Where can someone in Lake Nona pick up a birthday gift, a case of wine, a throw rug and a week of groceries in one stop, without spending part of the afternoon on Narcoossee Road? Until this summer there was no good answer. Now there is one at the corner of Lake Nona Boulevard and Boggy Creek Road. It's still only part of what was promised, though.
Lake Nona West, Tavistock Development's open-air center at 5959 Lake Nona Blvd., covers 54 acres and more than 405,000 square feet. It sits just southeast of State Road 417. Tavistock's own description calls it "a place designed to stay awhile, not simply pass through." In early October 2026, that describes the plan more than the place. The stores that make it worth the drive are open. Almost everything that would give you a reason to stay, like a sit-down meal, a blowout or an ice cream after dinner, is still marked "Coming Soon."
That split shapes how the center fits into a normal week right now.
The Errand Half Is Open
Openings came in stages through the summer. Lake Nona Social's May 1 preview expected Homesense in mid-May, Barnes & Noble in mid-June, and Total Wine & More about a week later. It had Target and DICK'S Sporting Goods with Golf Galaxy in July and Nordstrom Rack in August. Most of that held up. By July 29, Lake Nona's own update listed Target, Homesense, Barnes & Noble and Total Wine & More as open. Nordstrom Rack slipped about a month and opened on September 24.
Here's where each tenant stood as of early October 2026:
| Tenant | Status as of October 2026 | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Target | Open | Anchor store, nearly 150,000 sq ft, in Target's newer, larger format |
| Homesense | Open | Full furniture galleries, with new stock arriving through the week |
| Barnes & Noble | Open | Displays and picks chosen by the local store team |
| Total Wine & More | Open | Wine, beer and spirits |
| Nordstrom Rack | Open since September 24 | 6015 Lake Nona Blvd., nearly 26,000 sq ft, handles pickup and returns for Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack online orders |
| DICK'S Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy | Store page shows hours and services; no opening date announced | 66,000 sq ft shared, with a Golf Galaxy Performance Center |
| JETSET Pilates | Listed in the directory; open status not confirmed | Reformer Pilates studio founded in Miami Beach |
Taken together, the open stores cover a lot of household shopping. Groceries and basics at Target, home goods at Homesense, books, wine, and discount apparel at the Rack. The Nordstrom pickup and returns counter also brings an online-order chore close to home.
The Lingering Half Is Still on the Directory
The Lake Nona West directory still lists six tenants as "Coming Soon," with no dates: Sephora, Drybar, Gloss Nail Co., Cañonita, Just Salad and Kilwins.
That group covers nearly all the food, treats and personal services on the announced roster. Cañonita is a contemporary Mexican restaurant rooted in regional traditions, and Lake Nona West will be its first Central Florida location. When WhatNow Orlando reported on it in May, the target was "late 2026," and there's no firmer date yet. Kilwins will make its fudge in the store on marble tables. Just Salad is a fast-casual chain with carbon labels across its whole menu. For Sephora, WhatNow's October 3 update said it couldn't get opening details from the company.
The design is meant for lingering. There are shaded promenades between the shops and future restaurants, plus pocket parks and gathering greens. A public art program led by Chalk & Brush is adding 30 original murals across the buildings and walkways. The easiest one to spot is a large "Greetings from Lake Nona West" mural facing Lake Nona Boulevard. It includes The Glass House and Disco the dog. GrowthSpotter reported in April that the interior streets can close for special events and holiday celebrations. So far, no fall or holiday event dates have been announced.
So the promenades and murals are in place, but the restaurants and cafes they're built around aren't open yet. For now, most visits are a park, shop and leave trip.
Why the Location Matters More Right Now
Even half-open, the center is useful because of where it sits. Lake Nona's other big retail spots are reached from Narcoossee Road, and Narcoossee has gotten much more crowded. In Spectrum News 13's April report, Florida Department of Transportation data showed an average of 38,000 vehicles a day in 2022 on the stretch between State Road 528 and the Osceola County line. By 2025 it was 59,500, an increase of more than half in three years. City Commissioner Tom Keen, who represents Lake Nona, told the station, "Narcoossee Road right now is over capacity."
The bigger fixes are years off. Keen said local governments are working to widen Boggy Creek Road and getting ready to build State Road 534, which will tie into SR 417. He said it isn't expected to be finished until 2030 or 2032.
Lake Nona West is on the other side of the community, near the Boggy Creek Road exit off SR 417. Tavistock built two roundabouts in front of the center to keep Lake Nona Boulevard moving, and it has said it plans to run Beep autonomous shuttle rides to cut down on car trips. If you live in the western part of the community, or come and go by the 417, the big-box run no longer has to use Narcoossee at all. A new Chick-fil-A nearby at 14239 Nona North Road, which opened July 30, puts a quick meal along the same route.
This is the main reason the center already earns a regular spot in the week, even before the full tenant list opens. The open stores are mostly national brands available elsewhere in Orlando. What's new is getting them without the Narcoossee drive.
An October Errand Loop That Works Today
Based only on what's open now, a Lake Nona West stop can follow this order:
- Nordstrom Rack first if you have online returns or a pickup, so you aren't carrying bags across the lot later.
- Barnes & Noble and Homesense next. Homesense's furniture galleries take the most time, and its stock changes through the week.
- Total Wine & More for anything you're bringing to a fall gathering.
- Target last, so groceries and cold items go straight to the car.
- The murals on the way out. The "Greetings from Lake Nona West" mural faces Lake Nona Boulevard, and the rest are spread along the promenades.
There's no sit-down restaurant in the center yet. If you want a meal on the same trip, plan to eat somewhere else.
Signs the Center Is Filling In
The next few months will show whether the lingering half arrives on schedule. Watch for:
- Cañonita's opening date. It's the first full-service restaurant on the roster, and it would be the first real reason to visit Lake Nona West in the evening.
- Kilwins and Just Salad. These are the quick food stops that make a longer browse easier.
- Sephora, Drybar and Gloss Nail Co. These personal-care stops would extend visits beyond a single shopping trip.
- The Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging hub. Tavistock has announced a 20-stall Level 3 charging hub, still described as coming, with no opening date.
- New tenant announcements. Tavistock says more national, local and first-to-market concepts will be announced, with openings running into early 2027.
The summer schedule shows how the timing tends to work. Most of the early forecasts landed close to their target month, and the biggest miss was Nordstrom Rack, about a month late. A "late 2026" estimate for a restaurant is most useful read the same way: an approximate window, not a promise.
New retail like this changes daily routines first and shows up in homeowners' decisions later, if it ever does. If you're weighing how projects like Lake Nona West fit into a move, a sale or a stay in Lake Nona, McQuade Home Team can go through what's open, what's still planned and how the roads are changing, in plain terms and without pressure. Schedule a Consultation whenever you're ready.
