Exciting new shops and restaurants are coming to Downtown Winter Garden with the opening of a new three-story mixed use project called Plant Street Exchange. The first store opened this month with more businesses to follow throughout the summer.
Located at 270 W. Plant Street between City Hall and the interactive fountain, the 48,000 square-foot Plant Street Exchange will include a mix of restaurants and small shop retailers on the first floor. The upper two floors will have the largest contiguous office space available downtown. The project broke ground in January 2020 and is expected to be completed by the end of summer 2021.
Locally-owned Apricot Lane Boutique is the first in the Exchange to welcome customers. Opened in early June, the boutique specializes in unique clothing, jewelry, footwear, and gifts curated with the local fashionista in mind to capture the look and vibe of the local area. Owner and Winter Garden resident, Stephanie Robinson, personally hand picks the selections with new arrivals coming in several times a week.
“We are so pleased to be a part of the Winter Garden community and excited to build strong relationships with the Downtown merchants, boutiques, and neighborhoods,” said Robinson.
The store, located at 264 W. Plant St., is open seven days a week (Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am-6:00 pm and Sunday, 1:00 pm-5:00 pm). Officials believe the addition of Apricot Lane helps to make downtown Winter Garden a shopping destination for women’s apparel and accessories as it combines its offerings with existing boutiques: The Boutique on Plant Street, Doxology, and Shoo Shoo Baby Boutique.
At this time, the following restaurants have announced joining Plant Street Exchange: The Hangry Bison, Foxtail Coffee Co., Mangoni’s Italian Market (by the same owner of downtown’s Rosallie Le French Café), and Sweetland Bakery. In addition, LiveTrends that specializes in unique plant décor will be opening a retail store on the ground floor. Additional tenants will be announced throughout the summer.
The building’s architecture was designed by Farmer Architecture Inc. of Orlando and includes brick façade that blends with the historical streetscape, paying respect to the area’s small town charm. The developer and contractor are two Winter Garden companies: Crazy Plant Holdings, LLC and R.C. Stevens Construction Company respectively.
“Downtown Winter Garden has been thriving for years. I am very excited about how the Exchange will further evolve the landscape. The new addition of retailers and commercial office tenants will add to the exciting dynamic on Plant Street,” said Tim Keating, president of R.C. Stevens Construction Company.
Besides the new building, a pocket park will open adjacent to Plant Street Exchange later this summer. The Monarch Butterfly Sculpture Park will feature downtown’s first sculpture, a copper butterfly standing 10 feet tall and 8 feet wide among the park’s trees, greenery, and benches. The sculpture is being crafted by the worldwide renowned artist and local area resident Don Reynolds and is commissioned by the Bloom & Grow Garden Society. Downtown’s new park is conveniently located next to the Downtown Interactive Fountain and the popular Saturday Farmers Market.
