"It's hard to sell a space in a hard hat with no walls and no ceiling." That is how Jamie Cuzzocreo, the commercial leasing agent for The Promenade at Town Center, explained to FlaglerLive why filling the ground floor has taken longer than planned.
The project broke ground in July 2024. The plan was for its shops and restaurants to open in May 2026, under 204 apartments on the three floors above. May has come and gone. As of FlaglerLive's September 22 update, half of the six buildings were still an off-limits construction zone. The interior parking lot had just been surfaced and striped, and the first business was a matter of weeks from opening.
Now there is a tenant list, and it shows how Town Center will work this fall. The businesses on their way are mostly daytime places: coffee and bagels, running shoes, therapy appointments, candy. The one space the city hoped would hold a taproom or pub hasn't found a taker. Until it does, the evening crowd in Central Park comes from the City of Palm Coast's event calendar.
The six signed tenants mostly keep daytime hours
On October 1, the Palm Coast Observer published the Promenade's announcement of six tenants. FlaglerLive's reporting adds where some of them come from.
| Tenant | What it is | Local connection |
|---|---|---|
| 6th Street Deli | Kettle-boiled New York-style bagels, deli sandwiches, Lavazza coffee, homemade desserts, an Italian dry-goods shop, indoor and patio seating | Second location for the Flagler Beach deli at 109 6th St. S. |
| Fleet Feet | Running shoes, apparel and fitness gear | Plans fun runs, walks, training groups and in-store seminars |
| SIM Lounge Golf & Sport | Indoor golf simulators and multisport entertainment | Owned by Palm Coast resident Dorian Adams |
| Enchanted Medical Aesthetics | Medical aesthetics and wellness | Already operates in Ormond Beach and DeLand |
| AdventHealth Sports Rehab | Sports rehabilitation and physical therapy | The newest of more than a dozen AdventHealth locations of this kind in Central Florida |
| Grandpa Joe's Candy Shop | Nostalgic candy shop | Franchise with shops in The Villages and Ocala |
SIM Lounge is the only tenant on the list built around evening and group entertainment. The rest suit mornings and lunch hours. Fleet Feet stands out because of where it is. The development sits beside Central Park, its lake, and the hiking and biking trails, so a running store that organizes group runs is opening right at the trailhead.
The city is also helping these businesses get started. Its commercial leasing incentive program covers some startup costs at the Promenade, and Cuzzocreo said every new tenant is using it. 6th Street Deli will rent a little under 2,000 square feet for $69,700 a year, just under $6,000 a month. The incentive lets the deli recover almost all of that first year's rent.
The evening tenant hasn't arrived yet
FlaglerLive reported that the brokers and the city have both made a taproom, pub or bar a priority. Those efforts haven't worked out so far. A request for proposals the city issued earlier this year for the 5,250-square-foot space drew no interest. The same report offered one explanation. The restaurant row along State Road 100 is visible and nearby, and its traffic stays steady after dark, while Town Center gets quiet at night.
At least two planned tenants changed course. Thai and I, the Bunnell restaurant on State Street, had been slated for the Promenade. It is now moving into the former Chicken Pantry location on State Road 100 in Bunnell instead. A veterinary clinic also withdrew. The Flying Biscuit Cafe was in talks with the brokers in April, and that possibility is still unclear.
Cuzzocreo said "there are several" letters of intent and that some deals are close to closing. He expects another tenant announcement in 30 to 60 days. As of October 3, no other tenants have been announced.
Who fills Town Center at night: the city's events
Through the end of the year, the City of Palm Coast has a steady run of events in and around Town Center. Here they are in date order:
- Party in Pink Zumbathon, Saturday, October 10, 9 a.m. to noon, at the Palm Coast Community Center. Co-hosted by the city and AdventHealth Foundation.
- Beats and Eats, Thursday, October 15, 6 to 8 p.m., at The Stage at Town Center, 1500 Central Avenue. Stealing Vanity plays, and the beneficiary is Parkinson's of Flagler Palm Coast.
- Beats and Eats, Thursday, October 22, 6 to 8 p.m., same stage. Chillula plays, and the beneficiary is SMART.
- Hall of Terror, October 30 and 31, 7 to 10 p.m., at Fire Station 21, 9 Corporate Drive. Presented by the Palm Coast Fire Department, with a low-sensory hour from 6 to 7 p.m.
- Tree Lighting Ceremony, Saturday, November 28, 6 to 9 p.m., in Central Park. It opens the Rotary Club of Flagler County's 21st Annual Fantasy Lights.
- Starlight Parade, Saturday, December 12, in Central Park. Festivities start at 4 p.m., and the parade steps off at 6 p.m.
The two Beats and Eats nights end the season. The city runs the series monthly from May through October, combining Food Truck Tuesday with the Palm Coast Concert Series. Each night has food trucks, vendors, yard games, and beer and wine. The city asks people to bring a chair. The September 24 date was canceled, so October 15 and 22 are the last two shows on the city's posted schedule.
The beer and wine on site matters here. The Promenade hasn't been able to land a permanent taproom, but the city already sets up the same kind of evening on its own stage, a short walk away.
The two timelines meet in late November
On September 22, Cuzzocreo said stores would start opening "between 45 and 60 days" from then. Counting from that date puts the first openings between about November 6 and November 21. That is an estimate. FlaglerLive reported that no grand-opening date had been set, and a city spokesperson said nothing is scheduled.
If the estimate holds, the first storefronts will open one to three weeks before the Tree Lighting on November 28. After that, Fantasy Lights runs nightly from 6:30 to 9 p.m. through December 30. On December 12, the Starlight Parade brings 17 food trucks, a Parks & Recreation welcome tent with Letters to Santa and Grinch Games, and Santa's Village from 4 to 5 p.m.
So the Promenade's first month will probably overlap with five weeks of nightly holiday light displays next door. For the deli, the candy shop and the golf simulator, that is the first real chance to see whether Town Center draws people after dark when the city gives them a reason to come.
A few practical notes for the season:
- Before mid-November, the Promenade is still a construction site. The October concerts at The Stage are the reason to go to Town Center this month.
- Once doors open, start with 6th Street Deli if you know the Flagler Beach original. The Town Center location adds an Italian dry-goods shop with olive oils, pastas and baked goods.
- Runners and walkers should watch for Fleet Feet's first group runs. The store has said it will organize fun runs, walks and training groups once it opens.
- For the Fantasy Lights, 6:30 p.m. is the earliest the displays turn on any night between November 28 and December 30.
The ground floor is designed for roughly 40,000 square feet of retail and 25,000 square feet of medical and other offices, which can be divided into up to 16 individual spaces. Six leases are signed so far. The next announcement should show whether an evening tenant has signed on.
If you're keeping an eye on how Town Center is changing because you're thinking about your own next move in Palm Coast, I'm glad to talk it through with you. You can reach me through Ramona Damian. Let's Connect.
