Plans have been submitted for the conversion of another Winn-Dixie grocery store in The Villages.
The Building Department in Lady Lake has received an application and plans for converting the Winn-Dixie at La Plaza Grande to an ALDI supermarket.
A timetable has not been announced for the conversion, however the formal submission of plans is a tangible first step in that effort.
In July, the new ALDI opened its doors at Lake Sumter Landing.
The conversion of that store from a Winn-Dixie supermarket took several months. The Winn-Dixie at Lake Sumter Landing gradually sold off all of the inventory on the store’s shelves before finally shutting its doors prior to Christmas.
The Winn-Dixie at La Plaza Grande holds a special place in the history of The Villages. It was the first supermarket to open in Florida’s Friendliest Hometown. Many of the original residents of the Orange Blossom Gardens area remember the days when they had to drive to Leesburg to purchase groceries. Publix arrived in La Plaza Grande after Winn-Dixie. According to lore, Publix brass wanted to see the golf cart bridge built over U.S. Hwy. 27/441 before opening a grocery store. Publix wanted to ensure it had a sufficient customer base to support its first-ever store in The Villages…