Along with all the new residential projects popping up in the area, commercial developments are also taking hold—projects like a massive food distribution center headed to the corner of University Parkway and U.S. 301 on the border of Sarasota and Manatee counties. If you’re wondering what all that land-clearing work is for, it’s about to be home to UNFI.

UNFI, an acronym for United Natural Foods, Inc., will span more than 1 million square feet, and the new location at the now-vacant site will replace an aging facility at 6272 McIntosh Road, Sarasota. The new address is 8380 21st St. E., Sarasota, even though the address is technically in Manatee County, not Sarasota. If you’re unfamiliar with the acronym, you’re familiar with the company's clients. The grocer wholesaler distributes natural food products to retail chains spanning more than 30,000 locations across the U.S. and Canada, including Whole Foods Mrket.

"The old lease at the original location is up," says Charles Davis, the head of UNFI’s media relations. “The old center is aging and this new one will be a state-of-the-art facility with some of the latest technology, like repack automation, to improve service and reduce the cost of filling orders."

Unlike the old location, the new one, which will employ roughly 300 people, will be air-conditioned. It will also have workforce-friendly amenities like natural daylight and a water filtration system.

The almost-115-acre parcel was purchased by Rhode Island's Broadstone Manatee LLC in May of this year for $17.3 million from Tampa's SRQ 300 LLC. The new facility is located within the SRQ Logistics Center, a 300-acre master-planned business park, and is slated for completion in September 2024.