Trader Joe’s confirmed as anchor at West Palm Beach South End development

Trader Joe’s was confirmed as the anchor tenant for a mixed-use development at 8111 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach’s South End, with renderings and a site plan released showing the project alongside the C-51 canal. The grocery chain’s store page says, “Our Crew is working hard so we can open our doors in 2026,” but no firm opening date has been announced.

The complex includes an eight-story apartment building called Sound Apartments with 358 rental units, and the developer expects residential occupancy to begin in a winter window. Patrick Koenig, co-founder of Flagler Realty and Development, said, “We believe that tenants will start occupying between December and February of 2027,” indicating a staggered timeline between residential move-ins and the grocery opening.

Flagler Realty and Development is still marketing additional retail bays at the site and has received multiple inquiries. Koenig said the developer has been fielding interest from “furniture stores, Pilates studios, lots of interest,” and the project could accommodate between one and three additional businesses beyond Trader Joe’s.

The site sits on West Palm Beach’s southern border with Lake Worth Beach and is immediately south of a Winn‑Dixie in the Palm Coast Plaza, placing the new grocery within a short drive for central Palm Beach County shoppers who previously traveled to other towns. A published rendering is captioned as looking north from the C-51 canal, illustrating how the grocery’s storefront and adjacent retail will relate to the waterway and surrounding parking.

Trader Joe’s arrival will bring the chain’s fifth Palm Beach County location to the market; existing stores are in Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington. The company’s local store messaging also says, “We’re happy to be part of your community, and proud to offer you unique products and an exceptional shopping experience, every day,” signaling that the site will offer the brand’s curated staples closer to South End neighborhoods.

Renderings and the site plan show the grocery anchored to the residential tower, and developers are moving forward with leasing while construction continues. With Trader Joe’s targeting 2026 for opening and Flagler projecting tenant move-ins between December and February of 2027, the project at 8111 S. Dixie Highway is set to reshape retail options on the city’s south edge and add significant rental housing to the Sound Apartments complex.