement came during a City Commission workshop focused on economic development. Staff said North Port had added 218 new businesses this fiscal year through June, including 32 in June alone. Seven of those June additions were commercial businesses. Staff also said they had started with 823 business leads and narrowed them to 43 serious prospects, including retail, mixed-use, healthcare, technology, and lifestyle businesses. In plain terms, the city is casting a wide net, then working with a smaller group of companies that may actually build, lease, or hire here.
Economic Development official Michael Meerman also pointed to workforce efforts, including a healthcare expo and a free eight-month business academy for up to 35 local businesses. He said the city is also seeing steady interest tied to the new hospital area near Sumter and I-75.
Barbara Langdon had asked to see the city’s development pipeline and later thanked staff for showing the amount of work behind each prospect. Pete Emrich, Demetrius Petrow, and David Duval also praised staff and the Detwiler’s team after the announcement.
Public comment included one resident urging more progress on commercial development in eastern North Port and another criticizing proposed budget growth. The workshop ended without a vote. The next clear milestone mentioned was the first meeting of the city’s Q&R Council the following week, and business tax receipt renewals now run through Sept. 30.
Key takeaways: - The North Port City Commission workshop received a quarterly economic development update reporting 218 new businesses in the fiscal year as of June, including 32 added in June and 7 of those identified as commercial businesses. (0:12:20)
Economic development staff said they had generated 823 raw leads year to date, which they said had narrowed to 43 qualified opportunities across retail, mixed use, healthcare, technology, and lifestyle categories. (0:20:35)
Staff and private-sector representatives announced that Detwiler’s Farm Market has committed to a location in a planned development at the northwest corner of I-75 and Sumter Boulevard. (0:32:43)
A Detwiler’s representative said the North Port store is expected to be the company’s largest site and is hoped to open in 2028, with about 125 to 150 new jobs. (0:41:22)
Economic development quarterly update
Economic Development Michael Meerman presented a quarterly update and said the division’s focus remained business retention, business attraction, and workforce development. He said the presentation would cover business metrics, economic development activity, advanced manufacturing, and the development pipeline. (0:08:56)
Meerman said a slide showed 186 new businesses year to date, up 7% since 2005, but said updated figures including June brought that total to 218 new businesses in the fiscal year. He also said commercial businesses were up 17% year over year, and that in June there were 32 additional businesses, 7 of them commercial. He said 4% of those businesses were in the city’s targeted growth area, with growth specifically in health care. (0:10:44)
Meerman said business tax receipt renewal season had begun July 1 and runs through September 30. He said the city had made technical improvements to the Acela system to simplify renewals and registrations. He said business tax receipts also help the city track job growth tied to state job growth grant money used for infrastructure in the Toledo Blade I-75 area. (0:12:44)
Meerman said the city had partnered with the North Port Area Chamber of Commerce, the chamber foundation, and SCORE on the North Port Next Business Academy. He said the program was free to accepted applicants, capped at 35 businesses, and would run for eight months, resulting in a certificate from SCORE and city recognition. (0:14:39)
On business attraction activity, Meerman said Meerman said he attended the Maintenance and Repair Operations of America trade show and that the city participated in the International Council of Shopping Centers trade show in Las Vegas. He said much of the city’s inbound activity over the last two years had come from such trade shows. (0:15:34)
Meerman said the North Port Q&R Council, with Q&R standing for quantum and resilience, would hold its first meeting the following week in the city. He said 40 regional businesses, manufacturers, tech companies, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and educators would attend to discuss a quantum and resilient manufacturing environment with North Port as a hub. (0:16:55)
On workforce efforts, Meerman said the city hosted what he described as the city’s first and the region’s only health care exposition, with more than 60 vendors. He said the event was intended to show health care professionals and job seekers the range of careers in the industry. He also said the city continued work with semiconductor and health care industry participants, including some joining by Zoom from the West Coast, to guide workforce growth and education. (0:17:47)
Meerman said staff attended the Florida Economic Development Council’s Ignite conference in May for continuing education. (0:19:52)
Responding to a prior request from Barbara Langdon, Meerman presented a development funnel. He said the city had generated 823 raw leads year to date and narrowed those to 43 qualified opportunities. He said activity within those opportunities included site selection and land acquisition, pre-development assistance, development filings, tenant sourcing, and joint venture activity. (0:20:15)
Meerman said the 43 qualified opportunities included 14 retail-oriented prospects. He said the city does not heavily pursue most retail because much of it is market-driven, but does pursue “lifestyle” retail such as entertainment, recreation, hospitality, wellness, and childcare or early learning opportunities. He said mixed-use development remained active but had softened, and he referenced a stable prime rate, softening rent rates, and strong housing inventory. He said the division does not pursue single-family development but does engage in integrated mixed-use residential projects. (0:26:05)
Meerman said the city continued to receive daily inquiries related to support uses for the new hospital at Sumter and I-75, including diagnostic centers and physician housing. He also said he was actively engaged on four technology projects related to aerospace, aviation, semiconductors, and related industries. (0:28:41)
After the presentation, Barbara Langdon thanked Meerman for showing how much activity was required to identify a smaller pool of qualified prospects and for documenting active conversations in different business sectors. Pete Emrich thanked him for the presentation. (0:30:00)
Announcement of Detwiler’s Farm Market project
After the quarterly update, Meerman said an Orlando-based development and investment group he met when he came to the city had, over the last 18 months, bought key parcels in North Port. He identified them as both the northwest and northeast quadrants of I-75 and Sumter, each about 30 acres; the northwest quadrant of I-75 and Toledo Blade, about 15 acres; and, more recently, a two-plus-acre parcel along Toledo Blade Commerce Parkway. (0:31:14)
Meerman said the developers had submitted plans for the northwest corner of I-75 and Sumter Boulevard and had a list of prospective tenants. He said the plan included an outparcel component of more than 50,000 square feet and that the developers had secured a commitment from Detwiler’s Farm Market to move to North Port. (0:32:43)
Tai Shin, representing the investment group, said he first encountered North Port at the 2023 ICSC trade show in Las Vegas, where city staff told him about the city’s growth and lack of retail and dining. He said he later visited North Port, met with staff, reviewed demographics, and concluded there was an opportunity along the I-75 corridor. He said the group was planning a family-friendly dining and shopping center on the northwest corner of I-75 and Sumter Boulevard. He said the center was intended to complement Sarasota Memorial Hospital’s economic impact, create jobs, and generate tax revenue. (0:34:35)
Shin then introduced Sam Detweiler. Detweiler said North Port had been the most requested location for the company for seven to ten years and that the company had not previously found the right location. He said the North Port site would be the company’s largest site and would employ about 125 to 150 people. He also said the company currently bonuses employees four times a year. (0:38:51)
Asked about timing, Detweiler said the company was hoping to be open in 2028. (0:41:22)
Commissioners then commented on the announcement. Barbara Langdon said she had been waiting a long time for the project and thanked the investors, developers, company leadership, and city staff for keeping the effort moving. She said she would like to attend both the groundbreaking and ribbon cutting before leaving office in November of 2028. (0:41:57)
Pete Emrich said he wanted to note the work of the city manager, economic development staff, and building and planning staff in supporting economic development and a more balanced commercial and residential tax base. (0:45:00)
Demetrius Petrow thanked the developers, investors, the Detwiler family, and city staff for their efforts. (0:46:29)
David Duval said, “On behalf of the residents who elected me, I want to say thank you.” (0:47:27)
Barbara Langdon added that staff had worked hard to keep the conversation alive when things looked “particularly bleak.” (0:47:49)
Public comment
One e-comment was read into the record from John Krebspock. He said one reason for approving the new ULDC in 2024 was to generate commercial tax revenues from about 9,000 vacant lots in eastern North Port, now known as AC-6 and AC-10. He said that as of June 2026, the number of construction projects submitted and approved by the North Port Development Review Committee was zero, and he called for a business advisory group. (0:04:03)
One in-person speaker, identified on the record as Baldy Oleander, addressed the commission. He asked that a police officer be moved away from him, referred to budget growth since Fletcher arrived, said fiscal year 2027 budget spending should be at par with population growth, said he did not consent to the 2027 budget proposition, and cited unemployment figures he said were 4.7 percent in 2025, up from 3.9 in 2024, and 5.8 in 2026. (0:05:13)
The workshop adjourned at 10:46 a.m. (0:48:32)
Watch the full meeting recording
Vote tallies in this recap were transcribed from the meeting recording and reviewed by a human editor; this body doesn’t publish a structured roll-call record, so they were not independently verified against an official vote log.
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