This Week in The Villages: Fiesta Grande Opens, McNeill Drive Progress and More Development

This week in The Villages, there’s plenty changing, particularly south of Central Parkway and around Middleton.

Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill has opened in Downtown Middleton, portions of McNeill Drive are taking shape, new Veranda homes have been released in Long Prairie, and residential construction remains active in Merritt Field.

There’s also visible progress at Mustang Recreation Center, while several larger commercial projects remain worth watching.

Here’s where things stand.

Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill Opens in Middleton

Downtown Middleton has another place to eat.

Fiesta Grande Mexican Grill opened this week, adding another restaurant to the growing commercial area around Middleton.

It joins a lineup that includes Portillo’s, 4 Rivers Smokehouse, 24 Middleton and Victory Sports Grill.

We’ll be adding Fiesta Grande to our Middleton restaurant guide as we get a better sense of what diners can expect.

If you’ve already been, let us know how your visit went.

McNeill Drive Progress — But One Connection Still Has Work Ahead

There’s some progress to report on McNeill Drive, although the section many residents are watching does not appear ready yet.

Recent aerial footage shows paved portions of McNeill Drive near the Busche Boulevard area that are accessible to cars. The footage notes that this access is for vehicles rather than golf carts.

The unfinished connection between Central Parkway and Bexley Trail is a different story.

During a recent Gold Wingnut Live broadcast, Don Wiley was asked about that section specifically. He noted that considerable work remains and, while he did not have an official opening date, he would not expect it to open before the new year.

That’s an estimate rather than an announced timeline, so it could change.

For now, the useful distinction is that portions of McNeill Drive are accessible, while the Central Parkway-to-Bexley Trail connection remains under construction.

New Veranda Homes Released in Long Prairie

Long Prairie continues to transition from active construction into an occupied neighborhood.

Recent aerial footage shows completed homes alongside ongoing construction on houses, villas and cottages throughout the area.

New Veranda homes have also been released in Long Prairie.

The Veranda neighborhood includes roughly 100 homes, with about 40 positioned along golf course or water locations, and a number of the homes already feature pools.

Recent aerial views show the Veranda area on the north side of Long Prairie, including homes along the golf course.

There’s still plenty of construction underway, but Long Prairie is beginning to give a clearer picture of what the finished neighborhood will look like.

Merritt Field Construction Remains Active

Residential construction also continues throughout Merritt Field.

Recent aerial footage shows homes at several stages of construction, from graded lots and foundations to houses with walls and trusses in place and others already under roof.

Villa and cottage construction is continuing near the golf course and water as well.

The broader takeaway is that development hasn’t simply shifted from Merritt Field to Long Prairie. Both areas remain active at the same time, along with infrastructure work elsewhere nearby.

Longer-term development is expected to continue through Long Prairie and Farmstead, with additional areas north of Central Parkway also part of the larger growth picture.

There’s still a substantial amount of work ahead.

Mustang Recreation Center Is Taking Shape

Progress is also becoming more visible at Mustang Recreation Center.

Recent aerial footage shows work continuing around the recreation complex, including the outdoor pickleball and tennis court areas.

That’s worth watching as more homes are completed in Long Prairie, Merritt Field and nearby villages.

Residential construction gets most of the attention, but recreation facilities and other supporting infrastructure are developing alongside those neighborhoods.

Legacy Place Tenants Remain Unconfirmed

Legacy Place continues to generate plenty of discussion, particularly around which businesses may eventually locate there.

Names that have been mentioned include Publix, Target, Lowe’s and City Furniture.

As of now, OnlyVillages is treating those names as reported but unconfirmed.

Some of the same names have circulated publicly, though plans can change and there have been no official tenant announcements.

Until there are public filings, official announcements or clear construction activity tying a specific business to the development, we won’t treat any of those names as confirmed.

We’ll keep watching.

The Hospital Area Could Bring More Commercial Development

The planned hospital near the Florida Turnpike is expected to be part of a larger commercial area rather than a stand-alone project.

The surrounding property is described as eventually including additional shopping and restaurant space, with development potentially occurring over several years.

Details and timelines remain limited, so there’s still a lot we don’t know about the eventual mix of businesses.

What is clear is that the amount of residential development nearby will continue to make this corridor worth watching.

KFC and Chick-fil-A Reported Near Pinellas Plaza

KFC and Chick-fil-A continue to be reported as planned projects along the County Road 466A corridor near Pinellas Plaza.

According to the latest information, KFC is planned next to Panda Express, while Chick-fil-A would be located roughly across from Twistee Treat.

Neither project has an opening date at this point, and both appear to still be working through the development process.

We’ll continue watching for permits, site work and other signs that provide a clearer timeline.

What We’re Watching This Week in The Villages

The useful takeaway from this week in The Villages is that development is happening across several areas at once.

Middleton continues adding businesses. Long Prairie is filling in while new homes are still being released. Merritt Field remains under active construction. Mustang Recreation Center is progressing, and work continues on McNeill Drive.

Farther ahead, Legacy Place and the area around the planned hospital could add another layer of commercial development, although many of those details remain unsettled.

We’re also watching infrastructure activity farther east around Green Grove Hill and will update the Development Tracker when there’s enough concrete information to report.

Spotted Something We Should Check?

If you’ve noticed new construction, a recently posted sign or activity at a restaurant or business site around The Villages, let us know what you saw and where.

Reader tips often give us a good starting point. We’ll still work to verify the details before reporting them as confirmed.

Author: Dave